Cleanup crew

[playa0069u]

how many of what should I have for a ten gallon fowlr. I have 5 astreas and 14 hermits. i realize thats too many lol but how many turbos, ceriths, and nassarius and crabs should I have ?? i was thinking like 6 crabs, 3 turbos 5 nassarius(small ones) and 3 or 4 ceriths. I get the ceriths and the nassarius confused so... im thinking the ceriths are bigger right? i also have have 2 brittle stars(hitchikers)and a pistol shrimp...REDICULOUSLY small

[seahorsedreams]

Yup, you're right. 14 hermits is too many. Many people don't put them in their tanks at all anymore. But if you feel the need I would go with advice once given to me as 1 per 10 gallons. Exactly what kind of hermits do you have over there?
Your astraea are appropriate for the size tank you have. I actually don't recommend them in larger systems because they are harder to keep an eyeball on and these guys will need daily turning over. They come from an environment where there is little risk of them being flipped over on their backs so they have not developed the ability to right themselves. BUT I also don't recommend astraea with hermits. Hermits are meat eaters... it's who they are. None are obligatory algae eaters. And then add a snail who can't right himself..... lunch couldn't be any easier.

What does your turbo look like? Is it a tan colored kind of large snail or is it an kind of black/gray one that looks something like this.
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y248/seahorsedreams/acove2.jpg
Sometimes either of these snails can be called a turbo snail. Three of the tan ones is too many. You will get away with one but there has to be a good production of food for it to eat. If it's similar to the one in the picture they are a cool water species and do not belong in a tank above 70 degrees at its highest.

What you stock your tank with will depend on the individual needs of your tank. I know... sketchy answer. But here is how I would go about it...... A very loose stocking ratio is 1 snail per gallon (not the turbos). That is optimum stocking numbers.... no room for adding in the furture. So, I would get half that number now. For the new 100 gallon I am putting up this weekend I am going to stock it with 50 snails and a mixture of them. You want to cover all the different nuisance "algaes" and you also don't want all of the snails to be competing for the same food while they starve and another algae goes unchecked. So mix it up! I love vibex. They are obligate scavengers on meaty foods. Dropped food... dead/dying animals.... they are with the program. (What sort of substrate do you have?) But they won't do anything for your algae besides reducing the fuel to grow them. Nerites are wonderful little snails and love microalgae. Mine prefer cruising around the glass. I don't think I have seen them on the substrate or rock yet and I've had them for over a year. Trochus snails eat diatoms and microalgae but are a little harder to come by. Astraea are good if their are no hermits. Ceriths are good. No bumble bees... they are a predatory whelk.

So, you get a mixture of those guys, throw them in, and sit back and wait for you tank to tell you what it needs. You have a cyano outbreak, add more cyano eaters. You have hair algae, add more hair algae eaters.

That's what I would do. If you must add the hermit, one per 10 gallons and nix the astraea.

[playa0069u]

lol thanks nix the only things i have lol... well I realize what your saying but they are so cool i love my hermits. i think i will keep a few while they are small but when they get bigger i will get rid of some. the turbos are tan... So i was thinking 3 turbos since i already have 5 ill get rid of two... but anyways how does the mix above that i posted sound?? i think ill keep like 4 hermits because that is a good average to me. I hear people say none at all you say 1 per 10 gallon, i have heard 1 per gallon. I have heard 1 per 5 gallons.... and so on so i think if i keep a few i should be good. ill be sure to give them an extra sprig of food everyone and a while and watch my nitrates.

[seahorsedreams]

Which of the turbos do you have? The one in the picture or the tan ones?

[playa0069u]

^^^tan lol

[seahorsedreams]

Oops.

[playa0069u]

n/p i got rid of 8 blues and 1 turbo today. I have either 2 or 3 blues left, 1 brown zebra 1 black zebra and 2 VERY small brown zebras i mean like there shells are a quarter of an inch. i traded 8 hermits and one trubo for a scarlet reef hermit! he still hasnt moved lol he is alive and looks happy, but he's just chillen.

[lReef lKeeper]

red legs dont mix with blue legs, i dont remember which way it goes but one species will kill the other species, if i am not mistaken !!

[chrisl1]

crabs are bad, eventually they start taking out snails.The micro blues are ok, but eventually they grow too.

[playa0069u]

well i heard the scarlets are really passive so thats why i got him... i have 3 blues 2 zebras and 1 scarlet. i also have two more zebras but they are like --that long. i have 4 turbos 4 nassarius ___ <big and 3 ceriths _______ <b ig well actually i dont lol i have 3 turbos and 2 nassarius but im getting them tonight....

[mburke]

I have had both the scarlet and blue hermit crabs in my 65 for around 8 months with very little problems. All seem to get along fine don't even bother the snails. Occaisionally I will drop some cheap pelletized food on the vottom(once a week) And you can watch the crabs run and chow down. All the other times you watch they are just picking thru the rocks and sustrate cleaning up as required. My biggest complaint is cleaning out all the shells that are shed every 4-6 weeks,seems like they all doit around the full moonI think if you make sure they have food and other shells to move to you reduce the amount of canibalistic attacks.
Mike

[playa0069u]

thanks man sound good. i have 7 or 8 now but it looks like none... i usually se like 3 and my scarlet... i want more lol but i wont...

[carpenterwrasse]

alright i know i am back a few monthes but what is a cyano eating snail?

[playa0069u]

hmm I would like to know that now too lol

[lReef lKeeper]

that would be Astraea tecta or Astraea snail. eats cyano and diatoms.

[carpenterwrasse]

Thanks Bob

[lReef lKeeper]

anytime buddy !!

[carpenterwrasse]

Hey Bob have you ever organized a frag swap?

[lReef lKeeper]

never organized one, but i have been to a LOT of them. you planning one ?? i am sure if you posted on the sites of all of the clubs in maybe a three or four state radius of you that you would get a pretty good turnout.

[pass1over]

you mentioned hair algae eating snails, which species in particular like to much on hair algae?

[lReef lKeeper]

margarita snails, Cerith Snails, Banded Trochus Snails, Dwarf Red Tip Hermit Crabs, Scarlet Reef Hermit Crabs, Dwarf Blue Leg Hermit Crabs, Electric Blue Hermit Crabs, and Halloween Hermit Crabs to name a few for ya. hope this helps.