Question about hermit crabs

[PmPrepGuy]

I was wondering if the hermit crabs you get with the standard clean up crew bundle packages that you can buy are worth it. Ive had some of the hermit crabs in my tank before i took it down and ive had snails go missing and ive seen the hermits eating them as well. Do i really need the hermit crabs ?

[Corals Mania]

Please read this information, and hope this will shed some light regarding hermit crabs.

Hermit crabs eat. They can be voracious eaters. I find that a hermit crab will eat more algae and junk in my tank than snails… typically.
Smaller hermit crabs will also be able to climb into crevices and get into tight spots to eat junk. Snails can do the same too though, so that might be a wash.

Targeted Cleanup
Certain hermit crabs also eat certain types of algae and other stuff. Some examples:

Dwarf Yellow Tip Hermit Crab - This hermit crab will eat many types of algae including red slime algae, and it will sift through sand, which is always a good thing.

Halloween Hermit Crab - This hermit crab will eat detritus, uneaten food and lots of algae types including red slime algae. It also sifts sand.

Hermit crabs, in a saltwater aquarium, can be very beneficial.

As your saltwater aquarium evolves, you will eventually need to employ some sort of “cleanup crew�. What is a cleanup crew? This term usually refers to the creatures that will inhabit the substrate and live rock in your aquarium and eat all kinds of stuff like:

Extra food that has fallen to the bottom of the tank
Fish waste
Algae
Cyanobacteria
… and other good stuff that you probably don’t want in your tank.


Electric Blue Hermit Crab - This hermit will mow down green algaes and will also go after red slime algae. They can climb rock quite amazingly well and are fun to watch.

Scarlet Hermit Crab - This hermit crab will eat a lot of different types of algae, including green, red and brown types of algae.

[PmPrepGuy]

maybe my tank wasnt mature enough when i added my clean up guys and they were just trying to get more food then ? im not sure but ill try them agian when i get thru my cycle thanks for the info

[IslandCrow]

Define "the standard clean up crew". It's different depending on where you buy. Each tank is also different. I've never found a package that has everything I want and nothing I don't, so I've never ordered one. That's not to say they're bad. There are just certain crabs and snails I don't like as much as others. If you post the contents of a specific cleanup crew you're looking at, we can probably provide you with some more help.

[mckostya]

my snails have gone missing since i added hermits to my tank, ive seen empty shells on my sand bed. im pretty sure hermits were the reason

[PmPrepGuy]

im just goin on past experience, im not sure what type they were but looking at the post above defining some of the types im guessing i should stick to those

[EllieSuz]

Is this my imagination or are the Scarlett Legged Hermits less aggressive than the blue ones? That's my observation anyway and I like watching their antics. Yes, they will dine on snail, especially if you have the variety of snail that isn't able to right themselves when they're upside down. But snails aren't that expensive that you can't replace them now and then. I have a couple of very large snails that are too big to be taken on by a Hermit and they clean the glass where the crabs cannot reach.

[loosecannon]

No you don`t need them!

[HookedonReef17]

I just bought a big one from my LFS that i got know well and he has been worth every penny. I started to see some hair algae but since him all is gone i also have about 12 snails that were in there before him and he has not bothered one. I found that the packs they give you always have to many mouths to feed.

[singold]

I have yet to see a hermit crab attack a live snail or chase it down & kill it. Though it may happen, just have never seen it happen.

[Whys]

Ensure your hermits have upgrade shells available, or they will use your snails. Typically they will leave your snails alone.

[spw4949]

I'll never put another hermit in my tank again! I have seen them kill many cerith snails even with a ton of various size extra shells in the tank. They have all been banished to my fuge.

[Whys]

They can attack ceriths out of instinct, it's true. But really, it's just a cerith. Consider it a live feeding and buy a new snail.

Snake owners often feed their snakes live mice and rats. Nearly everything in your tank has been eating your amphipodes. What's the big deal? This is how a healthy reef behaves, IMO.

[jasonrp104]

Gonna Hijack this old thread rather than start a new one.

Anybody have any idea what kind of hermit is green and black with yellowish spots? I've got one that just keeps growing and growing. He killed a full grown Turbo and took it's shell and he's already big enough to fit in it quite well. He's got yellowish hair too.

Can't post a pic..sorry

[Whys]

Sounds like a yellow-tip.

[lesleybird]

Hi, The hermits usually will not kill your snails unless you do not provide them with several new larger shells per crab so they can change out the shells as they outgrow their old shell. Many sizes and shapes and mine don't bother my snails. Lesley

[jasonrp104]

Mines got quite a few extra shells (was around a dozen now more like 15) and I make sure there is food in there. He really just seems to like killing snails.

He's almost the first thing that was in the tank and in the last year he's killed 5 astrea, 3 nass., and 1 Big turbo. It comes with the turf, so I don't mind I was just wondering if it was the type of hermit that made it more aggressive