Old hermits

Paul B · 01/19/2009, 01:43 PM

I really don't know how long hermit crabs live but I just realized that I have not bought any in over ten years and the ones I have are kind of huge. They were tiny when I got them and I have about 10 of them.
The largest one is in a shell about as large as a golf ball.
I just thought it was interesting. I think these two spawn as they lock shells a lot without fighting. Usually when hermits do that, they are trying to steal the other's shell.
But the larger one is always smiling and the smaller one has a beautiful complexion

Paul B · 01/19/2009, 01:51 PM

This as you can tell from her eyelashes is the female. She is also playing hard to get and wearing a designer shell

Sugar Magnolia · 01/19/2009, 01:54 PM

LOL, a smiling hermit.

Great pictures Paul! I'm not as seasoned as you are, but I have a 6 year old hermit and a few aging nassarius snails. I just lost a 5 year old bumble bee snail too.

sunfish11 · 01/19/2009, 02:01 PM

I just lost a giant zebra turbo I have had since I started the hobby 4 years ago. It was a small turbo then and grew to almost the size of my fist. He just died a week ago and I can only assume he was old.

I am not sure how old my hermits are but it has been two years since I bought any. I had one halloween hermit that was absolutely huge (big when I got him as well). I had him for three years and then he seemed to slow down and started having trouble molting. Once morning I found him dead.

I had read that hermits only live for 2-3 years so it sounds like that is bogus information.

Lisa

Paul B · 01/19/2009, 02:20 PM

Quote:

I have a 6 year old hermit and a few aging nassarius snails.

6 years is great, I thought I had ten of them but I only see five. They are not easy to spot.

I don't let my hermits read those articles about how long they are supposed to live. My 10 year age could be off also. It is anywhere from about 8 years to about 15.
I don't keep records on this stuff I only remember the guy I went to the store and bought them with and he has been out of the hobby for longer than 8 years. I think he raises orchids.
Now thats exciting, wait I think I saw it grow a little

Some types of hermits get huge, I once saw one in the Caribbean I think it was St Marteen and it was eating a barracuda. The crab was about 8" long almost as large as a bowling ball.
I don't think it would be reef safe.

Sugar Magnolia · 01/19/2009, 03:23 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Paul B

Some types of hermits get huge, I once saw one in the Caribbean I think it was St Marteen and it was eating a barracuda. The crab was about 8" long almost as large as a bowling ball.
I don't think it would be reef safe.

Depends on how big the tank is.

The whale shark tank in Atlanta comes to mind.

SFeST · 01/19/2009, 03:41 PM

I have a monster scarlet hermit that I have no clue how old it really is. It currently has made it's home out of a decent sized turbo snail shell. I never have any problems with him other than about once every other week he likes to play on one of my monti caps. He doesn't pick at it or anything, he just likes climbing out on it, and when I catch him doing at it I swear at him and knock him off with my algae scraper.

Ryan95i4 · 01/19/2009, 04:02 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Paul B
6 years is great, I thought I had ten of them but I only see five. They are not easy to spot.

I don't let my hermits read those articles about how long they are supposed to live. My 10 year age could be off also. It is anywhere from about 8 years to about 15.
I don't keep records on this stuff I only remember the guy I went to the store and bought them with and he has been out of the hobby for longer than 8 years. I think he raises orchids.
Now thats exciting, wait I think I saw it grow a little

Some types of hermits get huge, I once saw one in the Caribbean I think it was St Marteen and it was eating a barracuda. The crab was about 8" long almost as large as a bowling ball.
I don't think it would be reef safe.

My brother was telling me about a hermit he saw during his last dive...at first glance he thought a lobster had taken residence in a conch shell bigger than a foot long...they were looking for lobster so they went after it and realized it was a giant hermit, lol. Didnt know they got that big

Paul B · 01/20/2009, 05:51 AM

Those large hermits could take your arm off.
They are the fiercest crustacean in the tropics as tropical lobsters don't have any claws to speak of and they are not really lobsters although we call them that.

