LF Red Legged Hermit Crabs

[Wayne]

Looking for Red Legged Hermit Crabs (Scarlet Reef Hermit Crabs)

Looking to try them out on some aptasia control. If anyone has some or knows where I can get locally that would be awesome!!!

[outacontrol]

I am 100% sure that peppermint shrimp are the way to go for aptasia control.

[Nano]

yeah +1 I have scarlets, and they have never touched any of the "3" aiptasia I had lol. peppermint shrimp ate one though

[Ripwoop]

Those shrimp are hit and miss. Berghia are 100% effective.

[Wayne]

I have a Flame Hawkfish, so adding a peppermint shrimp could be an expensive snack :lol:.

I have tried Copperbands without success and I am too worried a filefish would eat my corals (softy oriented tank)

If anyone knew where I could get some Berghia's for a decent price I would be up for that. I thought BWA was breeding them once upon a time...

[Nano]

I was just there on saturday and I didnt see any nudis

[subman]

Marine aquaria had the peppermints for $8 this weekend worth a shot at that price.

[Ginu]

I just took a gamble adding a peppermint shrimp to take care of aptasia and a day later I can't find a single aptasia (had them all over the tank, but really small) and the shrimp is still alive with the CBS and cleaner shrimps...although
The cleaner likes to chase him around.

Forgot to mention, I have a bunch of red legged crabs and they don't care for aptasia at all.

[noirsphynx]

I've never heard of red legs doing anything for aptasia. Buy several peppermints. One or two usually won't do much, if anything at all. I put 9 in my tank and after a week it was clean.

[sphelps]

Would be nice if scarlet's ate aptasia but they won't. Who told you they would?

Peppermints would be a gamble with a flame hawk but if you can get some larger ones for a decent price, might be worth while. Otherwise you can also try a filefish as some people have good luck with them but again will be hit or miss.

[Wayne]

I've never heard of red legs doing anything for aptasia. Buy several peppermints. One or two usually won't do much, if anything at all. I put 9 in my tank and after a week it was clean.

I think I will have to take the risk and maybe add them at night so they have a chance. My Hawkfish is still kinda small so maybe and if they can stay away from my Coral Banded Shrimp aswell they may survive long enough to take care of my aptasia (there really isn't much, but in my eyes its a plague :lol:)



Would be nice if scarlet's ate aptasia but they won't. Who told you they would?

I read some literature on the internet :mrgreen: Both mention these crabs near the bottom of the page:


http://saltaquarium.about.com/od/seaanemoneprofiles/a/Ways-To-Eliminate-Aiptasia-Anemones_2.htm (http://saltaquarium.about.com/od/seaanemoneprofiles/a/Ways-To-Eliminate-Aiptasia-Anemones_2.htm)


http://www.fishchannel.com/fish-exclusives/fama/aiptasia.aspx (http://www.fishchannel.com/fish-exclusives/fama/aiptasia.aspx)

But if noone has had sucess I guess I will spend my money on some peppermints :biggrin:

[dc4]

I have a pair of pepermints and they took care of the few aptasias that were in my tank. My flame hawkfish doesn't pay any attention to them plus they feed the tank when they release their babies.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I727 using Tapatalk

[Ginu]

I have a mature coral branded and cleaner and my pepermint is still alI've after a week and a half and he cleaned all the aptasia in my 34g cube.
Just make sure you feed them b4 adding the peppermint and make sure you got enough hiding spots and you should be fine. Now in regards to the flame hawk... I don't know sInce I've never had one. Should be ok since he's small but then one way to find out.

[Wayne]

I am pretty sure my coral banded shrimp took my peppermints and my cleaner shrimp out... I have seen him grab fish too :neutral:

But hopefully the peppermints in great enough numbers can get it cleaned up first...

[Ginu]

Guess I got lucky, my CBS is too clumsy. It also really depends on the size of the shrimps... Unless you got a overly aggressive CBS, he should be ok with cleaners if they are abut the same size and peppermints hide during the day so have a good look.