Purpose of Hermit Crab

[noirsphynx]

Originally Posted by paddyob

I use hermits. They are scavengers.

Anyone who does not properly mount frags in their tank to prevent falling is at fault.. not the hermits.

If a fish dies in your tank... give it a couple days and its gone. I do not plan to remove all my rocks to remove a dead and burried fish. Hermits make a quick meal of it.

They pick up food from the sand bed and some will help with algaes.

Avoid the zebra legs as they are the ones that do most of the coral climbing.

I would not be without. Ever. I could care less if I lose a couple to fighting. In most cases they fight over shells, and if a reefer takes that into account and provides "extra" shells for the growing hermits to utilize then you can reduce the crab fights. For $1.50 each... get them.

+1, my reef won't ever be without hermits. I think I have about 9 different species in my tank.

[reefme]

One more question. Will they scare fish at night like sand sifter goby and wrasse during their sleep?

[jorjef]

Originally Posted by reefme

One more question. Will they scare fish at night like sand sifter goby and wrasse during their sleep?

It's kind of like asking "does your dog bite?" maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but one day he will. Crabs are jackals, they will take what they can when ever they can get it. I hate crabs lol

[whatcaneyedo]

Originally Posted by jorjef

My top ten list of what Hermit crabs can do for you.

1- Kill your snails.
2- Tromp all over your corals.
3- Knock frags over.
4- Kill each other.
5- Great for throwing into your sump.
6- Steal food from your LPS corals.
7- Just generally creeping out the wife.
8- Ensure your ailing corals will die.
9- Rip small softies from their rock.
10- Great toys for cats.

11. Eat the spines off of a large green brittle star
12. Moray and dwarf lionfish food

I haven't had any in my system for several years.