snail/crab question

[debbie]

I would just like to ask a question regarding the amount of snails and crabs in a tank. I have been reading how many of these inverts everyone keeps in their tanks. It seems that many keep a large volume of them and then post why they are dying.
Water quality is certainly one but do you not think that by adding more of these inverts than one has food for in the tank only adds to their quick death?
I can honeslty say that I am guilty of this to being new into the hobby. What I have learned over my 2 1/2 years is that I do did have way to many only to see them die.
What I have now is my 25 gal with "one" large turbo and "one" blue leg hermit crab. My one snail has this tank completely clean and when it finishes at one end it starts over again. The hermit crab has all the algae on the rocks under control too.
Do you not thing that we are putting to many of these snails and crabs into our tanks with not enough food for them?
Just curious about how everyone feels about this.......

 

[bang guy]

Originally Posted by Debbie
Water quality is certainly one but do you not think that by adding more of these inverts than one has food for in the tank only adds to their quick death?
I agree 100%

 

[debbie]

Thanks Bang Guy....

Wow.... I am a learner but I have learned so much in my 2 1/2 years into this hobby, made a few small mistakes along the way but have learned from them and will continue to learn more all the time.

 

[jhov2324]

Well when they die don't the other inhabitants of your tank feed off of them, in nature nothing goes to waste, whenever a hermit died in my tank, I always saw fish eat them, so maybe it's not that bad, think of it as letting nature take it's course, am I kinda right? I'm just a newbie too, but you made a very good point and I just thought about this.

 

[debbie]

Originally Posted by Jhov2324
Well when they die don't the other inhabitants of your tank feed off of them, in nature nothing goes to waste, whenever a hermit died in my tank, I always saw fish eat them, so maybe it's not that bad, think of it as letting nature take it's course, am I kinda right? I'm just a newbie too, but you made a very good point and I just thought about this.

Yes you are right about the other inhabitants feeding off them. But the point I am getting at is that many posts say they don't understand why their crabs and snails are dying all the time. The key here is water quality and to many crabs and snails for the amount of food there is for them in your tank.
My LFS for instance has a 90 gal and has 2 large turbos, she has had them for 5 years in the same tank and never added anymore. She also keeps 5 crabs and never anymore than that. So the main thing here is to many inverts and not enough food = starving dying crabs and snails.....

 

[saltfan]

Originally Posted by Bang Guy
I agree 100%
I second that 100%

 

[sufunk]

Where were you guys when i was arguing with someone that 1250 snails and 1500 hermits was insane,even for a 540g.

Everyone else thought it was normal

 

[lazarus]

i have been wondering the same tho new to the hobby. have had 4 hermits, an emerald crab, choc star, and just added banded coral shrimp in a 29 gal FO. all seem to be doing fine. maybe its b/c i feed them too much!

 

[saltfan]

Originally Posted by sufunk
Where were you guys when i was arguing with someone that 1250 snails and 1500 hermits was insane,even for a 540g.

Everyone else thought it was normal
Sorry, musta missed that one. I have a 135 and only have (well now) 7 Mexican Turbos and 13 dwarf hermits. And they do a fine job, I won't get anymore for that tank until they are not doing their job.