Hermit crabs poop too much! How to clean hermit crab poop.

[titanoboa100]

I had no idea that hermit crabs poop so much. How do I vacuum all that poop up? I thought when you have a marine tank you should not vacuum the sand bed? I never vacuum my sand bed. Should I be vacuuming it?

[JRC3]

Turkey baster or syringe with a piece of rigid airline attached to it. http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/kk16 ... CI0150.jpg

[Terrance]

hover your siphon over the sand bed but do not disturb it if its a deep sandbed and ypu want the nitrate reducing factor. take out as much waste off the substrate as possible. clean up crew does produce waste, so they are not entirely beneficial. add it to the con list.

[titanoboa100]

The reason I got the two hermit crabs was to reduce my algae build up. I just don't see the point of keeping them if they are going to up the nitrates.

[defool89]

Only if the clean up crew can clean more then they mess up is it worth it.. I can see it in a community tank or a large puffer or multiple puffer tank. . If the nitrates pick up then so will the algae I think. Algae is just a microscopic plant, weird eco systems

[tropicshell]

Firstly, remove the hermit crabs from the tank in a smooth sided plastic container with high sides as the crabs are master climbers.Then clean all the accessories of the tank with a a clean piece of cloth and warm water.Get a small scoop and remove all the debris from the sand and/or gravel such as old food and crab poop top up sand and gravel if necessary.Remove all the sand and gravel from the tank and disinfect the inside of the walls of the aquarium by using a mild solution of warm water and household vinegar.Dry properly.Place the clean accessories back to their original place slowly after topping up the sand and gravel.
tropicshells.com

[Tim]

I've only kept dwarf hermits with a gsp and in a small nano reef, I've never seen them leave any poops around. Though I think the shrimps and other critters took it apart and ate it .

[Pufferpunk]

Yeah, I have tons of lil guys in my reefs.

[defool89]

I've only kept dwarf hermits with a gsp and in a small nano reef, I've never seen them leave any poops around. Though I think the shrimps and other critters took it apart and ate it .

Get a clean up crew to clean after your clean up crew..lol

[titanoboa100]

I noticed a black granular about the size of an inch. It's almost as big as the hermit crab. I'm wondering if this poop or molted skin from the crab?

[titanoboa100]

http://youtu.be/zgOXRLz6PMM. What is this?