Red Hermit Crabs vs Mexican Turbo Snails - BAD

[infinite abyss]

Red Legged Hermit crabs will kill the Mexican Turbo Snails.

I had one dead today. The other day I saw the snail was partially eaten; a portion of the circle when the snail hides had been eaten away. The red hermit crabs are killing the turbo snail for their shells?

I hear they are "opportunistic." Maybe they like the snail shell and want to live there, who knows.

This is a risky combo with red hermit crabs. I do not have anything else in the tank besides the hermit crabs that would kill the snails. So it must be their doing! Don't mix them with anything with shell perhaps.


Be AWARE! Maybe good idea to have empty shells lying in tank.

 

[Cub21rak]

That would be my suggestion, throw a handful of extra shells in there. If ya don't want empties laying around put em in back of rock work or inside cave/crevasses. Also, was the snail tipped over to where it couldn't righten itself? Week snail would be good target for crab.

 

[Smitty]

I think that crabs kill snails for the thrill sometimes, because even if you put a bunch of empty shells in the tank, they'll still kill your snails unfortunately. Just their nature I guess.

 

[Herbie]

Wouldn't you get tired of eating rotting crap all the time too?

 

[EricTheRed]

Wouldn't you get tired of eating rotting crap all the time too?

Ahh geeze...don't start up again with the snail poop!!

I've found the red-legs to be more aggressive than my blues. However, unless you saw the murder, you can't blame the crabs. Those big mexican turbo's need a lot of algae to eat and snails tend to die in my tank because the micro algae doesn't cut it.

 

[Tethered_Limbs]

or they just fall over and cant turn over

 

[Emisis]

or they just fall over and cant turn over

I got mine the "I've fallen and can't get up" alert buttons...........

 

[infinite abyss]

That would be my suggestion, throw a handful of extra shells in there. If ya don't want empties laying around put em in back of rock work or inside cave/crevasses. Also, was the snail tipped over to where it couldn't righten itself? Week snail would be good target for crab.

+1 i threw in a few empty snail shells, i hope it works

 

[infinite abyss]

i saw a moving snail on sandbed with a red leg hermit crab over it today lol

today i added a few empty shells & i hope it will help, a free shell much easier than to kill a snail

to get at one. unless they are doing it for sport as smitty suggested.

 

[KeishaKornbread]

I've had crabs kill snails just because. The reds have been more aggresive IMO in my tank so I typically only do tiny zebras and blues. I always remove them when they get big too. My snail population has been faring much better since.

 

[Siebo]

The red legs I had killed everything with a shell they could fit in. Snails and Blue legs etc were all fair game. I took them all out and only have blue and zebra now.

 

[m.miller1547]

+1 Walt. I love tiny zebra hermits.

 

[KeishaKornbread]

+1 Walt. I love tiny zebra hermits.

The biggest reason is that they can get into the tiny nooks and crannies of the rocks to reach the algea. And they are brave enough to climb inbetween the acro branches to give my acro crabs a hand with keeping SPS clean. Only place I can find them are RCA, Reef Imports and Xztoics. Reefwise has small ones in, but the other 3 have tinier ones.

 

[Hyperlitexr50]

So every time you find a hermit crab eating a fish did he kill it? Until some one shoots a video of a crab in there tank killing a snail I am calling BS. I have snails in my 80g sump that some times die with out any hermits living with them. Sails and crabs are cheap they are kind of like condiments in the fridge you don't have to replace them every time you shop but when you run out its time to pick more up.

 

[Joe5688]

i've seen my hermits go after a snail and then later i see it eating out of it's shell like a bowl lol

 

[m.miller1547]

I get my zebras from RCA. Your totally right. They get in the lil places my nuisance red legs can't.

 

[infinite abyss]

UPDATE ** Having a bigger tank help IMO

After the 30 to 65 upgrade, they have been co existing... i haven't seen one dead since