InsaneClownFish · 01/20/2009, 07:42 AM

Great stuff Paul.

vito is hooked · 01/20/2009, 05:00 PM

Paul, your allway's taking STUFF from your local water water, have you tried taking hermit,s from your ocean (you,ve been diving there so long ,you got GANDFATHER RIGHT'S

) The reason I ask is one of my buddies from RI ( snowbird ) just got here in FL and came over to see my progress on the tank and we started talking hemits, growing up on Narragansett Bay together as a kids ,they were everywhere. He's a commercial diver (Quahog's) and see's them everyday. I told him what we pay for them, and I seen his eye's light up

Soooo, do you think they would live? Thought's.

Paul B · 01/20/2009, 07:16 PM

I have been collecting them all my life but they do not live long in my reef. I have an unheated 5 gallon tank where they are living for about 7 months so far. It is about 68 degrees in that tank.
I feed them pellets. I would imagine if you keep them below 70 degrees they should do fine but warmer than that, they only last a couple of weeks.

The Japanese shore crabs that we have by the billions will live forever. You have to step on them to kill them and even then, it's doubtful

vito is hooked · 01/20/2009, 07:54 PM

That japanese shore crab sound's like it's related to our (FL's) Palmedo Bug (Giant cockaroach) If you step on them with only one foot , They'll carry you away! As far as the hermit's, that's what I thought. Any luck with periwinkles?

MarkusII · 01/21/2009, 12:28 AM

Hello Paul,

I have severals hermit crabs since about 7 years - amongst them 3 Calcinus laevimanus http://www.reeflex.net/tiere/896_Cal...laevimanus.htm

regards

Markus

Paul B · 01/21/2009, 05:29 AM

Quote:

Any luck with periwinkles?

No but we have loads of mud snails that live in a reef. I have a few from last summer still going and some from two summers ago in an unheated tank

Sugar Magnolia · 01/21/2009, 06:59 AM

Well, I shoud have kept my mouth shut. Yesterday when I turned on the tank lights I found two of my large nassarius snails and a hermit crab eating something. When they finished and moved off, I found the coraline covered shell of one of my old nass snails.

Paul B · 01/25/2009, 10:13 AM

Hermit crabs need to get their homes from somewhere and with the mortgage crisis, well you know

fasteddie99 · 01/25/2009, 04:55 PM

I have a question, not to hijack the thread but I was wondering if I need to keep a supply of hermit shells in the tank so they can upgrade? I have a few blue legged hermits, one of which picked a nice white spiral shell for a house and chose a nice piece rock for his property right up front where I can see him. He roams around the tank at night but always comes back to the same rock. I realized in reading this thread that they probably dont make their own shell do they?

Whys · 01/25/2009, 05:32 PM

Who you call'n an old hermit?

The oldest hermit I ever saw lived in a shell the size of a football (American variety) and could no longer move under his own weight. Store keeper told me he was something like 30 years old.

I really like hermits. They can eat my snails if they want. The hermits have more personality anyway. My zebra is my favorite. Little guy has a lot of attitude but has never hurt anything.

MarkusII · 01/26/2009, 04:58 AM

Hello ...eddie,

Quote:

I have a question, not to hijack the thread but I was wondering if I need to keep a supply of hermit shells in the tank so they can upgrade? I have a few blue legged hermits, one of which picked a nice white spiral shell for a house and chose a nice piece rock for his property right up front where I can see him. He roams around the tank at night but always comes back to the same rock. I realized in reading this thread that they probably dont make their own shell do they?

yes you are right, they use shells of snails and do not produce their own. So you always should have a set of propper fitting shells in your tank....

regards

Markus

Paul B · 01/26/2009, 06:12 AM

Ditto

fasteddie99 · 01/26/2009, 04:57 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by MarkusII
Hello ...eddie,

yes you are right, they use shells of snails and do not produce their own. So you always should have a set of propper fitting shells in your tank....

regards

Markus

Thanks Markus. Whats funny is that I answered my own question tonight when I got home from work. I noticed the hermit with the nice white shell had ditched his home for a shell from a dead nassarius snail. That snail has been laying in the same spot for weeks now and I figured it was dead, so my hermit tossed his old home in its place.

Aj Flip · 01/26/2009, 05:20 PM

i have an electric blue the size of a golf ball

he lives in a coraline covered shell so i dub him the purple monster

and he was only $2.50

so god knows how old he is

recently i think he molted and his claws seem smaller than normal

i have other electrics, but they are all much smaller so im pretty sure its him

fasteddie99 · 01/26/2009, 06:28 PM

Anyone know how big blue legged hermits get? I want just one large hermit in my tank so long as they arent harmful to other livestock. The one I have now is the size of my thumbnail but I am hoping gets big eventually.

