will an assortment of 350 small hermits/snails make my tank parameters go crazy???

[gsxrguru2]

I'm currently waiting around the house for the fedex guy to get here with a package of 100 blue leg hermits and 100 scarlet leg hermits plus 150 astrea snails. I bought this package from e-tropicals because I am having a bloom of hair algae from a rock that I acquired from a friend. I got to thinking that this many inhabitants could make the ammonia spike in my tank, or something else. Can a bunch of small inverts cause anything bad? My tank (125g + approx. 30g sump) is relatively new (been running since Dec.) and I am currently measuring zero on ammonia, nitirites/ates, and PO4. Any reason to be concerned?

 

[klondar]

I don't think you'll see a spike or have any problems but if your not carefull I'll bet you have many, many hermits waring new Astrea homes...

-Glen

 

[Amphiprion]

even little inverts like hermits, snails,etc can make an ammonia spike when you add them in such quantities. Some may also be dying, thus your ammonia spike.

 

[gsxrguru2]

so keep an eye on the levels for the next few days/week and do water changes as necessary? Glen, any way I can avoid having hermits steal new homes?

 

[rustybucket145]

be sure to throw some in the sump also.

 

[klondar]

JUst make sure that after u acclimate them to make sure they get stuck to the glass. Any that fall of or are on the rock work run the risk of getting killed for their shell. More thatn anything make sure you slowly aclimate all of them, this will minimize/prevent death and limit any sipke that may be caused. Then once acclimated, one by one get them to stick to the glass, You can try also setting them on rock ledges and power heads as well then release the hermits in the sand away from the rock areas with the snails. That should give you the best chance...

-Glen

 

[miston]

isnt' that number a bit overkill?

what are those poor guys gonna eat in a few months? won't they starve?

 

[andycook]

You are going to see them die off until their numbers drop to the level the tank can support. Because your tank is relatively new it will support even less than an established tank.

 

[guitar_lord]

sounds like a lot of crabs/inverts for a 125gal tank to me....
you shouldnt need more then 1/gal IMO

 

[gsxrguru2]

I bought the package on etropicals like i said, and the site said that it was a setup meant for a tank up to 120g. Hmmmm... is this going to cause problems in the long run, or will the die off be a gradual decrease that won't likely cause problems?

 

[NCreefwannabe]

well the said invert setup is 2/gallon. At 350 total, thats way to many hermits. Maybe the 100 hermits, then the rest in diferent types of snails. But 200 hermits is extreme.

 

[gsxrguru2]

2/gallon would be about 250 crabs in a 125g tank, do you think this'll still be a problem? I'm seeing a lot of crab poo at the bottom of the rock they've been working on today. I figured I'd vacuum that out each day until the algae is gone, which by the way has been getting eaten up pretty quickly!

 

[gsxrguru2]

Oh, by the way, the 350 is partially snails (100 astreas, of which about 30 are scattered around my sump.) So, like I said there are only 250 hermits in my 125.

 

[andycook]

You could feed them

 

[gsxrguru2]

feed the crabs specifically? should I drop a frozen piece of fishfood to the bottom of the tank for them or something?

 

[gsxrguru2]

I think once the algae situation is under control, I'll pick through them and pull out the blue leg guys and sell them locally or give them away. The 100 scarlets that would be left behind shouldn't have a problem, right?

 

[NCreefwannabe]

no 2/gallon means hermits and snails. At most i would maybe go for 100. But even that is kinda extreme. Try to get astreas, ceriths and nassarius snails going. That way youlll have an all round cleanup crew.

 

[gsxrguru2]

No hermits as part of the cleanup crew?

 

[NCreefwannabe]

lol i didnt say that. I was just reading a 375 gallon setup. He has 100 hermits. if that gives any insight from your 125 to his 375. Some of his are also in refugium. Once they are all in there, your mainly only going to see hermits moving around lol.

 

[andycook]

If they are in your sump you need to make sure they can't get into your pumps.

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6964347#post6964347 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by gsxrguru2
Oh, by the way, the 350 is partially snails (100 astreas, of which about 30 are scattered around my sump.) So, like I said there are only 250 hermits in my 125.