Hating hermits
Printed From: Utah Reefs
Category: Specialized Discussion
Forum Name: Invertebrates
Forum Description: This is the place to ask questions about invertebrates.
URL: http://www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=32818
Printed Date: August 20 2025 at 11:37am
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Topic: Hating hermits
Posted By: jamzdean
Subject: Hating hermits
Date Posted: April 23 2009 at 5:42pm
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Anyone else finding themselves hating hermit crabs? In my old tank, I loved them, but now I have 3 hermits that can be put 6 feet away and seem to find their way back to my birdsnest. They will completely strip a branch of polyps, then move to the next. I have never had problems with them with any other coral, but now I'm about to take 100 of them out of the tank and change for more snails. Do you all have hermits in your tanks? ------------- 210g Reef 3 x 400w pendants 4 x actinics + moonlights Octopus Extreme 300 Skimmer Reefkeeper Elite controller |
Replies:
Posted By: Jeremyw
Date Posted: April 23 2009 at 5:45pm
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what types of hermits are they?
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Posted By: john hill
Date Posted: April 23 2009 at 6:46pm
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if they are eating your coral i would pull them out ------------- out with the large and in with the nano |
Posted By: vadryn
Date Posted: April 23 2009 at 9:24pm
I'm coming to Provo on Saturday. I'm accepting donations of homeless and out-of-work hermit crabs.  I will work to rehabilitate these rebellious creatures back into good standing.
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Posted By: jamzdean
Date Posted: April 23 2009 at 10:30pm
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First off, LOL. Second, they are blue leg hermits that are the problem. I have some red leg, and they are fine.
I don't know if I will take them out or not, I'm just doing a little bit of stress control (anger management). ------------- 210g Reef 3 x 400w pendants 4 x actinics + moonlights Octopus Extreme 300 Skimmer Reefkeeper Elite controller |
Posted By: Jeremyw
Date Posted: April 23 2009 at 10:33pm
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you know pretty much any crab will eat a coral like you are having problems with, but only if there isnt enough food for them to eat. Or you have to many of them and the competition for food is to great. usually blue legged are nicer. I would pull them out if I were you .
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Posted By: Connie
Date Posted: April 24 2009 at 10:31am
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I do not keep them in the main display at all. I keep all of mine in the sump. Use cucs, stars, and snails to clean the sand bed. ------------- I have flying monkeys and I'm not afraid to use them. 180 gallon money pit that I love..... |
Posted By: tropi_gal
Date Posted: July 05 2009 at 4:56pm
| I am having a "hate" relationship with hermits today too! The little buggars topple over my zoa, eat my snails, play nasty with each other, and to top it off... don't do enough WORK to make me happy! I am just wondering if I need any of these buggars at all. Glad to hear there are others out there with anger management crab issues too! |
Posted By: ksarcury
Date Posted: July 05 2009 at 7:44pm
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I'm Kenna, and I'm a ------------- 90 gal. reef 12 g. nano w/acans 34 g. salano system |
hermit hater. Posted By: pa_reptileman_4
Date Posted: July 05 2009 at 7:47pm
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thats why you have to get small ones, i get them around 1/2-1 inch long shell included and keep then til they start pushing 2 inches then i throw them in my sump. ------------- pitiful guppy tank. shane |
Posted By: Mark Peterson
Date Posted: July 06 2009 at 9:01am
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For new tanks the ratio of 1 hermit for every two snails is the ratio I use, but as a tank matures, less hermits are needed. In your tank they have become hungry for lack of food.
There is no harm in removing hermits that are causing problems. Hermits and snails can starve in an aquarium. In almost every case where hermits seem to be attacking and eating snails, there is a food issue. The lack of proper food (algae) actually weakens snails and then they become vulnerable to Hermit Crabs who are simply searchiong everywhere for a morsel to eat.
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Posted By: Corey Price
Date Posted: July 06 2009 at 1:45pm
| I put less than what Mark recommends in at first and never replenish hermits. I don't see the point since they just cannibalize on each other, become a nuisance and don't seem to be a good control of any algae. |