I guess he could probably take out one of my smaller turbos for his outerwear right?

01/19/2009, 01:43 PM	#1
Paul B Premium Member Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Long Island NY Posts: 15,549	Old hermits I really don't know how long hermit crabs live but I just realized that I have not bought any in over ten years and the ones I have are kind of huge. They were tiny when I got them and I have about 10 of them. The largest one is in a shell about as large as a golf ball. I just thought it was interesting. I think these two spawn as they lock shells a lot without fighting. Usually when hermits do that, they are trying to steal the other's shell. But the larger one is always smiling and the smaller one has a beautiful complexion

01/19/2009, 01:51 PM	#2
Paul B Premium Member Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Long Island NY Posts: 15,549	This as you can tell from her eyelashes is the female. She is also playing hard to get and wearing a designer shell __________________ I used to get shocked when I put my hand in my tank. Then the electric eel went dead. Current Tank Info: 100 gal reef set up in 1971

01/19/2009, 01:54 PM	#3
Sugar Magnolia Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Northern VA Posts: 17,691	LOL, a smiling hermit. Great pictures Paul! I'm not as seasoned as you are, but I have a 6 year old hermit and a few aging nassarius snails. I just lost a 5 year old bumble bee snail too. __________________ Adrienne The only thing to fear is fear itself....and spiders.

01/19/2009, 03:41 PM	#7
SFeST Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Woodside, CA Posts: 156	I have a monster scarlet hermit that I have no clue how old it really is. It currently has made it's home out of a decent sized turbo snail shell. I never have any problems with him other than about once every other week he likes to play on one of my monti caps. He doesn't pick at it or anything, he just likes climbing out on it, and when I catch him doing at it I swear at him and knock him off with my algae scraper. __________________ A shark on whiskey is mighty risky, But a shark on beer is a beer engineer Current Tank Info: Mr. Aqua 12g Long Rimless DIY AIO

01/20/2009, 05:51 AM	#9
Paul B Premium Member Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Long Island NY Posts: 15,549	Those large hermits could take your arm off. They are the fiercest crustacean in the tropics as tropical lobsters don't have any claws to speak of and they are not really lobsters although we call them that. __________________ I used to get shocked when I put my hand in my tank. Then the electric eel went dead. Current Tank Info: 100 gal reef set up in 1971

01/19/2009, 02:01 PM	#4
sunfish11 Premium Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Weyauwega, WI Posts: 2,365	I just lost a giant zebra turbo I have had since I started the hobby 4 years ago. It was a small turbo then and grew to almost the size of my fist. He just died a week ago and I can only assume he was old. I am not sure how old my hermits are but it has been two years since I bought any. I had one halloween hermit that was absolutely huge (big when I got him as well). I had him for three years and then he seemed to slow down and started having trouble molting. Once morning I found him dead. I had read that hermits only live for 2-3 years so it sounds like that is bogus information. Lisa

01/20/2009, 07:42 AM	#10
InsaneClownFish Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Posts: 5,069	Great stuff Paul. __________________ 7 Years Reefing and Many Fresh 8 Foot Envisions

01/20/2009, 05:00 PM	#11
vito is hooked Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Port Charlotte FL Posts: 845	Paul, your allway's taking STUFF from your local water water, have you tried taking hermit,s from your ocean (you,ve been diving there so long ,you got GANDFATHER RIGHT'S ) The reason I ask is one of my buddies from RI ( snowbird ) just got here in FL and came over to see my progress on the tank and we started talking hemits, growing up on Narragansett Bay together as a kids ,they were everywhere. He's a commercial diver (Quahog's) and see's them everyday. I told him what we pay for them, and I seen his eye's light up Soooo, do you think they would live? Thought's. __________________ IT'S THE SAME THING-ONLY DIFFERENT Current Tank Info: 300gal with 180gal Ref/Sump M/H lighting 2-175 watt 10.000 K 3 150watt 15.000 K 8 blue actinics 4 Purple OCTOPUS Extreme-X200 Skimmer Max Flow 4200gph Return

