Cleanin sand with hermit crabs on bottom

[nooberpie]

hey, the first time i cleaned my sand there was a hermit crab on the ground and it got piled with sand on it. there wasnt much on it so i didnt really care. the next day i could see its body parts near its shell (*crys) i bought a new water/gravel cleaner that is battery operated. i was wondering what i should do to prevent any more crabs dying, if there on the sand. there usually on the rocks eatin algea. please help me. id like to clean my aquarium asap

 

[woninil]

Are you sure it didnt just shed its exoskeleton?

My orange kneed had its little legs sitting there on the sand all pitiful like-looked so real I was convinced the hawkfish, who had already done in my camel shrimp, had killed it. Then I noticed the shell walking around again-it was just the skeleton he'd shed but soooo colorful, I was fooled

Anyway, you could just pick up the little buggers and put them on the rock before you vacuum

 

[qtaquaman]

sandy crabs

I worry about the same thing in my reef tank, really I think the only thing you can do is remove the crabs or just take the occasional loss. I'd rather remove the crabs so when I do a water change I draw a small vokume of water into a separate bucket and pick out any I see on the sand, it doesn't seem to hurt them any by doing a quick temperary transfer.

 

[Gealcath]

If you have a good clean up crew you dont need to vaccum the sand at all, in fact still shouldnt vaccum it.