4 inch hermit crab

R

rcreations

Guest
I bought a 4" hermit crab today. This thing is super agressive. When the guy at the LFS tried to grab it, the hermit went after his hand.
So I brought it home and put it in my tank... my queen angel went after it a little, sort of trying to nip but the hermit started waving its claws at her and she backed up. Otherwise I haven't seen it do anything bad. Just checking stuff out, climbing the rocks.
So can this monster pose any threat to my fish? It has one smaller claw and one huge one.
 
sepulatian

sepulatian

Moderator
Originally Posted by RCreations
http:///forum/post/2981007
I bought a 4" hermit crab today. This thing is super agressive. When the guy at the LFS tried to grab it, the hermit went after his hand.
So I brought it home and put it in my tank... my queen angel went after it a little, sort of trying to nip but the hermit started waving its claws at her and she backed up. Otherwise I haven't seen it do anything bad. Just checking stuff out, climbing the rocks.
So can this monster pose any threat to my fish? It has one smaller claw and one huge one.
Can you post a picture of it? If you saw it try to be aggressive with a human, why did you buy it for your tank without knowing much about it??
 
small triggers

small triggers

Active Member
it could totally try to kill your fish, if its not well fed that is. They usually dont bother things unless thaey are bothered.
 
sepulatian

sepulatian

Moderator
Originally Posted by small triggers
http:///forum/post/2981040
it could totally try to kill your fish, if its not well fed that is. They usually dont bother things unless thaey are bothered.
Out of curiosity, how can you claim this? Do you know exactly what kind of crab he is talking about? Do you have experience with them? I am not trying to be rude or anything, but how can you claim this? How do you know that it will not bother anything if it is well fed, or unless it is bothered? I tiny hermit will kill a snail for it's shell. I have had it happen many times, regardless of how many extra shells that were provided. This is a four inch crab that tried to attack a person... I, for one, would like to see a picture so that we can get a positive ID.
 
R

rcreations

Guest
I will take a piture and post it.
From looking at it the whole day yesterday, it has not tried to attack any fish unless provoked. Like when the queen angel went at it, that's when it defended itself. All the fish in this tank are pretty large and agressive, so I was thinking there won't be any problems, that's why I bought it. But if it does turn out to be agressive, I can put it in the fuge.
 
small triggers

small triggers

Active Member
I had a 3 inchish hermit for about 6 months until my triggers figured out how to get it on its back and rip its claw off. My triggers were about the same size and of course lock in at night to sleep. I fed the large hermit frozen krill scraps every other day and he never picked on any of the triggers while they slept, and he was very active at night easily walking by where the triggers were sleeping. But like i said 'they USUALLY dont bother things unless they are bothered' Im not saying to know specifically, but as far as my personal experiance,,,
 
R

rcreations

Guest
Well, right now it's behind some rocks. But as soon as it comes out, I'll take a picture. The reason I got it is because my puffer and lunar wrasse are eating all my small hermits. I mean they're eating them in a matter of days. So I was hoping this big one could be my cleanup crew.
 
prime311

prime311

Active Member
Originally Posted by RCreations
http:///forum/post/2981228
Well, right now it's behind some rocks. But as soon as it comes out, I'll take a picture. The reason I got it is because my puffer and lunar wrasse are eating all my small hermits. I mean they're eating them in a matter of days. So I was hoping this big one could be my cleanup crew.

Nothing has gone after my Chocolate Chip Starfish or Urchins(yet). I dont think any crabs will be completely safe with puffers, wrasse, and triggers. CUC is overrated though, I have the invertebrates for looks more then anything else.
 
R

rcreations

Guest
Originally Posted by prime311
http:///forum/post/2981308
Nothing has gone after my Chocolate Chip Starfish or Urchins(yet). I dont think any crabs will be completely safe with puffers, wrasse, and triggers. CUC is overrated though, I have the invertebrates for looks more then anything else.
I know, some people have that view on CUC. I personally don't agree with it. I think there are places that I can't get to and only a CUC can reach them. I have 2 chocolate chip stars and they're fine, had them for almost a year now. My urchin got killed by my foxface and queen angel. They plucked out all it's spikes.
 
sepulatian

sepulatian

Moderator
Originally Posted by RCreations
http:///forum/post/2981228
Well, right now it's behind some rocks. But as soon as it comes out, I'll take a picture. The reason I got it is because my puffer and lunar wrasse are eating all my small hermits. I mean they're eating them in a matter of days. So I was hoping this big one could be my cleanup crew.
Ah, I was wondering why you wanted to try such a large crab. I hope that it works out for you.
 
kjr_trig

kjr_trig

Active Member
Yeah, knowing what fish RCreations has I wouldn't worry about your fish....I can't imagine any hermit crab taking down one of your fish...I would love to get my hands on a couple of these guys, semi-"wrasse-safe" hermits.....I love it, I want one.

If it gets out of hand you could put him in with your Undy
 
ironeagle2006

ironeagle2006

Active Member
I had until my tank crashed a VERY large Hermit crab 5-6 inches last year. I ended up needing a Conch shell for it to have a home mean did not describe this thing even my luanre wrasse stayed WTF away from it. My Triggers and puffers left it alone it boxed at them sucker ate sliverslides and krill right along with them.
 
jackri

jackri

Active Member
I wouldn't go without a CUC IMO unless I had an aggressive Fish only tank. I can't clean among the corals and clams like my snails and hermits... I just vacuum up all the waste I can.
I have a tiny hermit that has moved up to an empty turbo snail shell... huge compared to the bros/sis's he came in with and hasn't harmed anything but I'd like to see a pic as well.
 
R

rcreations

Guest
Finally got some pictures. You can tell how big he is in the 2nd picture, compared to the other hermit crab shells. He's a climber too, even managed to get on top of my powerhead this morning.

 
it's chuck

it's chuck

Member
That is a strawberry hermit. They can be pretty nasty little guys we have one at work in the shark tank. One day he and the bambo shark went for the same silverside when the shark took his silverside he grabbed on to his head/gills and wouldn't let go. Took the shark about a minute of swimming through and knocking him into rock to knock him off.
 
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