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Reef Custodians

Custodian Frequently Asked Questions

Question: "How many snails and crabs do I need for my tank?"
Answer: A good rule of thumb is 1 crab for every gallon, and 1 snail for every gallon and a half. This is a good starting point, from here you can judge for yourself whether or not your clean up crew needs some additional recruitments.

Question: "How big are the blue legged hermit crabs?"
Answer: Small. Many people have the misconception that blue legged hermit crabs are large. The average size of our blue legged hermits are 1^1/2 times the size of a pencil eraser.
Question: "When is it safe to add snails and crab to my aquarium?"
Answer: Opinions differ. It has been our experience that both the snails and the crabs do not do well when introduced to a tank that is high in nitrites & nitrates. We recommend that you add your clean-up crew after your tank has cycled, and nitrates are below 10ppm.
Question: "Are Turbo Snails good in a reef tank?"
Answer: Yes and No. Turbo snails are much bigger than the other types of snails we carry. They do perform an excellent job of eating algae, but due to their size may knock over some of your corals.
Question: "Will blue legged hermits eat my corals?"
Answer: No. Blue legged hermit crabs are strictly detrivores. They eat the refuse and left over food in your tank. They will not nip at your corals and are completely reef friendly.

COMMON NAME	LATIN NAME	TARGET	1-3 CRABS	4+ CRABS
Arrow Crab	Stenorhynchus seticornis	Dec./Bristle Worm	$14.95
Emerald Crab	Mithrax sculptus	Valonia	$9.95	$8.95
Porcelain Crab	Neopetrolisthes/Petrolisthes	Decorative	$9.95	$8.95
Sally Lightfoot Crab	Graspus sp.	Algae/Detritus	$9.95	$8.95

Reef Custodians cannot be ordered on-line. Please e-mail or telephone us for availability!

Reef Custodians cannot be ordered on-line. Please e-mail or telephone us for availability!

J&L Aquatics offers the following suggested packages at great savings!

COMMON NAME	TANK SIZE	CONTENTS	PRICE
Package #1	5 - 10 Gallons	5 - Blue Legged Hermits 1 - Red Scarlet Hermit 3 - Astrea Snails 2 - Margarita Snails	$17.49
Package #2	15 - 25 Gallons	12 - Blue Legged Hermits 3 - Red Scarlet Hermit 5 - Astrea Snails 5 - Margarita Snails 5 - Cerith Snails	$48.95
Package #3	30 - 45 Gallons	30 - Blue Legged Hermits 5 - Red Scarlet Hermit 10 - Astrea Snails 10 - Margarita Snails 10 - Cerith Snails	$99.95
Package #4	50 - 60 Gallons	45 - Blue Legged Hermits 6 - Red Scarlet Hermit 15 - Astrea Snails 15 - Margarita Snails 15 - Cerith Snails	$149.95
Package #5	70 - 90 Gallons	60 - Blue Legged Hermits 10 - Red Scarlet Hermit 20 - Astrea Snails 20 - Margarita Snails 20 - Cerith Snails	$199.95
Package #6	100 - 150 Gallons	100 - Blue Legged Hermits 15 - Red Scarlet Hermit 30 - Astrea Snails 30 - Margarita Snails 30 - Cerith Snails	$299.95
Package #7	180 - 240 Gallons	150 - Blue Legged Hermits 30 - Red Scarlet Hermit 50 - Astrea Snails 50 - Margarita Snails 50 - Cerith Snails	$489.95

Reef Custodians cannot be ordered on-line. Please e-mail or telephone us for availability!

"We will beat ANY Canadian competitors'
prices by 10% of the difference on all in-stock dry goods."