Battle of the Shells

[rus2210]

Another thing,

Few weeks back, I took out my boxing shrimp from the main tank as it look quite aggressive. At the same time where i took out the boxing shrimp, I got a left-hand hairy red hermit crab.

Placed them in a small tank separated by a plastic.

After a few days, I removed the plastic and observed them for a few days, and they seems to be living together quite happily although there's some hostility at first.

After abt 1 week, I woke up one morning and saw half the boxing shrimp in the crab's mouth. One of it's "clipper" was still intact with the body but the other was torn to shreds and all ard the tank.

All these while, I've been feeding both frozen brine shrimp.

Can anyone explain this phenomenon?

1. The crab attacked and ate the shrimp?

2. The shrimp died by itself and the crab ate it?

3. At first I was thinking of adding the hermit to the main tank, now having 2nd doubts. Anyone can advice me whether to add into main or not?

[AREA51]

IMO, claws of shrimps are not as powderful as crabs, therefore crabs will win in claw battles

whats worse is that they are in a confined space .

if you put them in a larger tank, i doubt it will be a problem. i have hermits, fire shrimp and a pair of cleaner shrimps in my 4ft tank and they are living peacfully.

just my 2cents

[Kelmen]

Yaloh, so jam the space. Want to run and hide also dunno where to go. No transport worst too.

That's the beauty (and its purpose) of "aquascaping".

Red hairy hermit crab is always "hungry". I used to have 1, it grow so fast and big. Half year it can become about more then 5 times bigger!

I donated it to someone else, because it having fun with my new feather duster.

After the donation, realized that how "good" it been doing the "cleaniness" in my DSB main tank. Used to have white and clean sand and rock and no hair algae.

Now, sand bed diatom strike, rock detrius build up, aiptasia go partying, hair algae grow so much like macroalgae.

So, you decide wanna remove the crab or not...

GL

[rus2210]

Thanks bros,

I witnessed first-hand the cleaning efficiency of the hermit. But...

1. Since the hermit can kill my boxer, doesn't it also means it can attack my fishes too?

2. I've read that the hairy red hermits are not reef-safe and pose a danger to fishes, corals and inverts, how true is that?

My livestock include 1 adult tomato clown, 2 true perculas, 1 cleaner shrimp, 1 blue-legged hermit, 2 bubbletips, 1 damsel. Planning to get a cheapo polyp soon.

Plus, there's the added risk of the hermit toppling over my rocks right?

[nakazoru]

Aiya;

Hermit crap dun always eats algae, they munch on tube worm, shrimp if they can get their hands on. Algae, I never see him cleaning it. I gave up hermit as cleaners long time ago.

My crew now is 2 turbo snail and a always hungry algae bleenie. Now not enuf aglae and starving...

Boxer shrimp is a stupidly aggressive shrimp. It thinks it can out combat every habitant in the tank, eveytime wants to one - to - one. Mad shrimp.

My advice: FORGET THE HERMIT, NOT WORTH IT. THEY ARE SCAVENGER, NOT VEGETARIAN.

[Kelmen]

Thanks bros,

I witnessed first-hand the cleaning efficiency of the hermit. But...

1. Since the hermit can kill my boxer, doesn't it also means it can attack my fishes too?

2. I've read that the hairy red hermits are not reef-safe and pose a danger to fishes, corals and inverts, how true is that?

...

Plus, there's the added risk of the hermit toppling over my rocks right?

Yoh, bro, sounds like you are considering keeping it...

Well, here are my (novice) experience with my red hairy hermit.... is past.

As with cleaner shrimps, I have not problem with this.

2 shrimps, and the hermit, grow together been in the tank almost that long. No problem.

Even shrimps molted many times...

Big, all of them --- more than 6 months.

As for coral, I have very few during that time:

- I have star polyp (doing damn good, like weed now).

- no problem also, but many time the hermit will wander into their area foraging food, so caused them all retracted. But never "witness" the hermit eat any of them.

- got a mushroom (Ricordea), frag size, damin mini size, also no problem.

- I have a long dead flower pot (goniopora), also fall down few times, can't say who did it.

- when its dying, the hermit taking them as snack food

- I have few snails too, saw it play play with few, but also quite rare. I believe 1 been eaten by it. 1 been in eaten in about 6 months - no big deal to me.

- afterall snails cheap mah (prejudice)

- saw it ate my 2nd cuke (newly stock), but no problem with 1st old cuke.

- I believe the new cuke is not doing good, so the hermit having fun with it.

- I only have 2 Nemo with anemone, 1 6 lines, 1 yellow tang, 1 algae blenny. No problem with the crab.

Dunno about small fishs like dartfish.

- I run a 4" DSB in main tank, it always sifting the sand, so make the water a bit cloudy due to the sand. Well, that's fine with me, kind of look "natural" to me.

In short, if you gonna stock new pets into the tank, there's always a risk that whether the hermit will "bother" it.

But if you really not in stocking frenzy, its really a "priceless" janitor.

[cityofangels]

Now, sand bed diatom strike, rock detrius build up, aiptasia go partying, hair algae grow so much like macroalgae.

Hahahah I like your expression!

[cityofangels]

Plus, there's the added risk of the hermit toppling over my rocks right?

I don't think a hermit has the capacity to topple over rocks, UNLESS it's a humongous one and your rocks are tiny lil' ones!

[kraziworm83]

Red hairy hermit crab is v aggressive.. Tat stupid hermit eat my boxer too... and bully my other hermits.. I gave him away and from tat day onwards, all my lifestock live happily...

[FuEl]

Boxer shrimp is a stupidly aggressive shrimp. It thinks it can out combat every habitant in the tank, eveytime wants to one - to - one. Mad shrimp.

A shrimp that will cause a boxer to leave it alone is the Harlequin shrimp. I had an individual that would made the boxer to avoid it at all costs.