Preventing Snail Genocide

Hey guys

So I broke down and got more snails from reefcleaners. Placed a small order just to check them out and my tank is really small so I don't need much.
I already had two nass snails and several hermit crabs (blue, red and scarlet)

Yesterday I receieve my order from John@reefcleaners and it's great. Several (10 or more?) dwarf ceriths, four florida ceriths and three nerite snails.
Acclimated them as instructed, took them out of the bag and put them in the water. Dwarf Ceriths were the first to go in... they're all pretty much where I put them still. (been about 30 hours ago?). Then the floridas... and HOLY COW... the second they hit the sand most of my crabs and my nass snails came flocking toward them. Needless to say, about an hour later four of my crabs had new homes. This morning I woke up and one of my larger nass snails is dead (i'm assuming they killed him too?)

My sand bad has alot of shells for these crabs to choose from. They are well fed. They've never displayed behavior like this. But I have never put in hermit crab sized snails before, either. Obviously I've heard they can do this but never seen it.

The Nerite snails are doing great, btw.

Is there a way to prevent this type of snail killing spree from happening again? I don't know if any of my dwarfs are going to make it. Unfortunately they got stuck in the crossfire. My nass snails were crawling all over them.

 

get rid of your crabs

 

Second. Having extra shells will not stop crabs from killing snails. Put them in the fuge or something.

 

crabs are the worst

 

I was hoping there was some crafty way to stop it. lol I figured there wasn't but it was worth a try. I hate to get rid of them.. I love my crabs so much. Even if they are murderers. =P

 

Yup Get rid of the crabs an get more snails and learn to love them

 

I agree, I had plenty of hermits and then got my RC order in and slowly my snails were dying off. I broke down and pulled every last one of those hermits out. Now I love snails and probably won't get another hermit.

 

I go through a crew of snails every three months or so. I couldn't figure out what was happening to them. I guess they have crabs.

 

no crabs jokes? shocker there...for example "i like to keep my tank like my body,.....crab free" anyways snails die soon after they run out of food and some people go through snails every month. how were the nerites? they did good in my tank. and so did astreas.

 

There IS probably a way, but it's not that easy. You'd have to acclimate them in the tank water, in a screen "cage" or something, long enough for them to not smell stressed or like food to the inhabitants that have been in your tank a while. It would probably take several days. Stressed animals may give off phermones that attract predators, just as dead animals do. Nassarius are immediately attracted to it, and hermit crabs probably are, too. You still might lose a few, but it shouldn't be the genocide you just witnessed.

Cheers,



Don