Local crabs and snails

[Ray]

Now I have read that it is not good to add snails and crabs to our tanks from these waters because the stuff usually dies, but what about just adding them for food? My new clown trigger has already made short work of the shrimp, urchants and a couple of hermit crabs that were in the tank before him and while collecting NSW yesterday I found a couple of hermit crabs and took them home for the trigger. Talk about excited!!! He was on them like flys on sh*t! Needless to say I just looked in the tank, alittle over 12 hours after adding them and there is only empty shells

 

[starrfish]

LOL - well I can't have a clown trigger, but I can enjoy your stories Ray!!

 

[JustDavidP]

I would imagine that if they are just for food, and get consumed quickly, you shouldn't have TOO many issues to worry about.

My concern would be that other "hitch hikers" would be introduced. There are a lot of bad "bugs" that make their way up through the stream either by free floating or as stow aways on fish and other hosts. Some of the nastier pods attach to fish and attack gills and other target areas eventually killing them. I would imagine that some macros would go haywire in our warmer tanks too.

Even when I use NSW for changes, I quarantine the water for some time. Before long, the bottom of my buckets accumulate a silty layer of "stuff" that I'm sure wouldn't be good for the tank.

Dave