Snail Shells in Reef Tank?

[Birkholz51]

I have had freshwater tanks for years, but I am new to the reef tank hobby. I have a 55 gallon tank with 55lbs of live rock. I currently have 5 hermit crabs and an a clown fish, and hope to add more fish and corals in the future.

I have two shells of dead margarita snails from my original clean up crew. I have boiled these shells in water for 5 minutes and allowed them to gradually cool down to room temp. Are these shells safe to place back into my aquarium?

 

[lonbrat]

Yes

 

[Birkholz51]

Does boiling them ensure all the pieces of snail that may have remained deep inside the shell are gone? I don't want to foul up my water due to rotting snail

 

[homer1475]

If they were in there originally, why wouldn't they be safe now? All pieces of dead snail were probably gone long before you even pulled them.

 

[oldbones]

Any left behind will become food for somebody in your tank.

 

[RayAllen3422]

Mine usually just become hermit crab food. Usually they only died because of the hermit crabs.

 

[Clownfish Chris]

Mine usually just become hermit crab food. Usually they only died because of the hermit crabs.

So true.

Removing them, boiling them, and putting them back is a waste of time. If you have hermits- especially the blue leg Hermits, you will lose snails and may be even other hermits. The will kill for a shell they think they like. It is helpful to have several sizes of empty shells for the hermits. The chances of them killing a live critter for a shell diminishes with a bigger selection of available shells.

 

[jayball]

Generally you do not ever want to boil anything from your tank.

Next time just look into the shell... if you see meat left in there you can do something about it. (putting it in front of a hermit would do.)

 

[jason2459]

Yep, never actually boil or cook anything. For shells I used to collect I would just sit outside in the sun for a few days. Bugs will clean out the insides and the sun will sanitize the outside.

 

[Skeet59]

yes

+100

Snails die, it happens. Got more your spider legged cuc will love you even more

 

[Dkuhlmann]

Bristle worms will clean anything out of the shells that were left. Very efficient cleaners