To crab or not to crab, that is the question

[Puffer]

I am looking to add to my clean up crew that I currently have in my 45 which includes about 7 or 8 turbo snails and about 25 nassarius snails. I was looking at going with a few baha red leg hermits and maybe a sally lightfoot for algea and detritus cleanup plus some margarita and cerith snails. I have heard mixed reports about hermits though. Will I have any problem with the bahas eating my snails? Or will the sally lightfoot kill them? I was thinking of maybe a total of 10 hermits and 1 sally lightfoot. What do you think? If not hermits what would be a good alternative? Thanks

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He who dies with the biggest reef tank in his living room wins!

[asmith]

If you decide to add hermit crabs in your tank go with the Scarlet hermits. They seem to be the most peaceful of them all. The blue leg and red leg hermits tend to kill snails and other hermits. The scarlet hermits are red with yellow eyestalks.

Andrew

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I'm living so far beyond my income that we may almost be said to be living apart. e.e.cummings

[Baywatch Babe]

Most hermit crabs are truly omnivorous, eating almost anything they can get into their mouths. They are not herbivores but scavengers and their “herbivorous” aspects are due to their consumption of materials that would otherwise go to fertilize algal growth.

The downside of this is that the food they are eating is often small animals, such as larvae, small polyps, small snails and smaller crustaceans. Additionally, they often attack recently fed corals, sea anemones and other animals removing their food and consuming it. In the process, they undoubtedly damage these animals.

Hermit crabs are relatively rare in natural reef situations; they simply are never found in dense numbers on coral reef rocks. The corals and anemones in these areas are adapted neither to the crab’s competition for food nor to the physical damage occurring when the crabs move over their surfaces. The pitter-patter of little pointy feet can be very destructive to delicate coral tissues.

A good alternative are worms and grazing snails, Trochus, Astrea, Nassarius, etc.

[Rob]

Hermits seem to have mixed reviews on their behaviour. I lucked onto a good species that came from IPSF, and since I trust them more than most, I decided to chance it.

One guy said that his hermits killed off almost all of his snails, whether for food or for sport. Dr. Ron said otherwise. I haven't bothered to keep track of who's who in the crab world...

But if you are not so sure where the hermits are coming from, what species and so forth, there are better detritovores, such as Bristleworms and Nassarius snails.

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Cheers,
Rob
New York City

[hinescom]

I know that the really itch alot. Just kiddin, I know, Im a dork. Seriously though, you would probably do better sticking with the snails, and maybe getting a Mithrax crab, look at my post about Mithrax crabs, there are some good replies on the subject to help you make up your mind.


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Go somewhere else and sell crazy, were all full here!.............


Ignance is blizs!