Buying tank w/ established snails & crabs -- but adding new water

[DiverDan]

I'm purchasing a tank tomorrow that will have live rock / sand & some snails & crabs.

They'll be transported in minimal water, then I"ll quickly set it up and start adding my mixed water to it.

Any other suggestions for making sure I keep the crabs & snails alive? They aren't my top priority, but I would like to make sure they survive through the new tank setup.

 

[bloodygears]

you really should take as much tank water as possible if you keep enough of the old water the tank will not cycle making everything much simpler. If you use mostly your own water the crabs and snails will most likely die to the high ammonia nitrite and nitrate levels which are toxic to fish and inverts one way to lower ammonia is having a good protein skimmer.

 

[Otherone]

The nitrogen cycling bacteria lives in and on objects within the tank not in the water column. Transport the inverts in a 5 gal bucket of tank water then when your tanks up and running slow drip acclimate them prior to adding them to the tank.