Can I keep Turbo Snails and Hermit Crabs?

Can I keep Turbo Snails and Scarlet Reef Hermit Crab
(Paguristes cadenati) together in a 33 gallon Reef aquarium or will the crabs attack the snails?

If I had to choose which would do a better job of clean detritus and Algae?

 

I have snails and hermits. The hermits may try to turn over your snails for ther shell. I would get some empty shells for the hermits when they out grow there old ones. Other wise they are both good members of a cuc. If you going to get snails get some certh snails. Good luck!!

 

I'd go with the scarlet hermits. They don't steal shells from snails

 

Good advice thanks! I have been worried having heard horror stories about hermits steeling shells! I'm very limited for what I have to choose from really as there are not many saltwater LFS around were I live to the are only 2 shops to choose from! The only snails they have are turbos but I don't know if their worth getting or not?

Should I just buy a load of hermit crabs instead of snails?

 

Yes you can for a cleanup crew It's better to have more snails than crabs! Crabs will eventually fight each other and end up all gone so keep crabs down to about one per 4 gallons of waterand as small as you can get.

 

I would avoid keeping hermit crabs and snails together.They can decimate the population of your snails.This is my personal opinion but I would choose the snail over the hermit crab.The snails can clean the glass,rocks,etc.In other words they can clean all over the tank but hermit crabs can not clean the glass which is a big disadvantage.It's your choice though

 

Hermit and turbos are good together just keep it at a low count dedends on what tank and what you have can you give me more detail?

 

I guess they can be ok together but my friend had a hermit and a turbo together and the hermit killed the turbo.I don't know what the size of either were though.I'm assuming that the snail was pretty small.

 

Could be that turbo died and crab was eating it. I have currently 12 turbos and 6 hermits 2 emarald crabs 1 sea hare and 4 nassauris snails in my 29 show tank. That's my cleanup crew for now I just started my 30 cube I built so half will end up in each tank.

 

Good advice thanks! I have been worried having heard horror stories about hermits steeling shells! I'm very limited for what I have to choose from really as there are not many saltwater LFS around were I live to the are only 2 shops to choose from! The only snails they have are turbos but I don't know if their worth getting or not?

Should I just buy a load of hermit crabs instead of snails?

Where abouts in england are you from?

Ive got few turbos.. their awesome.

Also seen hermit crabs riding them lol, pretty funny.

Thoe I wanted a few hermits... but for the same reason I aint quite built the balls to stick em in! Love my harmless snails lol.

 

I have turbos and hermit toghter and I have not had anyproblems yet

 

I have both together with no problems at all
P.S.Welcome to fishlore dyter..

 

The only time I have seen hermits go after them is when the turbo starts to die off. Other than that I have never seen them attack a turbo!!!!

 

Ok... I took the dive, was at the shop broguht 5 more turbos snails, saw a few hermits but was unsure until I saw this peice of wood... moving around by itself, so continued to watch this odd shape obbing and weathin around the place.. couldnt seee what was inside so I ask the fish man what specie that was... he goes "oh its a hermit" he picked it up and showed me... was a blue band legged hermit... so coz he had such a cool shell I had to have him, yes just the one!

Hes been in my tank and doing excellent... his been right up next to my snails, as close as he could ever be... and hes been a good boi!

Thoe I am glad for my custom made rock background as my snails usually occupy this most of the time.. wonder if I coould get a few more herms, one or two!

Since ive a blue one.. should I stick to blue?? or could get another colour???

 

Yes you can get a few more and it does not matter of color so go for it!!!