How many emerald crabs

heathd.hd

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60 x 18 x 24 tank? I just picked up 5! To many or a good #
 

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Aqua fire/medic

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I say one is too many. I've learned never to trust a crab the hard way. Ie. knocking over rock work, moving frags, and hunting fish at night. But if you want an emerald, I think 2 would have been plenty.
 
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When they get bigger I'll probably remove a few. There only nickel - quarter size little guys. Hoping they will kill off my vermited snails. Fingers crossed here.
 

Lee Haynes

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I say one is too many. I've learned never to trust a crab the hard way. Ie. knocking over rock work, moving frags, and hunting fish at night. But if you want an emerald, I think 2 would have been plenty.
Talk about being a [HASHTAG]#crabhater[/HASHTAG]

Only joking! I've heard good and bad things but what else will get rid of tough algae other than crabs?
 
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heathd.hd

heathd.hd

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He probably leans twords snails. Problem I've had with my snails is they get big and than don't clean my rocks. Most of mine all just hang out on my back wall.
 

Lee Haynes

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He probably leans twords snails. Problem I've had with my snails is they get big and than don't clean my rocks. Most of mine all just hang out on my back wall.
I was only messing with him, that's my thoughts about snails! What's a good substitute then, shrimp?
 
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heathd.hd

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I so far just think a good mix of everything just like nature has is best. I had problems with blue leg hermits. They were eating all my snails. But yah I have 4 types of snails. Red leg cortez crabs and now emerald crabs. I also have 2 peppermint shrimp and a skunk cleaner shrimp. They all can do things to corals if not fed properly.
 

Lee Haynes

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I so far just think a good mix of everything just like nature has is best. I had problems with blue leg hermits. They were eating all my snails. But yah I have 4 types of snails. Red leg cortez crabs and now emerald crabs. I also have 2 peppermint shrimp and a skunk cleaner shrimp. They all can do things to corals if not fed properly.

Like nature intended sounds good! How do you feed them? Do they not feed off of the tank?
 
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heathd.hd

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Yes. They eat leftovers. Is all.

People say they would never have a peppermint shrimp again because they stole food from there corals. I have not experienced this in my tank. My peppermint shrimp hide because I have 4 wrasse's in my tank. So nature is working! Haha.
 

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I agree with Aqua fire/medic here. I've had emeralds go through all the algae in one day then start on my corals the next week.

Seems silly to me to be asking this question after you have already bought them, but I believe that 2-3 would be sufficient because they work fast...

He probably leans twords snails. Problem I've had with my snails is they get big and than don't clean my rocks. Most of mine all just hang out on my back wall.

What type of snails do you have?
 
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heathd.hd

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@KoleTang yah I think I over did it also. I'll get down to 2 of them as soon as they do some work. 5 is probably overkill.
 
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heathd.hd

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I have a few of everything for snails.

2 conch
5 cerith
10 Nassarius
15 or 20 astraea
3 turbos!
 
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heathd.hd

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The issue I have right now is this vermited snail population. I'm hoping the emeralds will take alot of them out or atleast get the small ones.
 

KoleTang

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@KoleTang yah I think I over did it also. I'll get down to 2 of them as soon as they do some work. 5 is probably overkill.

Good luck catching them. :D

BTW, the best snails are Trochus, Nassarious, Astrea (I prefer the spiny kind, but can be hard to find), and Turbo (Chestnut is a smaller option for Turbo).

Nerites don't live in the water all the time, that's why they are always trying to leave.
Margaritas don't come from warm enough climates. They will have a supercharged metabolism for a few months then die.
Ceriths are OK, nothing great IMO. Dwarf Ceriths are terrible because they are too small to tell if they are alive or dead (and usually when you order any, the retailer will throw in way too many)

If your snails are attracted to the back glass then clean it to force them to look for algae on the rocks.
 
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heathd.hd

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Good luck catching them. :D

BTW, the best snails are Trochus, Nassarious, Astrea (I prefer the spiny kind, but can be hard to find), and Turbo (Chestnut is a smaller option for Turbo).

Nerites don't live in the water all the time, that's why they are always trying to leave.
Margaritas don't come from warm enough climates. They will have a supercharged metabolism for a few months then die.
Ceriths are OK, nothing great IMO. Dwarf Ceriths are terrible because they are too small to tell if they are alive or dead (and usually when you order any, the retailer will throw in way too many)

If your snails are attracted to the back glass then clean it to force them to look for algae on the rocks.


Thats a great snail summary! You just put alot of reading that I have done into a short sweet paragraph that any reefer can understand!
 

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trochus snails are like tier 1 snails i believe.less feeding and superglue to lessen the vermited poulation
 
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heathd.hd

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I think part of my vermited problem is the fact that I broadcast feed rods. Which is great for my corals. Bad for the snails. Hmmm
 

Bensadork

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I have an emerald crab and he's never bothered anything in my tank. I don't have much for livestock but I have a healthy population of stomatella snails in my tank. My emerald has never touched one of them as far as I know. I do, however, have a peppermint shrimp that I caught eating one of my baby black stomatellas. I still see them all over the tank so he hasn't decimated the population yet, but as you all know things do tend to happen more gradually as opposed to suddenly in reef tanks.
 

Aqua fire/medic

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Talk about being a [HASHTAG]#crabhater[/HASHTAG]

Only joking! I've heard good and bad things but what else will get rid of tough algae other than crabs?


Ha ha.... No worries bud. But to be honest I am a crab hater..... Lol! Even if the emeralds do eat your algae, as soon as they realize you feed the tank they turn into lazy bums and just wait all day long till you feed.

I like cerith snails the best and like some one mentioned earlier don't bother with the dwarf variety. I keep a pair of turbos in my 60 cube. Even though they are like bulldozers when it comes to unsecured frag plugs. They are algae eating machines.
 

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