CUC: Hermit Crabs… Yay or Nay?

[gveng]

How do you prefer your clean up crew?

 

[JojosReef]

No hermits. Up to no good. You can see it in their beady little eyes. That said, Halloween hermits look so cool I might have to get one...

 

[mchain275]

I like to have a small handful of hermits to eat detritus in pockets that snails can't access. I favor the scarlet hermits, because I think they're more visually appealing than blue claws, though they are typically about 200% more expensive. The big caveat is that hermits are omnivores and it's a virtual certainty that they'll eventually prey on snails, other hermits, badly struggling fish and the occasional coral polyp. That's life on the reef...

 

[LesPaulPlayer73]

Couple cleaner shrimp. Striped Trouchas snails and a conch. That’s it.

No hermits. They eat the snails.

 

[Xaznkewlguyx]

Starting to dislike hermits as they steal food from scolys and chalices

 

[Jimbo327]

Lots of hermit hate. LOL. I got 2 Halloween and 2 scarlets. They just look cool. And reefs need crabs. haha.

 

[wsoldier]

I've had 2 scarlets for years and never any issues.

 

[JojosReef]

Lots of hermit hate. LOL. I got 2 Halloween and 2 scarlets. They just look cool. And reefs need crabs. haha.

Do Halloween hermits go after conches?

 

[Jimbo327]

Mine hasn’t. But it’s a big tank, so they might not bump into each other yet. So far, I’ve only seen the Halloween pick at rocks and sand.

 

[drexel]

I like to have a few scarlets, but always make sure to have spare shells. The micro hermits from IPSF are good, but like most hermits, keep them in small numbers. I find that a variety of snails do a better job overall.

 

[Lou]

Leave a few larger shells for the hermits. Had some scarlet hermits murder all my large Mesikan turbo snails for their shells. They seem to leave the smaller snails alone.

 

[Duckman]

I have snails and blue legged hermits together in my red sea reefer 350. No problems there. But the hermits will eat anything that dies.

 

[breadfish]

Starting to dislike hermits as they steal food from scolys and chalices

Find that to be true but I find them to be reef safe because evertime I add 10 there only 2 will be alive in a few weeks. I find shrimps to be worse from stealing food.

 

[DanK.Reefer]

Hermits need food too. Even when I fallowed my tank for Ich infection I still through in some food for the crabs every now and then. Hermits are scavengers. They are gonna take whatever is the next easiest for them to eat. If there aren't food scraps and algae in the tank they will go after whatever else is available.

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