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View Full Version : Snail and hermit lifespans


daplatapus
06-24-2013, 03:24 AM
When I set up my tank almost 2 years ago, I put in bunch of hermits and snail and over that 1st year I added more, including a selection of snails and blue legged hermits. I've recently noticed I have no hermits left that I can see and maybe a half dozen or so snails. What's the lifespan of these things anyway? Do you guys have an annual replacement regimen or do I have an aquarium mystery on my hands? Alien abduction maybe?

I've had no problem keeping anything else, all my shrimp seem healthy, good pod population, I've always battled algae so I doubt they're starving... not too sure. Thoughts?

1eyedjyde
06-24-2013, 04:14 AM
I found my hermits would kill off each other and snails however I have had 2 turbo Snails for over 2 years now and 3 blue leg hermits for well over a year

naesco
06-24-2013, 04:23 AM
What is the size of your tank and how many snails and hermits did not add before you decided to replenish them

daplatapus
06-24-2013, 01:20 PM
Tanks are a 77 gal and 20 gal tied into a common 150 gal sump. Approx 150 lbs of live rock. I've never really had an end population I wanted to reach of either snails or hermits, just wanted a good size clean up crew. But life and work and side projects got me so consumed I started forgetting to just sitting down and watch the tank. :(

I never noticed until the last few days when I've made a concerted effort to clean up my tank of some algae that's been driving me crazy that there's very little clean up crew left. Trying to figure where they've all gone...

Dearth
06-24-2013, 02:19 PM
Blue and red legged hermit crabs have an average life span of 3-5 yrs in captivity.

Most snails live about a yr some species are shorter others are longer

I've lost about a third of my crabs to various things and have had some crab procreate i have 4 blue legged hermits born in my tank but my snails have been voracious procreaters I've only got one snail left from original batch and I have about 18 or so in my tank that were created and born in the tank.

If you don't have a lot of detritus your CuC can starve to death as well it could be one of many possibilities

pinkreef
06-24-2013, 03:43 PM
I have a zebra hermit crab thats 4 years old.

naesco
06-24-2013, 05:38 PM
Tanks are a 77 gal and 20 gal tied into a common 150 gal sump. Approx 150 lbs of live rock. I've never really had an end population I wanted to reach of either snails or hermits, just wanted a good size clean up crew. But life and work and side projects got me so consumed I started forgetting to just sitting down and watch the tank. :(

I never noticed until the last few days when I've made a concerted effort to clean up my tank of some algae that's been driving me crazy that there's very little clean up crew left. Trying to figure where they've all gone...

I think there is a couple of things at play here.

1. You probably added too many snails and hermits in the beginning and they starved to death. A couple of hermits, primarily predators, is enough for a tank your size. When there is little food for the hermits they can attack the snails.
2. If you did not have a very slow drip acclimatization for the snails they would be injured and die. Ya, they are juat snails but they have a complex system that is affected by saliinity, temperature and water quality.
3. If you tank took a bit of a downhill trend for a while, this might affect them.

Many new reefers fall victem to the 'I need a CUC kit' with the result that too many or the wrong inverts are provided that eventually die polluting the tank.