Feeding Hermits and Snails

[JusJim]

I'll be adding a few snails and hermit crabs soon to my 65 Gal. tank. There's 100# of live rock, but I've seen a few other posts talking about some of the clean up crew dying, appearntly from not having enough algae to eat.

What can you get to supplement their diet until you get enough algae growing? What about the seaweed sheets of food?

If I start using RO/DI water isn't that supposed to keep the algae from growing in your tank? If so, then what do they eat?

TIA

 

[REEFKEEPA]

If you are cycling your tank, algae will grow, no matter what you do. It goes trough its own type of "cycle"too.
Just have patience. add a couple of chromis and feed them.

 

[JusJim]

Ok, stupid question of the day. What is Chromis?

The tank is cycled, but does not appear to have any of the green algae growing on the glass and such. The live rock is kind of hairy, but I'm not sure if this is algae or not.

 

[whiteshark]

Chromis is a kind of fish. The hairiness is probably hair algae, which your snails will eat. Algae absolutely will grow. It is inevitable. Your cleanup crew will have plenty of food.

 

[REEFKEEPA]

OK I take it back, I mean "Established".
Get a few reef friendly fish.
Check out what you like and get the ones that are "easy" to keep.

 

[whiteshark]

I often times find my snails on my nori sheets. Sometimes I let the broken chunks of nori land where they may, and the snails wolf em down. Just a thought.

 

[JusJim]

What is a nori sheet?

 

[bjonesjr1]

you can buy it at any grocery store it seaweed to make sushi... but you can add it to your tank to feed

 

[JusJim]

So what about the seaweed sheets you can get at the fish store? When I bought my 65 gallon I got several packs of that in the deal.

Also, the question about the RO/DI water. If that is supposed to get rid of algae, then do you even need the snails and crabs?

 

[whiteshark]

When I say nori, thats what I mean (algae sheets). They seem to like Sallys the best for some reason. I just say nori cuz its shorter to type.

 

[whiteshark]

Oh, about the RO/DI, yes it will take care of the vast majority of the nutrients. However, water change water is not the only source of nutrients. Fish food often will contain a lot of phosphate. Also fish waste will contribute to nutrients. Invert food (marine snow or phytoplankton) can also add nutrients to the water.