HCA: Hermit Crab Association

My set-up has a built in freshwater pool with filtration and a few aquatic plants. I'd added some Malaysian Trumpet Snails (MTS) to the pond to help clean any algae that might start growing, and now I can't find a single one of them. I am guessing that the hermit crabs are able to catch and eat them under water. Has anyone had a similar experience?

It's more likely they are hiding in whatever sand or gravel substrate you have in the pools. They don't like light. Check for them in the middle of the night.

Good call. Thanks.

Like Wod said, they a burrowing snail that's somewhat nocturnal which is perfect if you have sand in your pool, it will help aerate the substrate and reduce anaerobic bacteria - plus if you have plants; it allows them to gather more nutrients as they mix the sand. They rather cool little guys but they do need a calcium source of some sort (a little chunk off a cuttlefish bone works well) as their shells will degrade without sufficient calcium.

I've had MTS before, I just never thought to put them into the crab tank. I'm used to seeing them in my fishtanks as they turn the sand, and I guess I didn't account for the reduced visibility in my crab set up.

I'm also a little cranky that I won't be able to easily harvest a few to seed my next project. I had hoped to put a few into the viv I'm starting up, but until the population grows, I don't think I'll be able to find any.

Ask any pet store and they should hand some over for free. I know my local Petsmart keeps a cup of ones they've picked out to give to people who ask, mainly for puffer fish.

I suppose that is what I'll have to do. I've gotten spoiled by having supplies like MTS on-hand for a very, very long time. (Last year, I had to re-home all of my other pets for a cross-country move; I coached a friend through shipping the crabs to me. It's been a little frustrating to start up from scratch.)

Thanks again.