hermit crabs..

[Just Jim]

I've got about 20 scarlet hemits in my reef. They've been there forever and think they run the joint. I always see them climbing on my candies. I've been thinking about plucking them out and dumping them in my fuge. Anyone here keep hermit crabs in their reef? I've got two skunk cleaners that are also a pain, but they are on good terms with my achilles and hippo, so they get a pass...

 

[GobyJohnKenobi]

Hermits are fine in a reef.

The worst thing I've ever seen them do is knock over small, unmounted frags.

My fault for not mounting the frags. The scarlets are nice.

If you like'm, keep'm.

 

[Echidna09]

I keep a minimal amount of hermits in my tank. When I got the set up it was a few months old and came with 10-15 hermits. I removed them because they knocked stuff over and were annoying. Now I have 3 smaller ones in there to clean up.

I do get really mad, however, at my Fire Shrimp. Every time I feed my Duncan or try to feed my Dendros he always rips the food out of their mouths and steps all over them making them close. I have to keep my hand and the pipette I feed with in the tank for 10-15 minutes while they finish eating so the shrimp can't rip it out of their mouth. It's annyoing. *sigh*

 

[elegance coral]

I moved all my hermits and shrimp to the sump. I hate them. They walk all over LPS's, steal their food, and eat snails. I don't trust anything with an exoskeleton.

 

[Ace1]

I have a tip that i use for distracting those shrimp while feeding your LPS.

Take a fairly large piece of Squid/Mussle or Shrimp and give that to them first, the larger piece should keep them occupied while you feed..

Hope this helps

 

[Just Jim]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10362361#post10362361 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Ace1
I have a tip that i use for distracting those shrimp while feeding your LPS.

Take a fairly large piece of Squid/Mussle or Shrimp and give that to them first, the larger piece should keep them occupied while you feed..

Hope this helps

I always feed about an hour after the lights go off. My cleaners are only a mild pain then.

 

[salty55]

the hermits won't harm anything, they are probaly just looking for food. mine like to pick underneath the mushrooms to get the junk that settles under them.

 

[AngeloM3]

Hermits are fine for reef.... if you dont mind them stealing food or stepping all over your corals every now and then.

One thing to remember to.... make sure your snails out number the hermits by a lot!! Cause hermit will kill snails for their shell.