Hermit Crabs good or bad?

[Awibrandy]

Hi guys, I have been having on going battle with green hair algea therefore I purchased a cleaner pack from FTUSA some months back. A few months ago I noticed that copipods were running all over the tank glass, so I went and purchased the manderin that I wanted. He was doing fine for several weeks. One day I noticed that his tail was missing, I couldn't figuere out who was attacking him. The other day some friends were checking out my tank, when we noticed that it was the "HERMITs that were attacking him. Is this normal? Do hermits really go around attacking fish? Oh yeah, they don't seem to be eating much of the algea at all. They are the red legged ones. Do I have to go fishing for every single last one of these? Not looking forward to that, but since I will be breaking down my 120 soon maybe I can manage it.
Anyway, anyone have any thoughts on the matter?

 

[tosiek]

I was always told go with the blue leg instead of the scarlets (red leg) b/c the scarlets sometimes have a tendancy to go after your fish/inverts and rarely some coral if it gets hungry. I have one and he always causes trouble with all the other blue legs in my tank while the blues leave each other alone, and if i do see them have little scruffles its them trying to clean each others shells. I dunno why they would attack the fish though unless maybe the mandarin hurt himself and they were going after his wound, like sharks after blood, and just made it worse.

And all i have seen the hermits do as far as green hair algae is just pick it up and toss it and help to spread it. Best thing for green hair algae is to get urself some lettuce nudibranches or a lawnmower blenny (although i heard the blenny doesn't do his job alot of the time). Have two nudibraches in my tank and the only place i have green hair algae is in the middle of a colony of button polyps which they won't go near b/c the polyps sting them.

Just my experiences, someone with better knowledge on hermits can prolly explain exactly why.

 

[ming]

Hermits always retract into their shells when fish come around from my experience. I can't possibly imagine one to even eat a fish because of how slow they move, and how slow they pick at things. A fish can easily swim away and the hermit wont be able to stay on. I believe something else caused that damage on the mandarin. I've had a mandarin with red and blue legged hermits, both which are fine and the mandarin looks healthy as ever.

 

[mgchan]

I have both red & blue legged hermits and I've never seen them attack my fish. After almost two years of neglect to my tank, the hermits, combined with an emerald crab and mexican turbos cleared my tank of hair algae in less than a week! I now have a tank I can be proud of again. Now I just have to replace the zoos that I'd lost. LOL

 

[PalmTree]

I have both in my tank and I have never had a problem with them at all. I guess I was just lucky.

 

[Awibrandy]

Thank you guys. Looks like am the only one with the crazy hermit. Four of us witnessed the hermit crab attacking the tail on the manderine. I don't know what could have injured the manderine, all that is in the tank with him is tangs, a royal gramma. some snails, and the hermit crabs. I haven't seen the manderine since. I will look into picking up a nudibranch or two.

 

[drunktank]

are u sure they were attacking it, or just climbing on it.

hermits might sense the manderine is sick and be trying to pick at it. It could also be fin rot or some sort of infcetion.

 

[Awibrandy]

Hermits good or bad?

are u sure they were attacking it, or just climbing on it.

hermits might sense the manderine is sick and be trying to pick at it. It could also be fin rot or some sort of infcetion.

drunktank, the 4 of us witnessed the "1" hermit actually nibbling on the manderine's tail. Perhaps you are right, and the manderine was sick. It didn't look like fin rot, or an infection, the tail was eaten away. I'm sort of new to sw, but I have been keeping fw fish for over 30yrs I'm pretty sure I know what fin rot looks like. I keep a close eye on my animals, always checking for trouble on its first onset. I missed the manderine one day, and the next day I saw him w/part of his tail missing. That afternoon is when we saw the hermit snacking on his tail. I haven't seen the manderine since, I can only assume the hermit finished him off.

 

[drunktank]

chances are if the manderine is gone is was dying and the hermits sensed it.

how well established is ur SW tank? if u didnt have pods/or if its a fairly new tank, the manderine shouldn't have been put in the tank. They require a constant food source. Hope you have better luck w/ the rest of ur fish. We all tend to loose one once in a while.

 

[Awibrandy]

A few months ago I noticed that copipods were running all over the tank glass, so I went and purchased the manderin that I wanted. He was doing fine for several weeks.

Thanks for the imput Drunktank.

Original post indicates copipods running all over the tank. This tank has been running at this house for the past 8 months, moved from my previous house were it had been running for atleast 3yrs. All the water, lr, ls was moved with it. The move, and setup took appx. 4hrs., then it just ran for 4 or so months before the manderine was added so, No, it is not a new setup.

Sorry, that kinda sounds a little snippy. Didn't mean too. Anyway, you are probably right it was dying, and I'll never know what happened.

 

[MikeyNYC]

Hermits

I agree with Drunktank, I have something like 10-15 blue leg hermits, and the only time I've seen a problem was with a brittle star that was on his way out. I purchased the hermits, the brittle star, and a bunch of snails from a guy that had an established tank, but was shutting it down. The group lived peacefully together for over two years, but when I placed them into my tank, the conditions may have not been right for the star, and suffered because of it. Kinda sucked!. I would not write off the hermits. Others have told me that if you have trouble with any particular one, just place it the sump, there will be plenty of food down there for him to survive.

 

[Awibrandy]

thanks Mikey