Snails or Hermits for CUC?

[9supratt4]

Right now I'm torn on what CUC to put in my tank.

I know I want about 50-75 Nassarius Snails.

Now my dilemma is the last time that I had blue-leg hermits, they were killing my Nass. Snails.

When I had Astrea snails, they were killing themselves by falling off the glass or rocks and not flipping themselves over.

I also am dosing vodka, which will cause algae in my tank to become pretty much non-existant, so no food for snails.

What does everyone think??

 

[mnat]

I have always viewed hermits as a necessary evil. They do a great job of scavenging and getting those pieces of food that fall to the sand bed but yes you are right they will go after snails. It is always annoying seeing a hermit in a snail shell. I love the idea of nassarius snails and we also like cerith snails that also are good in the sand as well. Algae on the glass may not be an issue but if you get some on the rocks it is nice. Trochus snails can flip themselves over so you might want to look at them. If you go with hermits just get a handful like 5-10 and you should be just fine.

 

[Nickjr000]

If you know you have that little algae, start wit 40 snails. If you dont see that many die off from nothing to eat add some more. If you see alot die off just let them be and they'll prob stabilize themselves at the right number. I like to mix the size of snails so that all the little and big areas in the rocks get clean, found it to be better than all one size. Hermits are all a pita, big or small ones, always snapping branches off corals and killin snails. Just the way of life in the tank i guess

 

[Tazmaniancowboy]

I have only 4 hermits in my 200 that I reluctantly put in there after my tank move and I find them munching on snails all the time. They were little guys, guess I shouldn't have put them in, Now I need more snails.

 

[Hawkeye]

nassarius do not need algae - they eat left over food. They will compete with shrimp/serpent stars etc. A nice by-product is them turning the sandbed because of their sleep habits.

personally i skip hermits. I got a batch for free at macna (kids wanted em) but now almost all of mine are in the sump. I have 3 in nassarius snail shells (still small) in the display. When they graduate to astrea/cerith snail shells (i have a couple empty) then it's time to move em. I gave the rest of mine away.

 

[Brando457]

What would you guys recommend as far as cleaning algae off the sand? Also for primarily off rocks?

I have about 100 turbos in my 135 and am seeing a good amount of hair algae on my rocks that the snails seem to not touch.

I also have about 50-75 nassirus snails that I barely ever see touch the rear of my tank sandbed nor the front.

I'm tired of my sand looking like doodoo and my rock being hairy!

help lol

 

[The_Codfather]

For the sand i would get some kind of sand shifter I have a few mud snails i got from the bay and my sand it always clean but if you don't want them here are a few other reef safe ones http://saltaquarium.about.com/od/azinvertebratefamilyp/tp/reefsafesandsifters.htm