Frickin Crabs!!

[saltychris]

Hermit crabs have not only eaten 3 of my snails but are bitting at my coral bandid shrimp!~

What should I do?

Get rid of the hermits? But will that make my already algea problem worse?

Or just forget the shrimp?

What if I got a bigger shrimp? With 2 claws? LOL Since the one I have now has one arm!

[acrouse]

Are the hermit crabs taking over the shells of your snails, or just eating them. I have extra shells in my tank of all sizes for the hermits to move into and they use those shells and leave my snails alone. jolene

[saltychris]

It seems as if they'll eat anything they can get there grimmy little claws onto. Including my newest member - the shrimp. The only thing they dont attack is the serpant and the emerald crabs.

I have 2 empty shells... but how can I get more if needed?

And what about my shrimp? Will getting a bigger one keep them away? I dont want to wake up one morning with hermits eating at my shrimp!

[acrouse]

your local fish store should carry empty shells, or even large discount stores carry empty shells, just make sure you boil them in bleach water before adding to your tank-I'm not sure why your hermits are not eating the algae instead of the snails. It sounds like your hermits are hungry. I feed mine broccoli once a week since I do not have much algae in my tank anymore. Some people do not agree with the broccoli, but it works for me. I just add one small piece that has been washed and microwaved 15 sec. and wrap a rubberband around it and a small rock and drop in the tank. What is not eaten is then removed that night. I never leave it in over 10-15hrs so it doesn't turn to mush. Sorry I cant answer about the shrimp. Jolene

[saltychris]

they are eating the algea... both on the rocks and the bottom... but w/e comes in there path during that.. they attack... we just think there mean lol

[Infern0]

I've had the same problem only with my turbos though. The crabs leave my nass and astreas alone. The hunger theory makes sense because I don't have any algae that I can see. I'll have to try some brocolli myself to keep the crabs fat and happy....and peaceful...think I'm down to one turbo from 10...savages

[Kabong]

Some spieces of hermit's are just plain aggresive. Some other are pretty docile.
What kind of hermits do you have? If you have the wrong type that could be the problem.

[tkeracer619]

My blue leg hermits are always chasing down my snails. Some even hitchhike up the glass on the snails shell. Walmart has shells but you have to boil them first. I have a graveyard of shells. The current or hermits or something puts them in one spot. I think its the hermits so the know were to go when they want to upgrade

[sheaD]

I used to have blude leg hermits and they did the same thing. They just about depleted all my snails before I could all of them out of my tank. I switched to scarlet hermits and they do fine.

[Vanquishxxxx]

I have a 4 inch scarlet hermit, i target feed him eevryday with shrimp pellets, or else he eats anythign and everything he gets a hold of, ANYONE WANT HIM :).

[PVChick12]

anyone want him...? HAHAHA
Yea, blues are pretty agressive, they like to try on shells like girls like to try on shoes....I just decided (once my 2 turbos in my nano were dead..) to not have blues and turbos in the same tank. Turbos are kind of a nuissance anyways, always running over my frags....

[boomsticks]

4 inch scarlet?! I've never heard of them getting that big before. I have seen "Regular or Common" hermits getting that big but a Scarlet?! Holy crapshoot Batman! lol

[H2OLUVSME]

blue legs and the maxican red legs are banned from my tanks 4EVER! i do like the scarlet (all red) just a little bit, but they seem to be less aggressive.

if i have my way, i wont have any more hermits at all. there are enough types of snials and other algae eaters to not have to worry about hermits. if they arent chasing down a snail or a fellow hermie they are most likely climbing an SPS or stealing food from a different coral. even the most docile species still climb on corals and have claws that could inflict damage.

crabs are scavengers and thieves and should not be trusted!

[MarkD40]

I drop several shrimp pellets into the tank a couple times per week. The crabs and shrimp make a bee-line to them and it keeps them fat and happy.