To Hermit Crab or Not?

[Curlsoc]

Just as it says, I am looking for opinions on Hermit Crabs. Love 'em or hate 'em? What sort? I've had none in the tank since I got rid of the bad ones back to the LFS since I've been hearing so many opinions on them. What's your opinion? :hmmmm:

 

[EyeReef]

Ive always had hermits and never really notice them doing anything bad except maybe climb over frags and knocking them over or the ocassionally snail shell jacking. But recently, Most of the hermits have died off and pretty much theres no more in my tank. But hasn't been a great lost either. My tank is cleaner then ever.There were just cool to look at.

 

[coachfraley]

I have red tips and blue tips in my 12g and I like them. They just go about their business and don't bother anyone else.

I have heard some people complain about the scarlet reef HC's

 

[Justin]

I love feeding them to my mantis.. Haha

 

[Roxy25]

I have some clue legged hermits they really keep my sand clean !. They have also gotten rid of the last of my GHA I had in my tank.

 

[d34532]

I hate all crabs only had problem with them in one form or another.

 

[Mark82]

like stated above they will knock over frags but pretty much they have been ok in my tanks

 

[nahtanoj]

i've never had any problems, my favorite were the scarlet faced, the others i have seem to be more aggressive to my snails, and to my scarlets. but they do help stir my sand, and do knock over my frags as well, but no harm no foul, i just have to keep an eye out to put them back.

 

[Xycron]

the only things I don't like about crabs is they keep knocking stuff over, they aren't harming anything, but my shroom rock wont stay where I want it because he keeps moving it for me.

 

[epicfish]

the only things I don't like about crabs is they keep knocking stuff over, they aren't harming anything, but my shroom rock wont stay where I want it because he keeps moving it for me.

^ ditto. They're fun to watch when they try to steal each other's food.

 

[mikedege]

Ive had em all, Mexican Reds, Blues, Zebras, Scarlets etc.... the only ones I will ever put in my tanks now are the Scarlett Hermits, they're the only ones that don't seem to kill my snails... The blues were the worst. but this is just in my experience tho.

good luck, Mikeroud:

 

[Bergovoy]

I love them, got dozens, of all shapes and sizes. I just picked up one last week, for five bucks, abuot 3 inches around, red body with white and red spots all over the legs, with sticky hair. Sand clings to him and he does nothing but eat sand and poop.

I saw him followng my tiger tail cucumber the other day, and the tiger tail was consuming tons of sand, and pooping sand pellets, (think rabbit pellets), and teh crab was recycling them again.

Kinda reminded me of a tunnel boring machine, in that the sand was being displaced some ten inches.. from where it started...

great looking crab this last hermit is, he will sit there and stare back at me with teh flashlight on...

 

[Fishie Nut]

No Crabs!

 

[Scissorhand]

I had been hermit-less for quite a few years. I love 'em. Just didn't want to deal with replenishing the snails population more than I had to.

A few weeks ago, I finally bought some scarlets after hearing that they're the most docile. So far so good. They haven't gone after any snails. But as someone's said before, they are the laziest. They'll just stay in one place and don't really wander around to graze algae.