Large gray hermit crab

Discussion in 'ID This!' started by Flaring Afro, Jul 2, 2013.

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  1. Flaring Afro

    Flaring Afro Purple Spiny Lobster

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    I was at a petco today and they had a very large gray hermit crab in a small (1" or so) turbo shell. He's very spunky - if you pick him up and put him in a bag etc he comes right our instantly and moves pretty fast. He was going around quite fast in their tank as well and seems to be full of personality. Apparently he was a hitchhiker or something because the guy (who was actually pretty knowledgeable) couldn't ID him and sold him for a buck.

    My tank is fish only, but will he kill off my blue and red legged hermits? I also have a very large turbo snail and a few nassarius. I also don't know ho large he might become, but I assume not large enough to attack a sleeping fish?

    Also note that the tank is this cloudy because I just took all the rock out catching a fish lol

    Edit: his claws are about the same size, the right one possibly is very very slightly bigger. He also looks fuzzy.
     

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    Last edited: Jul 2, 2013
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  3. reefmonkey

    reefmonkey Giant Squid

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    Thin striped hermit. It will get quite large. I had one that occupied a golf ball sized astrea shell.
     
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  4. Flaring Afro

    Flaring Afro Purple Spiny Lobster

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    Will they attack smaller hermits? Or just leave them alone since their shells are too small to be useful? I hope he wouldn't attack my turbo snail which is 2+" in size, I'll have to get more large shells for him.

    Edit: I definitely see the stripes now. I had seen pictures of some thin striped hermits online that have much more pronounced stripes and I had thought it was a different hermit but I definitely think you're right.
     
    Last edited: Jul 2, 2013
  5. reefmonkey

    reefmonkey Giant Squid

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    I never had a problem with the one in my tank. I'd add larger and larger shells and it only seemed to ever pick at the rock work. It was easily 3" long when it finally outgrew the largest shell I had to offer it.
     
  6. Greg@LionfishLair

    Greg@LionfishLair 3reef Sponsor

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    Remember that crabs are opportunistic omnivores, and your crab is one of the more destructive species...they often eat critters, esp. snails just for the meat...they could care less about the shell 90% of the time.
     
  7. Marshall O

    Marshall O Giant Squid

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    I have the same kind (HH) in my 46BF. He has never touched any snails except when he outgrew his. After that happened, I bought a few sizes for him, and he has not touched one since. There was only one Blue Legged HC in with him, but he never touched it (moved it since to my 55 reef). I have a couple soft corals in the tank (Kenya Tree and Xenia), but he does not touch either FWIW.
     
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  9. electric-dan

    electric-dan Astrea Snail

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    they are killers mine killed all my snails
     
  10. Marshall O

    Marshall O Giant Squid

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    Too blanket of a statement IMO. I have had mine for over a year and has only taken out two Nerite snails when he overgrew his shell.