How many blue-legged crabs for 75 tank?

[maloga3]

Hello! Just wondering approximately how many blue-legged crabs are needed for a 75 gallon tank? I know they are good at cleaning the waste in the sandbed and eat algae too!!!
thanks!
Melissa

 

[Paintbug]

5-10 max. they can be destructive. they will eat any tube worms, bristleworms, feather dusters, etc, they can catch. sometimes even a coral. i personally havent had one touch any of my corals, but it happens. they are also bad about killing snails, and each other for their shells. its a good idea to have plenty of extra shells in the tank for them for that reason. now for the good they will help keep the tank clean, they will eat some types of algae, and they are pretty neat creatures to have in the tank. this i just my 2_Ã"šÃ‚¢

 

[maloga3]

Thanks Paintbug!! I'll follow that suggestion, I've got 3 right now and am eager to expand the family...with caution of course

 

[maloga3]

where can I get some extra shells? the LFS??

 

[Paintbug]

most LFS sell them. theres a few online as well. i think liveaquaria.com does. not sure

 

[viceversabrd]

You can get extra shells off ebay for very cheap. However, I would reccomend against using hermit crabs. I would stick with snail only, there are many snails that would do the job of the crabs without the negative side effects.
viceversabrd

 

[maloga3]

thanks paintbug, and that's something to think about viceversabrd...however, I love to watch those little guys, and the two snails I do have, while they eagerly devour the film of algae on my glass, have a nasty habit of leaving tons of poop everywhere--I have siphoned it out of course, but it detracts from the tank...

 

[Ploppers]

I'm starting to get a little irratated with my dwarf blue leg hermits. Everytime a snail falls off the glass a blue leg gets a new home. Even though I put a bunch of shells in that I got from liveaquaria. The scarletts seem to leave the snails alone though.

 

[maloga3]

my blue-legged hermits have left my snails alone...so far, sorry to hear about yours