Holy Fish Crap!

[mattborn]

Ok, I've had my 30 gal tank set up for a month now and I've noticed alot of small piles of fish crap on the ground from my 3 damsels. I have 4 very small red legged hermits and 8 turbo snails. It seems like the hermits just crawl on the 40 lbs. of live rock. Do I need more hermits? Should I get bigger ones? Can someone recommend the number and sizes of hermits and snails I should have in a tank this size? I am so confused!!!!
Thanks in advance, you all have been so helpful.

 

[hermit]

Load it up with little critters.. Now I am not saying put 100 of them in there or anything like that but you certainly could handle 30-40 and then a bunch of snails.. Don't forget how much stuff is in there for them to each.. That is often over looked.. These little guys are like the garbage men of the reef.. Don't be affraid to use them.. And don't forget, if you ever find for some reason that there is not enough for them to eat, you can always drop a piece of krill or something like that in there for them. Activity in the substrate and on the rocks by critters like that can only help.. Go slow with adding them if it makes you feel comfortable but don't be bashful.. Also make sure that you have lots of shells laying around the tank for the hermits to move into when they outgrow their shell...
Good luck

 

[krazzydart]

as a rule of thumb use 1 turbo per 3 gallons and 1 blue hermit for every 2 gallons and one scarlet red hermit for every 3 gallons.......I have a 30 gallon reef with 50 lbs of live rock and 6 turbos, 10 blues, and 5 reds, also a brittle star...thay all do wonders in cleaning the bottom.... good luck!!!!!!