Need an ID and advice

[chele]

Disclaimer: Before you lecture, I didn't remove these little guys from the wild. A friend of my daughter's did yesterday and when she realized they weren't the kind sold at the Boardwalk that live in a cage, she brought them to me because I have a salt tank. We're an hr from the beaches, I'm not driving there this evening but I would like to keep them alive.
I was first told they were from the ocean in New Jersey, then it was the bay. The water smelled like low tide in the bay (if you know that brackish tidal smell, you know what I mean) but it also had a couple dead things in it. So they went in a clean fishbowl with salt water.
Can anyone ID this hermit crab species and confirm if they're salt or freshwater? Any other info is appreciated. Thanks!

 

[kingtriton]

Originally Posted by Chele
http:///forum/post/3130592
Disclaimer: Before you lecture, I didn't remove these little guys from the wild. A friend of my daughter's did yesterday and when she realized they weren't the kind sold at the Boardwalk that live in a cage, she brought them to me because I have a salt tank. We're an hr from the beaches, I'm not driving there this evening but I would like to keep them alive.
I was first told they were from the ocean in New Jersey, then it was the bay. The water smelled like low tide in the bay (if you know that brackish tidal smell, you know what I mean) but it also had a couple dead things in it. So they went in a clean fishbowl with salt water.
Can anyone ID this hermit crab species and confirm if they're salt or freshwater? Any other info is appreciated. Thanks!
they are white legged hermits....very good at cleaning the tank...I caught a few at the beach and have them in my tank, they do not grow large like some of the hermits you catch in the wild and are peaceful...nice find!

 

[chele]

That's cool. Thanks for the ID. Funny...I actually needed a cleanup crew for my 29 G that is over run with algae and culerpa. There are 11 total. Do you think that's too many for that size tank? Sizewise, they are all smaller than a bouncy ball (shell included).

 

[cranberry]

Just know that NO crab is peaceful. Even those that are listed at herbivores are actually omnivores. Every crab will eat meat... even our beloved mithrax.

 

[kingtriton]

Originally Posted by Cranberry
http:///forum/post/3131035
Just know that NO crab is peaceful. Even those that are listed at herbivores are actually omnivores. Every crab will eat meat... even our beloved mithrax.
true that, well shall I say "as peaceful as a crab can be" lol.....they are more on the timid side of hermits not to bold