Purpose of Hermit Crab

[paddyob]

Originally Posted by jorjef

My top ten list of what Hermit crabs can do for you.

1- Kill your snails.
2- Tromp all over your corals.
3- Knock frags over.
4- Kill each other.
5- Great for throwing into your sump.
6- Steal food from your LPS corals.
7- Just generally creeping out the wife.
8- Ensure your ailing corals will die.
9- Rip small softies from their rock.
10- Great toys for cats.

Not the best info for someone inquiring. Sure, funny, but I think this person is looking for quality info.


I use hermits. They are scavengers.

Anyone who does not properly mount frags in their tank to prevent falling is at fault.. not the hermits.

If a fish dies in your tank... give it a couple days and its gone. I do not plan to remove all my rocks to remove a dead and burried fish. Hermits make a quick meal of it.

They pick up food from the sand bed and some will help with algaes.

Avoid the zebra legs as they are the ones that do most of the coral climbing.

I would not be without. Ever. I could care less if I lose a couple to fighting. In most cases they fight over shells, and if a reefer takes that into account and provides "extra" shells for the growing hermits to utilize then you can reduce the crab fights. For $1.50 each... get them.

[jorjef]

Originally Posted by paddyob

Not the best info for someone inquiring. Sure, funny, but I think this person is looking for quality info.

Take 7 and 10 out and the rest is accurate from my own experience. I will never ever advise anyone get Hermits. Their only upside in my opinion other than eating dead fish is they are easy to get rid of. I have no tolerance for a $1.50 crab irritating a $80.00 coral

[reefme]

Thank you every one.

[Lance]

Originally Posted by jorjef

I have no tolerance for a $1.50 crab irritating a $80.00 coral

My thoughts in a nutshell. Crabs are evil. KILL THEM!

[marie]

I like hermits, it's not a real reef without them......

[reefme]

My snails population are getting smaller and my hermit crab is getting bigger now he is in one of my turbo snail's shell.

[marie]

Originally Posted by reefme

My snails population are getting smaller and my hermit crab is getting bigger now he is in one of my turbo snail's shell.

Maybe that's why I'm in the minority in liking hermits, I have so many stomatella, columellid and cerith snails, I haven't had to buy any in years

[Aquaria]

Wish I had stomas in this tank instead I got like a hundred limpets opposite of my old bowfront lol

[fishytime]

Originally Posted by Lance

My thoughts in a nutshell.

dont you mean "in a snailshell"?

[NorthernCoral]

I personally love hermits and have had no issues with them harming any corals. They are excellent scavengers, pretty much their sole purpose. Blue legs and scarletts do not seem to climb all over corals like the zebra legs. And as for shells j&l sells bags of probably 50shells for a couple bucks.