Questions about tank mates and maitenence

[Von]

I'm looking to start a tank of opae ula for my mother, who just had her beloved cherry shrimp pass away after a surprising 5 years of life..
I'm debating on whether or not to add a snail, a micro crab, or maybe a dwarf hermit crab.
What are the pros and cons to having these as tank mates and how much extra maintenance will it be to have a snail or crab in the tank?
Thanks!
Edit: I have a few other questions. Should I have a filter in their tank? Or a bubble maker? Or is that not needed with these guys? I see that they are often sold in unfiltered tanks, but is that really ok?

[KenCotigirl]

Read the supershrimp link above. It should answer most of your questions. Yes to a few snails. No to microcrab. If you search the posts Mustafa tried them but not sure why they did not work out. No idea about hermit crabs. Talk to Bob from Washington? I think he may keep them. However remember Mustafa's method works with shrimp, snails and macroalgae. Adding hermit crabs and which type may not work with his method.

[SillyDaddy]

I can tell you the Hermit Crabs are semi aggressive, especially towards snails that have the shell they want, and unless you are running a filtered tank, which I would not suggest for Supershrimp (Halocaridina rubra), then it is also a no on the hermit crabs. There seems to be a big want to mix animals. I know because I posted that same question a while back. I have, in my research, heard of one person thinking of using the schooling bumblebee Goby (Brachygobius aggregatus). I would highly discourage this as goby is an aggressive to semi aggressive fish, and they may even view the Supershrimp as a food source. Let me also remind you that these are VERY small shrimp. They are very active and a great source of entertainment by themselves. I find myself staring into my tank on my desk for a lot longer than I intended. Decorate the tank nicely and enjoy these wonders with a few snails. I would suggest an order of Macro Algae and snails, wait about a month for them to settle and "Cure" your new tank, then order the Supershrimp.

In closing, let me just say that the Supershrimp and snails are MORE than enough to keep me entertained.