Are all Hermit Crabs Reef Safe?-Inverts-3reef Forums

JayLloyd73 · 12-08-2006, 08:17 PM

Had a blue legged hermit and I believe they are fine, but just got a bigger red hermit crab with blue spots and i'm not sure if he is. I was back in petco where I got him today and noticed it said may not be safe with invertabrites. Any info on hermit crabs would be appreciated thanks.

inwall75 · 12-08-2006, 09:45 PM

It's hard to reply with an easy answer. The easy answer is, "Maybe".

A good friend of mine on another forum runs an imaginary, "Crabs are Evil Society". I also know many people who've had hermits without issues.

So what's the answer? Are they evil or not? The answer is, "Maybe". You have to watch their behavior.

Here's an example. My Chocolate Lab might lick you to death but that's the extent of her danger. Her best friend is a Pit-Bull and I go and pick her up for walks. Some people think all Pits are evil and some people think that all Labs are 100% safe. Neither belief is 100% true. You have to look at the individual and not the species.

coral reefer · 12-09-2006, 06:10 AM

Snails from petco are not reef safe IMO...They grow too big. Any crab or hermit that grows large or develops large claws more than likely will be a ill-suited addition to your tank!!!!
I would stay with blue legs, red reefs, zebras and tri-colored hermits as they remain relatively small!

inwall75 · 12-09-2006, 06:48 AM

Good point. What one of my friends does is keep his hermits for about a year and then trades them in towards smaller ones.

JayLloyd73 · 12-09-2006, 09:58 AM

Thanks for the info have been watching him he seems to stay on the sand and isnt doing much harm yet. I'll be quick to get rid of him though. My snails came from the LFS not petco, although some are rather big and nock some smaller stuff around have seven of them and they are doing a good job may get rid of a few dont think i need all of them anymore. Usually dont go to petco but where i'm at Caldwell Idaho there is not a whole lot of choices for salt water fish and coral. I am very impressed with this petco just opened and i've never seen a petco with such a big selection, they have about 25 tanks where as all the other petco's i've seen have had 5-10 they said this is a new design for petco stores fish look really heathy.

coral reefer · 12-09-2006, 05:03 PM

I like the small blue-leg hermits because they can get in between my rock work to remove uneaten food etc.
How many Hermits do you have now?
Some petco's near me have an ok selection of fish only and the price is usually lower than regular pet shops. 9 times out of 10 however, their selection is very poor!

JustPhish · 12-09-2006, 05:41 PM

If it looks anything like this

Then it's definitely not safe.

JayLloyd73 · 12-09-2006, 09:58 PM

yeah I think thats the one, i'll be quick to get rid of him did not pay much for him. Right now hangin out on bottom, I only have a few coral's at the moment just starting out so if he does anything to piss me off he will be gone if not back to the lfs he will take a ride down the toilet lol as my LFS's suck ass and don't take trade in's.

fletch · 12-10-2006, 07:24 AM

I just got some new Zoa frags and the next day a small bunch of blue Zoa's were gone, The rock that they were on was still there but no Zoa's. Then I was looking around and low and behold I found my red leg hermit crab munching on my flame Zoe's. ( he now resides in his new home, The Refugium )
I am one of the ones that would go along with Curt's friend "All Crabs Are Evil" :mad: .............. John

mistermikev · 12-11-2006, 01:36 PM

good for stirring up the sand though, i bet. std hermits are cool but they are not reef safe at all. but none of them are evil... they just want to eat expensive food like the rest of us! Sorry about the zoes but it's your fault not his. The tiny ones are very beneficial, but they often attack snails...
OK they are evil.