Scarlet Hermit crab..

Connoisseurpoet · 03/12/2006, 12:09 AM

Hello reefers,

I am concerned about my Scarlet hermit crab , It keeps on staying on the Green star polyp, it did move little but it keeps on remaining its spot.
Before I placed the GSP, hermit did move around the tank. Is this normal for Scarlet Hermit to remain 1 spot for 2 or 3 days?? Is this the way hermit behave?

Is it stuck in its shell? i dont have extra empty shell, he came with the live rock. Please help by replying this post..

Thanks in advance..

fish are life · 03/12/2006, 01:55 AM

i have been hearing about a couple that are having troubles with their crabs eating/chilling on their star polyps. i dont know y though, move the GSP and place the crab away from it and see what happens then

Connoisseurpoet · 03/12/2006, 06:51 AM

i did what you suggested, the hermit still came back to his home, i looked at gsp and no damage from eating. its just chilling on it.. but, am concerned about his eating, dont want starve himself. i wonder if shell is too small to roam free? instead it got stuck and stayed same spots for a long time. Is it depressing? I read they prefer to be in group , does him being only hermit affect his behavior? I am going to get more today...

RicksReefs · 03/12/2006, 08:11 AM

it's likely he's just cleaning up the crud that grows between the polyps. i use bluelegs by the hundreds with all types of coral for clean up and there's been no problems. bluelegs are found together in nature, scarletts are loners on the reef.

Volitan_Lion_13 · 03/12/2006, 08:24 AM

i have a couple scarlets they chill for a while move...chill...move..etc. i think they are just cleaning

Sk8r · 03/12/2006, 09:11 AM

They are prone to sit a bit, even a whole day or so. But this may also indicate he's getting pretty desperate for a new shell. What he'll like best is a fighting conch shell, preferably one with coralline on it. You can get shells from your lfs, and even if they charge for them it wouldn't be much. Leave a handful lying on the sand and let your hermits choose. My largest was in a piddling little shell, about 3/4 inch wide. When I brought in new shells, there was one the store had tossed in that was two inches wide, which I thought way too large. He ignored all others, was inside that one within a minute of its hitting the sand, and now he lords it over the tank: when I realized the size of his claws I knew he'd been one miserable little crab before he got his new shell.

Connoisseurpoet · 03/13/2006, 12:28 AM

Update... I brought a new family for the hermit

15 scarlets from a friend. I will go to the LFS to get empty shells for 16 hermits. It's cool watching them eat their food and roam around.
16 hermits and 3 Turbo/Astrea Snail.
any other crew should i add? please suggest!!
It is for 29 gallon reef tank.

I plan to buy diamond goby for the sand cleaning. Will my blue with yellow fin damsel kill if I put the goby in 29g?

03/12/2006, 12:09 AM	#1
Connoisseurpoet Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 32	Scarlet Hermit crab.. Hello reefers, I am concerned about my Scarlet hermit crab , It keeps on staying on the Green star polyp, it did move little but it keeps on remaining its spot. Before I placed the GSP, hermit did move around the tank. Is this normal for Scarlet Hermit to remain 1 spot for 2 or 3 days?? Is this the way hermit behave? Is it stuck in its shell? i dont have extra empty shell, he came with the live rock. Please help by replying this post.. Thanks in advance..

03/12/2006, 08:24 AM	#5
Volitan_Lion_13 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 43	i have a couple scarlets they chill for a while move...chill...move..etc. i think they are just cleaning __________________ 75g Reef 30g FOWLR 55 FW Cichlids 20g (being set up) Current Tank Info: --75 Reef--Firefish, Coral Beauty, Yellow Tang, Sixline Wrasse,Gold Striped Maroon Clown, Serpent Star, Peppermint Shrimp, Cleaning Crew--30g FOWLR--Firefish, Scopas Tang,Percula Clown, Gold Coral Banded Shrimp, Cleaning Crew--55g--Cichlids

03/12/2006, 09:11 AM	#6
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	They are prone to sit a bit, even a whole day or so. But this may also indicate he's getting pretty desperate for a new shell. What he'll like best is a fighting conch shell, preferably one with coralline on it. You can get shells from your lfs, and even if they charge for them it wouldn't be much. Leave a handful lying on the sand and let your hermits choose. My largest was in a piddling little shell, about 3/4 inch wide. When I brought in new shells, there was one the store had tossed in that was two inches wide, which I thought way too large. He ignored all others, was inside that one within a minute of its hitting the sand, and now he lords it over the tank: when I realized the size of his claws I knew he'd been one miserable little crab before he got his new shell. __________________ Sk8r Salinity 1.024-6; alkalinity 8.3-9.3 on KH scale; calcium 420; magnesium 1300, temp 78-80, nitrate .2. Ammonia 0. No filters: lps tank. Alk and cal won't rise if mg is low. Current Tank Info: 105g AquaVim wedge, yellow tang, sailfin blenny,royal gramma, ocellaris clown pair, yellow watchman, 100 microceriths, 25 tiny hermits, a 4" conch, 1" nassarius, recovering from 2 year hiatus with daily water change of 10%.

03/12/2006, 01:55 AM	#2
fish are life Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: tucson AZ Posts: 171	i have been hearing about a couple that are having troubles with their crabs eating/chilling on their star polyps. i dont know y though, move the GSP and place the crab away from it and see what happens then

03/12/2006, 06:51 AM	#3
Connoisseurpoet Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 32	i did what you suggested, the hermit still came back to his home, i looked at gsp and no damage from eating. its just chilling on it.. but, am concerned about his eating, dont want starve himself. i wonder if shell is too small to roam free? instead it got stuck and stayed same spots for a long time. Is it depressing? I read they prefer to be in group , does him being only hermit affect his behavior? I am going to get more today...

03/12/2006, 08:11 AM	#4
RicksReefs Moved On Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: In America's Dangling Junk State. Posts: 6,413	it's likely he's just cleaning up the crud that grows between the polyps. i use bluelegs by the hundreds with all types of coral for clean up and there's been no problems. bluelegs are found together in nature, scarletts are loners on the reef.

03/13/2006, 12:28 AM	#7
Connoisseurpoet Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 32	Update... I brought a new family for the hermit 15 scarlets from a friend. I will go to the LFS to get empty shells for 16 hermits. It's cool watching them eat their food and roam around. 16 hermits and 3 Turbo/Astrea Snail. any other crew should i add? please suggest!! It is for 29 gallon reef tank. I plan to buy diamond goby for the sand cleaning. Will my blue with yellow fin damsel kill if I put the goby in 29g?