How to leave shells for hermit crabs and still have tank look nice?

How do i put the shells for the crabs to grow into in the tank without it looking all messy? If they are just all in the front of the tank it looks kinda cluttered to me. What do you guys do?

 

place them in the back??? or inside caves.

 

It really does not matter where you put them because the hermits are going to move them and leave them where they want. Really isn't anything you can do except not keep hermits and if you do they need bigger shells.

 

Do you guys not keep hermits? I thought they were an essential part of the clean up crew. I do like the little guys though. I might try putting most of the empties in the back like rickzter suggested. If the crabs leave them out front I will just give them a stern talking to and even hold back on feeding if I have to make the point. Thanks guys.

 

I keep blue leg hermits in all of my tanks but they are not considered "essential". There are some folks in the hobby who will absolutely not keep crabs or any sort in their tanks but to each his own Like OSG said, you can put the empty shells where you want to but the critters in the tank are going to move them around.

 

No, I do not have any hermits that I know of right now but I do have snails and serpent stars.

 

I've had hermits eversince I started my 30g reef a year ago. One thing I can tell you is if they do leave their old shell for a new one, they will leave their old shell in the same area you placed the new one. Just put them in the back or in caves. No one will move them but the hermits themselves when they are checking them out. Most shells also end up getting buried. Eventually hermits will feel them and dig them out.