Quarantining the clean-up crew

[mlukason]

I'm starting out with a 65gal display and I had already planned on quarantining fish and coral in a 10 gal. QT. After reading your article in Reef Keeping I'm doubly sure. Normally I would be adding one or two specimens at a time but I'm a bit stumped as to how to handle the clean-up crew. When looking at packages of clean-up crews for this size tank the numbers seem pretty large (some folks suggest 100 hermits and a couple dozen assorted snails). If I stick with the 10 gal tank will the clean-up crew survive or should I get a larger capacity plastic tub for this quarantine session.

Secondly, what would one look for in an "infected" hermit crab. Or do you just cull out any that are not bright, alert and responsive?

Thanks for your help.

Mike

[Steven Pro]

First off, I would not recommend buying one of those package deals. They advise you to buy way too many creatures (remember they are in the business of selling product). Instead, I would try to find smaller, safer creatures that readily breed in our aquariums. Some of my favorite are asterina seastars, mini brittle stars, cerith snails, stomatella snails, and strombus snails. I am not a fan of most any crabs (the various hermits and emerald crabs included). They are opportunistic omnivores, meaning they will eat just about anything they can. So, in my opinion, they are not to be trusted in most reef or smaller fish situations.

Secondly, hermits crabs are tough as nails. When you QT them, you are really just looking to screen them and their shipping water of things that way affect/infect something else.

[mlukason]

Thanks for the quick reply and thanks for the information!

I too have had my doubts about putting in so many animals. There's so much conflicting information out there it can be hard for a newbie to make a decision (let alone a sound one).

Thanks again for you input,

Mike

[Steven Pro]

You are welcome.

[leebca]

Steven Pro, (Hi Again)

Some of the blue hermit crabs are listed as herbivores (as opposed to omnivores & carnivores).

I've always been down on hermit crabs because of their carnivorous and 'attitude' ways.

Is there no hope for the blues to live in peace in a FO aquarium?

Thanks.

[Steven Pro]

Some of the blue hermit crabs are listed as herbivores (as opposed to omnivores & carnivores).
Listed by whom? The same places that recommend you buy a hermit crab per gallon of water in your display as well as the same number of Astraea snails so there is plenty of food and new homes for the hermits? :)

I've always been down on hermit crabs because of their carnivorous and 'attitude' ways.
I agree. Most all crabs are problematic long-term in reef aquaria.

Is there no hope for the blues to live in peace in a FO aquarium?
For fish-only displays, they are an ok choice. Of all the hermits, I like the Blue Leg, Scarlet Reef, and Zebra the most. But again, those are for fish-only displays and even then they are not my first choice.

[leebca]

Hi!

Some of the blue hermit crabs are listed as herbivores (as opposed to omnivores & carnivores). Listed by whom?

Some of the sponsors at Reefcentral.

http://www.reeftopia.com/Crabs_and_Snails218.html
Liveaquaria lists their Dwarf Zebra as herbivore. http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_Display.cfm?pCatId=613
Saltwaterfish.com lists their blues as algae eaters, with diet listed as algae, flake, and algae sheets. http://www.saltwaterfish.com/site_11_03/product_info.php?products_id=173&parent_category=4&category_search=63&root_parent_id=4
thatfishplace.com lists their scarlet hermits as herbivores, (but I find that hard to believe). http://www.thatpetplace.com/LiveFish/Products/KW/CRAB%40%2cSFISH/Class/Crabs/T1/F93+0045+0046/Detail.aspx
As a conflict, thatfishplace.com lists there zebra hermits as omnivores. http://www.thatpetplace.com/LiveFish/Products/KW/CRAB%40%2cSFISH/Class/Crabs/T1/F93+0045+0049/Detail.aspx


One can say definitely from the above that it is unclear as to who or what to trust.

Several Reefcentral sponsors write that their hermits eat mostly algae and bacteria, but list them as omnivores. Still, there are some they list as herbivores.

[Steven Pro]

Everyone above has one thing in common, they are all trying to seel you something. As someone in the business, I can tell you that hermit crabs are great in a for profit sense. They ship very well, suffer few if any losses, are easy to care for, and have a fat profit margin. But, they are catagorically omnivores. Here is just one thread I found from Dr. Ron on the subject with a quick search,
http://archive.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=185257&highlight=hermit+crab
I am sure there are many others.

[leebca]

Thanks Steven. A very good thread.

[Steven Pro]

You are welcome! Nice chatting with you again.