Electric Blue Hermit Crab

[tansh]

Hi,i wanted to put in 2 or 3 Electric Blue Hermit Crab in my tank with sps.Would like to know is it ok to house them with sps?

Many thks

[honkit]

Ensure your SOS corals are securely attached to the rock work as these crabs can knock them around

[tansh]

Ensure your SOS corals are securely attached to the rock work as these crabs can knock them around

All my sps frags epoxy to LR.I hv 2 turbo snail inside my tank worry they eat them.

Thks

[james72]

So far never see my blue legs hermit disturb any sps except knocking frags down too if not glue on.

[chrislwp]

Electric blue legged hermit scratch and eat my coraline algae leh, just like sea urchin.

U guys experience that?

[clownfish_forever]

I have 3 of them, so far they did not target my coraline unless their damage is minimal. But they do kill snails for food and shells hor...

[Rukas]

I have 1 notorious blue legged hermit crab. yes they do target coraline algae when dont have any pellets to feed on. It is also famous for climbing on top of every single coral i have, It also constantly uproot my Octo that i have placed in a hole in one of my rocks.

does a good job keeping the tank clean of left over pellets but due to its bulldozing character i have to constantly move him in and out the sump. Now not that he keeps the sump in peace, practically makes a mess with my Chaeto.

[honkit]

Personally, I would never put any snails or crabs in an SPS dominated tank. They create more problems in knocking corals off their perch than being useful as algae grazers.

The best method of algae control is ensuring excellent water quality which is a pre-requisite anyway for a thriving SPS tank. Biological control can be done by tangs and bacterial systems.

[yellowtang]

They are aggressive for food, charging and digging and looking to change their home shells. But .. I keep a small one , so its harmless to the rockwork and harmless to turbo snails. It always go back to the same place to rest everynite, whch is fascinating.

2 others have overgrown, became nuisance, so i retired them in the sump,where they can do no damage and stay there for ever and ever.

cheers

[yellowtang]

Electric blue legged hermit scratch and eat my coraline algae leh, just like sea urchin. U guys experience that?

This is good. One up for the hermit . It clears the coraline from covering too much of the rock surface which is detrimental to having good bacterial growth and housing. One of the causes of old tank syndrome.

cheers

[chrislwp]

This is good. One up for the hermit . It clears the coraline from covering too much of the rock surface which is detrimental to having good bacterial growth and housing. One of the causes of old tank syndrome.

cheers

Sounds logical. But it's unpleasant to see the white scratch mark on the purple coraline algae. It takes mths to grow, but overnight looted off your patience..