halloween crab reef safe??

[kimboslice]

one site said yes, til full grown, but it says they just knock things over i guess, will they also eat corals when full grown or fish??

i just bought one a 1inch in size for my reef tank

 

[sirbooks]

Is that the orange version of Calcinus elegans, like from here? (http://biomar.free.fr/calcinus_elegans.html)

They're as reef safe as a crab can be, but yes, they are pretty clumsy. Large ones are quite capable of irritating corals and even banging them around.

 

[finsurgeon]

I've had 2 moderately large ones (about 1 3/4 inches each) for about 9 months. I've never seen them eat or pick at a coral. On 2 occasions I've caught one picking at a "burrowing snail" who is rarely seen at the surface. I think I have nearly every type of coral or snail or conch otherwise and I can't say anything has been harmed. They ignore other hermits except to clean the algae off their shells. No picking at emeralds, small boxing crabs, strawberry crab, porcelain crabs, fish , serpent and brittle stars, or shrimp. Incidently, they are Ciliopagurus strigatus, and are red with orange/yellow stripes.

http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_Display.cfm?pCatId=1639

Looks like $8.99, and in stock now. I do think they are worth the difference in price from other hermits.