ClayTheSavageFraser Posted July 29, 2009 Share Posted July 29, 2009 (scratch)Which are the best for a packed reef tank? Which are best with snails? What Snails are the best? What do you have? Cleaner crew is knockin things over and some are eating my snails!(flame)! I need my cleaning crew! Please share about your experience and expertise!! Thank you!! Clay(nutty) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lowman Posted July 30, 2009 Share Posted July 30, 2009 I like a good mix of snails Nassarius for the sand, trochus for the glass and rocks, ceriths for the glass. I personally try to avoid hermits unless they are th scarlet reef hermits, they cost more, but are the least aggressive. A few emerald crabs, and some peppermints would be a good place to start. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick Posted July 30, 2009 Share Posted July 30, 2009 85 gallon, I have maybe a dozen Nassarius, 4 or 5 black nerrites, a few astreas. 2 Turbos in the sump (They were knocking stuff over so they were banished). I have maybe 8 hermits left in there. For the hermits I have a mix with my 3 favorites being the Electric Blue (My number 1 fav), scarlet and zebra. I haven't kept track of the rest (blue legs, red legs etc.) however I have slowly taken several out and put them in the sump or other tank. Primarily I did this whenever I found one near the corals. I also have a peppermint shrimp and 2 red fire shrimp. The pep for aptasia if it creaps up and the fire shrimp for cleaners. For the bottom I have a yellow head sleeper goby which keeps the sand pretty clean. Just added my Red Scooter Blenny as well. Note that while I chose to get a variety of hermits I would not necessarily advise doing so unless it is simply because you like them (Which was my reason). If it's just for cleaning I think I would skip them altogether. I've also had an Emerald Crab in the past but it was taken out when I caught it having a coral for dinner. For awhile it was in the sump and then it went in my Nano tank where the Electric Blue Hermit eventually made dinner of it while I was away over the 4th weekend. (Came home and the carapace was pulled open and he was chowing away) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randy-S Posted July 30, 2009 Share Posted July 30, 2009 no claws aloud in the reef! stick with snails. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
undrtkr_00 Posted July 31, 2009 Share Posted July 31, 2009 I beefed up my crew several months ago and have been really pleased with the results. I had held off on spending much on janitors because, hey, I wanted more corals, fish, etc. But, now everything in the tank looks better. I have a variety of snails (nassarius, trochus, astrea, cerith, margarita, turbo, stomatella, plus misc hitchikers I haven't tried to identify) and a variety of hermits (blue-legged, striped, scarlet, etc). I'm with Bob - the scarlets are more expensive but worth it. They look great and seem to outlive other varieties. My next batch of hermits will probably be all or mostly scarlets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ClayTheSavageFraser Posted July 31, 2009 Author Share Posted July 31, 2009 I have some crabs that like to eat snails and I heard of some mowin on corals! I am trying to weed out the ones that do that! I am going to get more snails cause they do an awesome job on the inside of my display!! I will get more scarlets and see which hermits kill them cause I think the hermit wars go on and they are the casualties!! Clay Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
undrtkr_00 Posted July 31, 2009 Share Posted July 31, 2009 Oh yeah, forgot to mention. Until a few weeks ago, I would have definitely recommended emerald crabs. Then I found my emerald munching on my prized pagoda! Bad news. (violin) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nate213 Posted August 1, 2009 Share Posted August 1, 2009 I have had very good luck with these Jade Hermits. They seem to live longer than the scarlets or blue legs, and I have never seen one bother my snails or corals. http://www.saltwaterfish.com/site_11_03/product_info.php?products_id=1914&parent_category=4&category_search=63&root_parent_id=4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ClayTheSavageFraser Posted August 1, 2009 Author Share Posted August 1, 2009 Sweet, I am on it!! Clay Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theJenchild Posted August 2, 2009 Share Posted August 2, 2009 I had one of those jade hermits!! I called him jerkmo, and he attacked other hermits and ate almost a whole rock's worth of zoas before I figured out that it was him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ClayTheSavageFraser Posted August 2, 2009 Author Share Posted August 2, 2009 [language filter]!! OK!! NEVERMIND! GLAD I DIDN'T GET ANY OF THOSE! SHOOTS!! CLay Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nate213 Posted August 2, 2009 Share Posted August 2, 2009 Well I guess you just need to try out a bunch of different ones and banish the bad ones to the sump! It seems like everyone has had mixed results. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick Posted August 2, 2009 Share Posted August 2, 2009 I think there may be a couple of different green leg crabs where part of them are reef safe and part not. In searches I turned up claims both ways. I searched a good bit when I picked one up a few months ago. It ended up in the sump just to be safe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ClayTheSavageFraser Posted August 7, 2009 Author Share Posted August 7, 2009 Scarlets seem to be the ticket! I am doing snails cause they rock and they clean real good! And I like hermits cause they do clean real good too!! But I love my corals and I love my snails to be alive!! Clay Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newfisher Posted August 28, 2009 Share Posted August 28, 2009 GOT CRABS? LOVIN' the scarlets. Yes, tubo snails are rough and seem to knock over a few things. Experimenting with super glue right now to keep it all in place and contrary to popular belief...it will stick your fingers together underwater. I have heard wearing a rubber glove for a day will release the aftermath much quicker. (nono) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nwcoralfarm Posted August 28, 2009 Share Posted August 28, 2009 I like a good mix of snails Nassarius for the sand' date=' trochus for the glass and rocks, ceriths for the glass. I personally try to avoid hermits unless they are th scarlet reef hermits, they cost more, but are the least aggressive. A few emerald crabs, and some peppermints would be a good place to start.[/quote'] I absolutely second this, though don't completely disregard hermits. They are uber important, just make sure they have lots of shells to move into. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nwcoralfarm Posted August 28, 2009 Share Posted August 28, 2009 LOVIN' the scarlets. Yes' date=' tubo snails are rough and seem to knock over a few things. Experimenting with super glue right now to keep it all in place and contrary to popular belief...it will stick your fingers together underwater. I have heard wearing a rubber glove for a day will release the aftermath much quicker. (nono)[/quote'] But if you're fingers are stuck together how do you get the glove on?DOH! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newfisher Posted August 28, 2009 Share Posted August 28, 2009 "just make sure they have lots of shells to move into. " I have found the LFS's wil usuually give away empty shells so the Hermitts have options and have left my snails alone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick Posted August 28, 2009 Share Posted August 28, 2009 I recently posted up a thread about the shells I found at the dollar store. Here is a pic of what was left after I sorted them out and boiled them. The best I could get from the LFS was a few of them when I bought a bunch of hermits. None of them that I asked (Most) sell them. I stumbled on these at the dollar store one day though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ClayTheSavageFraser Posted August 29, 2009 Author Share Posted August 29, 2009 I did get those about a month ago! Boiled them and everything!! Love em'!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
finch6013 Posted August 30, 2009 Share Posted August 30, 2009 I have some of these cheap shells in my tank. I dono if anyone in there is calling them home or not but I kinda looks cool Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick Posted August 30, 2009 Share Posted August 30, 2009 I've had a couple use them although they are buried back behind the rocks so I'm not sure if they can even get to them now. Most of the hermits I have now are too big for them anyway. For the larger shells I found some at the beach in a tourist shop for 35 cents each. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
finch6013 Posted August 30, 2009 Share Posted August 30, 2009 sometimes I think its cheaper to just add more hermits rather than give them shells Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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