Staghorn Hermit Crab

yosemite sam

yosemite sam

Active Member
An LFS here gets them in from time to time. The owner told me that the crabs are more or less like like other hermit crabs. I guess you need pretty good lighting for the coral growing on the shell though. They are an SPS coral, right? He kept them under VHOs at the store and they seemed to do OK, but he rarely had them in for more than a few weeks before he sold them, so I'm not sure how they would do long term under VHOs. Really cool hermits though. I may get one down the road for my little tank. I take it by the interest that you are thinking of getting one/some? Here they are $30 each, not sure if that's a good price or not.
 
sammystingray

sammystingray

Active Member
I have one....it stays in the sand, and is just as hardy as a normal hermit. The hermit eats, and the scraps are eaten by the coral on his back. 440 VHO here as well. I had another, but they fought it out until one was dead. I placed his coral high in the tank, but it quickly died without the crab. They say to keep empty shells away, or he may switch to a normal shell, and you'll just have an expensive hermit......mine has never left his home. They grow, and as they do, they drill out a bigger hole to live in, so they don't really outgrow their coral. The coral is a different story, but by the time the coral gets too heavy, the crab will probably have died. Anyway, I have found them to be just as easy as a normal hermit in my experience. Cool little guys, but after mine fought it out for no reason, I wouldn't add two....just my experience though.
 
yosemite sam

yosemite sam

Active Member
Sammy, that's interesting that your's fought. The LFS here that gets them usually has 3-5 at a time and has them all in the same tank (20 gallon long) without problems. I wonder if it's a hit or miss kind of problem. Did you add yours at the same time? I'd love to have more than one in the tank eventually. Now I'm curious... Great picture, by the way.
Nerdy, here they are $30 a each, nor sure it that's a normal price though.
 
sammystingray

sammystingray

Active Member
I have no idea why they fought....they were taken from a tank with many in it, and the two were placed in my tank at the same time. It only took about a week before they started scrapping. Those are the only two I have ever owned, so my experience is pretty limited.
 
sammystingray

sammystingray

Active Member
It's a hermit crab......5 gallons is fine. Anywhere you would put a regular hermit is fine....the catch is the live coral on his back needs very good lighting. Regular bulbs won't cut it. Mine died after lasting quite awhile......just an update.:) Both corals on their backs died very soon af6ter the hermit died......I believe it was the fact they were no longer feeding off the scraps the hermits were feeding them. Lasted as long as a regular hermit really, and I would buy another.:) Just remember......it is a live coral he has on his back...............
 
sammystingray

sammystingray

Active Member
BTW.........in my experience.....they need lots of sand area because they won't go up on the rocks.....too hard to navigate I assume. I had to save them a few times because they got tipped over and the coral was stuck in the sand, so rocks would be tough.
 
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