Feather Duster & Star safe with Hermit Crabs??

mishelly00

Member
Hello, I was just wondering will hermit crabs hurt Feather Dusters & Starfish. I have a pretty big one. I am getting the starfish and Feather tomorrow and I have 2 tanks so I want to put things together safely. I also have a Valentini Puffer on its way.
Should that be put in a seperate tank than the duster and star?? Thanks for any help. Michelle
 

snipe

Active Member
My hermits dont bother my feather or my star. As for the puffer he might eat the hermits.
 

mudplayerx

Active Member
The large hermit crabs are not reef safe at all. The small hermit crabs (blue legs, scarlets, etc) sold as cleaning crews are completely safe.
 

dragonfli

Member
I HAD A LARGER hermit and he ate the crown (the feathers) of my feather duster. but they grew back...................4 times. i wouldnt reccomend a "large" hermit but smaller ones are fine.
 

snipe

Active Member
The ones they call common hermit get really big "I mean HUGE" and have a tank reguirment size because of it" they are not reef safe. As Mud said the cleaner crew hermits " a long list blueleg, scarlet, halloween, zebra, orange, many more" are small and will not harm anything "except other hermits and snails lol".
 

statquo305

New Member
i had a very small feather duster come along with my live rock. I have 10 blue leg hermits that don't bother it. It will retract when bothered by the blue legs. Also, how long does it take for feather dusters to grow to a descent size? mine is about 1/4 inch but seems to have grown slightly since i got him.
 

mishelly00

Member
I put the huge hermit in my tank that has no corals no duster and no starfish.....just to be safe.There are only damsels and one clown in it. So they should be ok... The hermit is a pain but it is unbelievable to watch. That guy certainly cleans house....LOL
This is a pic of him!!


 

snipe

Active Member
Is that hermits a decorator? It lookes like he has featherdusters or polyps on his back.
 

gfk

Member
the puffer does need to be away from corals imo. someoen on here has a small puffer in his reef tank, but mine would try to eat anything in the tank
 

mishelly00

Member
I don't have any corals in the tank, so I am safe with that. I do have snails, tiny blue leg hermit crabs a feather duster ,Chocolate Chip Star, and 2 emerald crabs. He has not even looked at them yet.......but if they end up missing I know where they went.... :eek:
 

ophiura

Active Member
The chocolate chip star is a threat to the feather duster, snails and many other slow moving invertebrates.
 

mishelly00

Member
OH MY!!!! Ididn't know that.....
Ok so how do I feed my starfish???? I just got him. I thought he just ate the stuff off the glass and leftovers in the tank. Am I supposed to feed him directly?? Thanks for filling me in on this. Of course I am clueless and new so I did not know this. I have been worrying about how to feed my new fish and never gave that a thought.
 

mandysam

Member
I had a cc star in my tank and then added a feather duster the star was on the feather duster in no time. I wouldn't put the two together.
 

dragonfli

Member
YEAH SNIPE he has 8 anemones on him. i cant have coral, or anemones in my tank unless brought in by a hermit. so i found him one night and tried to get the anemones to transplant into the tank, but the simbiotic relationship is too strong.......................5 fish later i threw...excuse me., i placed him back into the whole i found him. i think i saw him the other night too. they are all over the reefs out here.
 

snipe

Active Member
All you do is stick it on something then place it close to the star. My star instantly knows when food hits the water he starts moving when it is just entering the water lol.
 
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