Red Hermit Crab growth

[GillJoy]

I put a juvie red hermit crab in my tank a couple months ago and the sucker is growing like crazy. As soon as I put him in there, he took to the much larger shell I put in at the same time (about 4"). I have a 150 gal FOWLR and some soft corals & anenomes but read that these red hermits can wreak havoc on a reef system.

Anyone have experience with these on how large they can get? If I should remove him from the tank immediately (although he's so cool to look at cruising on the rocks and substrate)? thank you.

 

[DJ88©]

[moved]

 

[mejiggery]

I think it really depends on what type of red hermit it is. I have had some in my tank for years and they never grow over an inch but my lfs had one in that was probably something like 7inch maybe bigger. So i think a picture for identification may be needed

 

[Sk8r]

There's a red-legged hermit and a scarlet hermit: I've heard that the former can be a probem. I have scarlets, with a candy cane, zooanthids, a couple of acropora and a green cap, and had no trouble yet. One that was in a half-inch shell immediately appropriated a two and a half inch fighting conch shell and has grown like a weed. That one occasionally gets into spaces that give him problems, but he just falls off and eventually rights himself and goes his way.