Snails and hermit preferences?

[thakr21]

I'm in the market to get some more snails and hermit crabs. Anyone have any suggestions on what types do the best job?

 

[wolffam]

Mt astra snails do the best claning in my tank. I'm partial to red leg hermits also. HTH

 

[hondo]

Trouchas are my favorite since the can turn themselves over when the fall. Great cleaners
Nassarius for the sand bed if you have one. Pretty cool to watch them come up out of the sand when they smell food. If you have a sand bed you should get some.
Cerith are good cleaners and reproduce like crazy in your tank so you always have replacement in case a few die.
Strombus are also good cleaners and breed fast.
Astrea and margaritas are both good cheap cleaners but they seem to die off fast especially when they fall over.
I really don't like turbos as they tend to be small bulldozers and knock things over.
For hermits I only ever buy scarlet reef hermits. They are good cleaners and tend to leave your snails alone.
I would suggest a good mix of different types as diversity is the best.

 

[wrassecal]

I have and like a variety of all the snail mentioned above. I have no hermits. The only crabs I have are a sally lightfoot and an emerald.

 

[thomas712]

Asterias / Turbo's/ Mexican Turbo's/ Red moon snails / hundreds of little Arene (Asteria) or Macarene snails, Mostly red leg hermits and one blue leg. Thats in the 55. Still working on the new 90 with only 10 snail from the above collection.
Thomas.

 

[glinton]

Don't go with blue leg hermits. They may be cheap, but IMO you get what you pay for.
I have lost about 3-4 already due to fighting. I have heard that red legs are much better.
Personally, I am going to go hermit-less.
Hope this helps.

 

[ekclark]

I agree with most of the people above. Red legs and better neighbors than their blue legged cousins. I like the Mexican Turbos. They are huge, but they can turn themselves over, eat red slime, and my blue legs do not bother them.