01/20/2009, 07:16 PM	#12
Paul B Premium Member Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Long Island NY Posts: 15,549	I have been collecting them all my life but they do not live long in my reef. I have an unheated 5 gallon tank where they are living for about 7 months so far. It is about 68 degrees in that tank. I feed them pellets. I would imagine if you keep them below 70 degrees they should do fine but warmer than that, they only last a couple of weeks. The Japanese shore crabs that we have by the billions will live forever. You have to step on them to kill them and even then, it's doubtful __________________ I used to get shocked when I put my hand in my tank. Then the electric eel went dead. Current Tank Info: 100 gal reef set up in 1971

01/20/2009, 07:54 PM	#13
vito is hooked Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Port Charlotte FL Posts: 845	That japanese shore crab sound's like it's related to our (FL's) Palmedo Bug (Giant cockaroach) If you step on them with only one foot , They'll carry you away! As far as the hermit's, that's what I thought. Any luck with periwinkles? __________________ IT'S THE SAME THING-ONLY DIFFERENT Current Tank Info: 300gal with 180gal Ref/Sump M/H lighting 2-175 watt 10.000 K 3 150watt 15.000 K 8 blue actinics 4 Purple OCTOPUS Extreme-X200 Skimmer Max Flow 4200gph Return

01/21/2009, 12:28 AM	#14
MarkusII Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: near Innsbruck/Tyrol/Austria Posts: 611	Hello Paul, I have severals hermit crabs since about 7 years - amongst them 3 Calcinus laevimanus http://www.reeflex.net/tiere/896_Cal...laevimanus.htm regards Markus __________________ Greetings from the heart of the alps No there are no kangaroos (in the wild) in AUSTRIA Current Tank Info: 200x80x60 cm - 253G, 60x30x30cm - 14G, and in care of 660G

01/21/2009, 06:59 AM	#16
Sugar Magnolia Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Northern VA Posts: 17,691	Well, I shoud have kept my mouth shut. Yesterday when I turned on the tank lights I found two of my large nassarius snails and a hermit crab eating something. When they finished and moved off, I found the coraline covered shell of one of my old nass snails. __________________ Adrienne The only thing to fear is fear itself....and spiders.

01/25/2009, 10:13 AM	#17
Paul B Premium Member Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Long Island NY Posts: 15,549	Hermit crabs need to get their homes from somewhere and with the mortgage crisis, well you know __________________ I used to get shocked when I put my hand in my tank. Then the electric eel went dead. Current Tank Info: 100 gal reef set up in 1971

01/25/2009, 04:55 PM	#18
fasteddie99 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Delaware Posts: 1,028	I have a question, not to hijack the thread but I was wondering if I need to keep a supply of hermit shells in the tank so they can upgrade? I have a few blue legged hermits, one of which picked a nice white spiral shell for a house and chose a nice piece rock for his property right up front where I can see him. He roams around the tank at night but always comes back to the same rock. I realized in reading this thread that they probably dont make their own shell do they?

01/25/2009, 05:32 PM	#19
Whys Moved On Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Spokane, WA Posts: 3,263	Who you call'n an old hermit? The oldest hermit I ever saw lived in a shell the size of a football (American variety) and could no longer move under his own weight. Store keeper told me he was something like 30 years old. I really like hermits. They can eat my snails if they want. The hermits have more personality anyway. My zebra is my favorite. Little guy has a lot of attitude but has never hurt anything.

01/26/2009, 06:12 AM	#21
Paul B Premium Member Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Long Island NY Posts: 15,549	Ditto __________________ I used to get shocked when I put my hand in my tank. Then the electric eel went dead. Current Tank Info: 100 gal reef set up in 1971

01/26/2009, 05:20 PM	#23
Aj Flip Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 802	i have an electric blue the size of a golf ball he lives in a coraline covered shell so i dub him the purple monster and he was only $2.50 so god knows how old he is recently i think he molted and his claws seem smaller than normal i have other electrics, but they are all much smaller so im pretty sure its him

01/26/2009, 06:28 PM	#24
fasteddie99 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Delaware Posts: 1,028	Anyone know how big blue legged hermits get? I want just one large hermit in my tank so long as they arent harmful to other livestock. The one I have now is the size of my thumbnail but I am hoping gets big eventually. I guess he could probably take out one of my smaller turbos for his outerwear right? __________________ 125 gal LED lighting Super Reef Octopus XP-3000 SSS Current Tank Info: 125