reef safe hermit crab?

[sump]

I gather hermit crabs are not always popular to reef keepers but i really like them. Does a reef safe crab exist?

 

[Radcat]

I have been told that the scarlet hermits are the most "reef safe" hermits.

 

[greenbean36191]

Paguritta spp.

 

[J. Montgomery]

One of my blue-legged hermits crabs killed one of my red-legged hermit crabs this past week in a case of shell warfare . . . and of course, it has now ditched his hard-earned shell and picked up another.

 

[Glove]

I keep only scarlet hermits in my reef. I find they have the smallest of claws and dont bother snails as much as other commonly available hermits.
The zebra hermits have been the most aggresive.

 

[mnestroy]

I think any hermit crab or snail can be pest.

I have crabs and snails that are constantly dislodging frags, they walk all over my zoo's etc (force them to close)... but so far they haven't caused any long term damage.

 

[650-IS350]

I have mostly scarlets as much as I don't like hermits and 2 blue leg hermits are are VERY tiny to do any damange to anything

 

[DaveAngie79]

i have blue leged, emaralds,holloween crabs,scarlet,and what i call zebra crabs not sure if that last ones right they look like blue leged but a little bigger with zebra legs. and have nerver had any probs with them eatting any softies or snails

 

[Tunguska]

Of the hermits I've tried (blue-leg, mexican, zebra, red-leg, scarlet), scarlet hermits are the only ones that never intentionally bothered anything. The scarlet hermits would dislodge frags and crawl across other corals, which did bother the corals some, but I've never had one eat something it wasn't supposed to. They also love to eat hair algae, btw.

 

[Malifluous]

I got some very small hawaiian hermit crabs from a guy on ebay. They are about 0.5 cm diameter. Seemed like a good idea cos they are so small and harmless and not big and clumsy like most hermits

 

[sump]

cool, thanks

 

[Sk8r]

microhermits are safe: scarlets are the larger of the two---the others are called bluelegs but they look black to me, and don't get above match head size in the body. They favor cerith shells; the scarlets favor old fighting conch shells.