Hermit Crab Dangers. Should I pull him and kill it?

[bikerboy]

I was just wondering. I wanted something that would help keep my tank clean. The tank has been running for appx 1yr. So its stable.

The thing is I bought me a little hermit crab and I go to a LFS which has saltie stuff everey now and then and he said get rid of it. It'll destroy everything. He'll eat all the inverts, all the organisms out of the live rock etc.

Is this true?

Should I ust give him to the LFS for free? Just get him out of my tank?

So what should I get to keep the tank clean that is safe for the live rock etc...

thx

 

[TekCat]

Hermits are not to be feared. On ocasion he might kill a snail for its shell when current one is getting too small. So, keep a few empty shells laying around.

 

[Willie_6]

More info please..
What kind of crab is it?
What kind of tank are you planning on having? Reef, FOWLR?
Righht now it looks like you just have rock. Will you go for a reef in the future?

 

[ILikeFish]

hermits might get a snail for a bigger house, but they jsut eat dertitus, they're to slow for anything else.

 

[bheron]

some hermits are more aggresive than others - i've had some that spend their whole day killing other hermits and snails. but, they're too helpful not to keep around. just buy alot!

 

[Paintbug]

hermits may kill a snail or two. thats nature plain and simple. i dont regret getting my hermits at all. but they will can wipe out the live sand if you have to many. they may kill each other or a snail for a new home. they may nip at a coral once in awhile. but they will eat dertitus, and some eat algaes. they are very entertaining as well. nothing like seeing a hermit thats on the highest rock peak do a swan dive into the sand when its feeding time.

 

[Dan Thrash]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6569601#post6569601 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Paintbug
they are very entertaining as well. nothing like seeing a hermit thats on the highest rock peak do a swan dive into the sand when its feeding time.

haha! that would be a riot to see.

 

[dastratt]

One small crab could irritate corals but it can't consume alot.

I heed the advice that they are opportunistic and probably do pick at the corals. But to me my dwarf hermits are a part of what makes it fun.

To have 15-20 of them in my 54 with soft corals I'm not worried, but none of my current corals is really ailing at this point.

The only crab I've seen picking on my corals so far was an emerald. He promptly became a discount on some Xenia at the LFS

 

[scrmbld33]

i have a few that climb the silicon edges of the tank and fall off when you walk by, its fun to do on purpose, and as always hermits assassante snails, even more so if the snails cant right themselves, and even when theres plenty of spair shells, so the short of it, if you want hermits, youll be buying more snails, thats all theve bothered in my tank

 

[Amphiprion]

We need to see pics. Some are relatively benign, while others will wreak havoc, consuming anything they possibly can. It is very important to distinguish between these possibilies. At any rate, I never advise killing anything. If it is harmful, put it in a sump or bring it to an LFS.

 

[dastratt]

Ceriths are good snails but the hermits love their shells.

 

[bikerboy]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6570279#post6570279 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by dastratt
Ceriths are good snails but the hermits love their shells.

let me get some pictures up so i can show you guys. He's not very small. Probably about 1.5in with his legs spread out and walking around.

I had a BUNCH of tunacates and they are now all gone except for the ones on fake plants or on the glass. The algae used to be "fluffy" which I sort of liked. It looked kind of cool to me, but he scraped all that off too. I do like how the bottom of my live sand had some small brown piles from the current blowing it there and its just about gone too. He's a cleaning son of a b. haha. All he does is pick and work. I just don't want him grabbing the feather duster thing, well, I take that back, maybe its a tube worm. Comes out the little tube and has little frilly "feathers" that eat the floating microbes (guessing it eats the microbes maybe to small for it ) or particles out..........

I'll get some picks. Keep in mind my tank is not the greatest show piece around either so no laughing :lol:

Most of the live rock is covered with some concrete broken chunks I found and washed and seterilized before throwing in there. Its been in for about 6mo now.... Tanks been going for about a yr or more.... Nothing fancy...

Let me get the pics. ( I have to go home first.)

 

[bikerboy]

well, here he is......




I also want to note that this message forum REALLY MOVES!



Posts are quite active here to say the least....

anyhow, here are the pics. What is he and is he a damaging little bug.

I think, well, I think I know he ate my tunicates....

 

[JR719]

From what I understand, blue legged are more aggressive than the red legs. I think both will get snails for their shells.

 

[bikerboy]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6572634#post6572634 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by JR719
From what I understand, blue legged are more aggressive than the red legs. I think both will get snails for their shells.

haha, your in Enid?

I am not to far from you. I'll be heading back to Cali soon, not sure how long but all I have to say is...........

 

[Amphiprion]

That looks like one of the more destructive hermits for sure--possibly Clibanarius vittatus or something similar. It would be best to remove it from your tank.