hermit crabs

[jlevs]

ok, so my girlfriend got some hermit from petco for me, however, i am not sure if they are reef safe,(petco said yes ) but when i put them im my tank then started eating debis off the rocks (good) but were eating colony feather dusters as well, these crabs are about 1.5 inches, with big red hairy claws and legs and white specks all over then, the shells are like a conch shell, can anyone help??????

[stevemc]

By the time you read this you will probably know, they sound like they are NOT reef safe. I would quarantine them if they eat anything reefy. I would only trust the small blue legs(1/4 inch) and the scarlet legs. I have seen some others too that seem safe. But I have seen the large reddish hairy giant hermits that will eat anything. Yours sound like them. Steve.

[jlevs]

what about in a refugium???