Snails and Hermit Crabs

[mchale574]

Just yesterday, my live rock finished cycling and now I am looking to add a cleaning crew. I purchased four blue leg hermit crabs for my tank (6g nano cube) and they are like an army cleaning up my live rock. However, I would like to purchase a few Nassarius Snails to move around my sand bed (approximately 2.5 inches), but the owner of a local pet store keeps telling me that my hermit crabs will kill any snails for the shells is this true? Am I stuck to choosing either hermit crabs or snails? Is there anything to help them co-exist peacefully?

 

[BurntOutReefer]

hermit crabs will kill anything to get to that bigger shell...yes its true.......throw in some empty shells....you can strill get teh snails as Hermit Crabs cant climb up the side of the tank, where the snails will most likley end up anyway.....

 

[mystikdragon7]

Yes hermits will eventually kill the snails for thier shells. However, it depends how bid the hermits are to the snails and how hungry the hermits are to. To help the snails live you can put in empty shells that are bigger than the hermits and when they grow they will most likely take the empty shells. With such a small tank I think the chances of thier food source will run low or run out, and they might turn to the snails for food.

 

[Dubbin1]

I doubt that a crab is going to kill a nassarius for its shell since they are much much smaller then the crab.

 

[ken123]

Even if you keep plenty of extra shells they will kill the snail for the shell. I have these hermits and as small as they are, they killed plenty of my snails. They just killed my large black turbo snail, stole the shell, didn't like the shell and went for another empty shell. As fun as they are to watch, ya have to keep replacing the snails. Or get rid of the hermits.

 

[romunov]

The nassarius snails will do little for your sand bed (see Nassarius Snails as Scavengers in Reef Aquaria
]here[/url]). I would suggest ceriths instead.

 

[Paintbug]

hermits will kill a snail for the shell, its nature. but its not like they will go after the snails as soon as you put them in the tank. keep some extra snail shells in the tank will lessen the odds in them killing a snail. and nassarius snails will do exactly what you want them to, stir the sandbed. they also eat any leftover food floating around as well.