Do I really need all those snails?

[Scott Bennett]

I will soon be buying cleaning critters for a new 75 gallon fish/reef tank.
When I look at the cleaning crew packages at various websites, they all
seem to recommend what looks like a huge number of snails/hermits -
typically recommending 1 crab/snail per 1 or 2 gallons, but then ending up
with even more than that. For instance, the "basic 75 reef/fish" marine
depot package includes 63 hermits, 45 snails (of various types), plus a
dozen other assorted crabs, cucumbers, etc. That just seems like a huge
number of critters. Seeing the size of some of these at the LFS, it seems
that all you'd see would be these critters. Is it really necessary to get
100 snails and hermits? What's the right number (I'm planning on 2 emerald
crabs, 2 cucumbers, 3 peppermint shrimp, and some number of snails)?

Thanks!

[kim gross]

Scott,

You are actually better starting off with less than with more. When you
get a lot, they end up starving once they get the tank cleaned up and
then you lose a large percentage of them, since they all starve, not
just the 10 to many that you have.


Package deals like this work very well for the retailer, and do a good
job of cleaning up the tank very quickly only problem is that many of
the creatures end up starving and then you get to purchase another
package a few months later. The best way to do it is to start out with
about a dozen algae eating snails max for a 75, stay way from the hermit
crabs, one cucumber (only if you have a fine grained sand bed) and about
25 nassarius snails to start. Then in about a month you can add more if
need be.

Kim



Scott Bennett wrote:
> I will soon be buying cleaning critters for a new 75 gallon fish/reef tank.
> When I look at the cleaning crew packages at various websites, they all
> seem to recommend what looks like a huge number of snails/hermits -
> typically recommending 1 crab/snail per 1 or 2 gallons, but then ending up
> with even more than that. For instance, the "basic 75 reef/fish" marine
> depot package includes 63 hermits, 45 snails (of various types), plus a
> dozen other assorted crabs, cucumbers, etc. That just seems like a huge
> number of critters. Seeing the size of some of these at the LFS, it seems
> that all you'd see would be these critters. Is it really necessary to get
> 100 snails and hermits? What's the right number (I'm planning on 2 emerald
> crabs, 2 cucumbers, 3 peppermint shrimp, and some number of snails)?
>
> Thanks!

[CapFusion]

Start small and add more as need it. I do not really fond of crab or hermit
if place in the main display tank. Most of my clean-up or algae crew are
Peppermint (not camal kind with the homp), Turbo and Nassarius snail,
Sailfin benny, Serpent Starfish and do not forget my Yellow Tang that graze
on it all day. I do not like hermit or crab. Most of them are place in the
sump to clean additional algae. Cucumber annoy me, they simply like to get
suck in by powerhead or prefilter / overflow.

If you have a good PS, you do not really need much cleaner / janitoral crew,
except for worm or starfish to sifting / stir-up your sand bed.

CapFusion,...


"Scott Bennett" > wrote in message
.. .
> I will soon be buying cleaning critters for a new 75 gallon fish/reef
tank.
> When I look at the cleaning crew packages at various websites, they all
> seem to recommend what looks like a huge number of snails/hermits -
> typically recommending 1 crab/snail per 1 or 2 gallons, but then ending up
> with even more than that. For instance, the "basic 75 reef/fish" marine
> depot package includes 63 hermits, 45 snails (of various types), plus a
> dozen other assorted crabs, cucumbers, etc. That just seems like a huge
> number of critters. Seeing the size of some of these at the LFS, it seems
> that all you'd see would be these critters. Is it really necessary to get
> 100 snails and hermits? What's the right number (I'm planning on 2
emerald
> crabs, 2 cucumbers, 3 peppermint shrimp, and some number of snails)?
>
> Thanks!

[Ken]

Along with a bunch starving you will also get a million baby snails.
I have taken out all by largers snails because they kept knocking over
everything. I still see 20-30 baby snail come out as soon as the
lights go off. They keep everything just as clean as the big ones and
stay on the glass more.

Ken D

Scott Bennett > wrote in message >...
> I will soon be buying cleaning critters for a new 75 gallon fish/reef tank.
> When I look at the cleaning crew packages at various websites, they all
> seem to recommend what looks like a huge number of snails/hermits -
> typically recommending 1 crab/snail per 1 or 2 gallons, but then ending up
> with even more than that. For instance, the "basic 75 reef/fish" marine
> depot package includes 63 hermits, 45 snails (of various types), plus a
> dozen other assorted crabs, cucumbers, etc. That just seems like a huge
> number of critters. Seeing the size of some of these at the LFS, it seems
> that all you'd see would be these critters. Is it really necessary to get
> 100 snails and hermits? What's the right number (I'm planning on 2 emerald
> crabs, 2 cucumbers, 3 peppermint shrimp, and some number of snails)?
>
> Thanks!