safe(ish?) hermits?

[aquadonkey]

Hi everyone. I would really like to stock some crabs in my new tank and I just wanted to double check about compatibility.
I definitely want a small group of sexies and a pom-pom crab. Can I get a few hermits too? I believe the scarlet hermits are supposed to be the friendliest?? Are they my best bet?

 

[amazo]

some blue and red legged would good and they stay pretty small

 

[Cptn Spaulding]

what he said. maybe porcelain crab as well?

 

[der_wille_zur_macht]

I've never had a single issue with blue legged hermits and the do seem to stay small enough to not really be a threat to anything. I've seen just about every other species of commonly kept hermit get in to trouble from time to time, though it's almost always just wrestling with other hermits or the occasional snail - I've never had one go after "desirable" livestock in a way that actually made me nervous, which basically leads me to conclude that they're all "safe" but blue legged hermits are "the safest."

 

[boosted chemist]

I had a blue leg munching on acans once, he is no longer with us, but the other two seem well behaved, i guess it just depends on the individual crab.

 

[Jacwil]

I had a blue leg munching on acans once, he is no longer with us, but the other two seem well behaved, i guess it just depends on the individual crab.

It was definitely munching on the acan tissue??? Our 37g is loaded with scarlets and blues and have never seen them act naughty...well with each other and the occasional snail but no other livestock. They are often on the skeletons of coral but don't offend the tissue.

 

[aquadonkey]

Thanks for the info guys - Blue-legged it is. I'll start slowly (with one ) and see how it goes! Any experience with these guys and tiny fish? The fish in the nano will be quite small, probably a tiny goby of some sort - any of you have tiny fish?
Hmm - and should I expect them to be a pain when feeding the sun coral (like my red cleaner was/is a big pain in the 29g)?

 

[MMA]

How about a sally. Those are quite the character.

 

[talon4x4]

I've never had a problem with my blue or red hermits and coral. They kind of remind me of my dogs. Every time something new goes into the tank they have to go check it out immediately. They are very good at cleaning off the rock/plug of all new coral, its kinda nice. However, when its time to move up to a new shell they have no problem killing a snail for one. What really makes me mad is when they decide they don't even like the shell they just killed the snail for.

 

[talon4x4]

How about a sally. Those are quite the character.

Fish killers when they get big, be careful. They wait until the fish settle in at night and kill when everyone is sleeping. :furious:

 

[Jacwil]

Thanks for the info guys - Blue-legged it is. I'll start slowly (with one ) and see how it goes! Any experience with these guys and tiny fish? The fish in the nano will be quite small, probably a tiny goby of some sort - any of you have tiny fish?
Hmm - and should I expect them to be a pain when feeding the sun coral (like my red cleaner was/is a big pain in the 29g)?

Lizz I don't think you will have any probs at all with the hermits pestering your small fish OR your corals, (even when feeding your sun coral). I think by the time they realize there's mysis in the water, the sc will have most of their food pretty well swallowed

 

[EllieSuz]

Lizz, I think the Scarletts are less combative with each other than the Blues. A PomPom is very interesting, although reclusive. I also love my Porcelain Crab. Front and center all day long. I've never read anything good about the Sally Lightfoot.