red leg vs blue leg vs zebra

[cyclops23]

im looking at a cleanup crew and was wondering what was the best ratio. its for a 55g tank with a shallow sandbed. are all the hermits pretty much the same? my other question is on margarita snails. i was going to add all astrea, but would adding a few margarita snails hurt?

[Gluestick]

I have read in several books that margarita snails are not suitable for a reef tank. The temp is too high and they will die from being cooked. Correct me if I'm wrong, though.

[techreef]

Gluestick, i've read the same. Margarita's snails' "home" is in a cool water region of the Pacific, so the tropical temp's in most reef tanks is too much for them, and they slowly die/cook.

[UrbanSage]

I guess this is the first I hear of this. I have Magarita snails from my initial cleanupcrew still (whats left from hermit assaults)
They have been growing/thriwing for over a year now. My temps were at 80-82 but the last 4-5 months have been closer to 78-80.

I am not saying you guys are wrong, I have never had any problems though. And they do a great job.

[Cutiewitbooty]

all i have is margarita snails in my tank (other than one big turbo) and all are doing fine, i have had some for about 5 months now.

[davefeag]

I have seen more zebra's and blue legs attacking snails than I have red legs. Just remember snails make for nice meal for crabs.

Have any heard of margarita snails disturbing soft corals? Especialy leathers and shrooms.

[Paulairduck]

I have had too many snails killed by the nasty hermits, and I have caught them grazing on some of my corals. Now I have taken all my hemits back to the fish store and I have turbo snails only, and they do an excellent job.

[UrbanSage]

Turbos are very efficient. I just got sick of them knocking over my corals and everything else not bolted down....Good and bad about everything I guess

[sttroyiii]

'Scarlets' are supposed to be a lot more docile. I think the others are about the same.

[Cutiewitbooty]

i had the problem of hermits killing snails sometimes, but i learned as long as you have a bunch of shells for them to choose from they don't kill your snails anymore. I put a bunch behind the rockwork. They are out of sight. Now the hermits will eat any snails that are dead and i think alot of peope think they killed them even thiugh snail could have already been dead.

[techreef]

My mistake. It wasn't margarita snails, but certain types of Astraea snails. Here is the link to Dr. Shimek's (really good) article on snails. Follow the internal links in the article for Parts II and III.

http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-05/rs/index.php