ID fot this crab

[findingnemo]

I saw this crab at a tank in a fish store I wanted to know if this will be a good crab for my tank?

 

[Chiefmcfuz]

They get big and move rocks around!! It's a big hermit crab.

 

[findingnemo]

Is he good for cleaning ? Will he hurt anything ?

 

[Chiefmcfuz]

They can be aggressive and catch fish. They do knock things down when they are big.

 

[findingnemo]

So they eat fish humm so no a good crab then. Do they eat anemones or coral?

 

[scarf_ace1981]

i would avoid those. if you want nice sized, vibrantly colored hermits than get some scarlets.

 

[findingnemo]

Got the info just in case anybody else is interested.



Common Hermit Crab

(Dardanus megistos)

Quick Stats
Care Level: Easy
Tank Conditions: 72-78?F; sg 1.023-1.025; pH 8.1-8.4; dKH 8-12
Color Form: Brown, Tan
Temperament: Aggressive
Reef Compatible: No
Diet: Omnivore
Origin: Eastern Atlantic
Family: Diogenidae

The Common Hermit Crab has hairy red legs and unequal-sized claws (the left one is larger) which it will use to catch food. It lives inside empty gastropod shells and will attain a maximum size of approximately 8 inches.
The Common Hermit Crab is not safe for a reef aquarium because it will eat tube worms, mollusks, and fish. It will also eat algae. In a community tank, however, it will keep the sand sifted with its constant search for food. It is best to keep just one specimen per tank, since it is aggressive towards other Hermit Crabs. As the Hermit Crab grows, it will need larger shells to inhabit. It is most active at night. It is a very hardy animal, and an interesting addition to an aquarium.
If there is insufficient algae, the diet should be supplemented with dried seaweed, tablet foods, and earthworms.

 

[nanoreefer22]

So they eat fish humm so no a good crab then. Do they eat anemones or coral?

What did we say about anemones?:irked:

 

[findingnemo]

hahaha No Im not getting anemones.

 

[LeslieS]

Reef Lady,

Get these books and take them to the fish store with you:

Corals
a quick reference guide
by Julian Sprung
ISBN 1-883693-09-8

Marine Fishes
A Pocket Exper Guide
500+ essential-to-know aquarium species
ISBN 1-890087-38-6

Marine Invertebrates
A Pocket Expert Guide
500+essential to know aquarium species
ISBN1-890087-66-1

They have good unbiased info on what each animal needs to survive and how reef safe they are. Do not believe the little sales blurb next to the pictures. You will find many things that are mis represented or mislabeled both in stores and on line.

Good Luck!

 

[findingnemo]

Thanks leslie , im glad I have internet because the person at the fish store told me those crabs where fine for my reef and I found out that they werent.It took me a while but I found them on liveaquaria.com. The fish store is not the regular I go to. I will look for those book I only have one "marine reef aquarium handbook" .

 

[DEEPWATER]

If you want a nice hermit crab ,look into getting eletric blue hermits they are about $5 each bigger then reg hermits and a really nice color ,they are also reef safe

 

[jhale]

Reef Lady, I had one of those crabs in my fish only and live rock tank for years. I liked the crab and tried to keep him when I changed to a reef tank.

All was good till one day I saw him sitting on top of a zoo colony ripping them to shreads with total glee. I found him a new home, he is now living with a nice family in new jersey.

Moral of this story beware the people at the LFS. Not all are bad, but as others have said many do not have a clue, or worse they just want to sell you something and don't care.

 

[findingnemo]

Thanks for the tips.