What would you do?

zoie2

zoie2

Active Member
I bought 2 scarlet hermit crabs and one blue leg the other day. The lady gave me some extra shells for them to move into as they grow. Two of them weren't empty. One had a blueleg hermit and the other I'm not sure what it is. It kinda looks like the Hawaiian Zebra crab. It's left claw is really big. Because I'm not sure what kind it is, I'm not sure if it's ref safe. Should I return it?
 
jojo_b

jojo_b

Member
If she gave 'em to you free, then I'd keep 'em until I knew about their reef safety. 'Cause I could always get more shells. And I like hermit crabs. They're just so busy all the time. :joy:
 
zoie2

zoie2

Active Member
Here is the picture of my new crab. If anyone knows if it is reef safe or not please let me know. Thanks.

 
wax32

wax32

Active Member
That is Calcinus tibicen aka Orange Claw Hermit. My favorite hermit. I have 2 of them. Reef Safe. Same genus (different species) as Hawaiian Zebra Hermits and Blue Knuckle Hermits.
Here is the big one I had pre-Katrina:

And here is the smaller of the two I have now, fresh picture from 1 minute ago:
 
milomlo

milomlo

Active Member
I have SEVERAL crabs that have 1 large claw. Some of mine are blue looking though Wax, not just red. I will see if I can get some pics.
 
wax32

wax32

Active Member
Although now that I am comparing YOUR picture and MY pictures and the books I have...
YOURS has blue eyes/stalks like the book. Mine doesn't. So I am guessing mine isn't a C. tibicen like I have been thinking all this time! OMG now I have to find out what my crab is!
 
wax32

wax32

Active Member
Hmm this one looks like mine too:

Now I am confused.
And I found a store that has this picture:
 
milomlo

milomlo

Active Member
Wax, I can't get a good picture of mine, but I think it is like the first picture with the blue. But I do have a couple that look like yours too.
 
wax32

wax32

Active Member
Crazy! Usually pet stores just get them as mistakes in batches of Blue Leg hermits (they are from the Carribean too). I did find a website that actually sells them by name though, $1.99 each. I think that's what I paid at the LFS for mine, I had to stare at the millions of blue-legs for quite a while to find mine.
 
wax32

wax32

Active Member
Originally Posted by milomlo
Wax, I can't get a good picture of mine, but I think it is like the first picture with the blue. But I do have a couple that look like yours too.
Post your "bad" picture, I might at least get an idea of what you have.
 
milomlo

milomlo

Active Member
Originally Posted by wax32
Post your "bad" picture, I might at least get an idea of what you have.


Ok here is what I got. Most of my crabs are hiding right now
so I got these to come out by putting in an algae wafer.

I ordered these from the Dr's and I think they were either zebra's or minature blue legs

***UPDATED***
Here is what the site said :
Dwarf Zebra Hermit Crab
(Calcinus laevimanus)

 
wax32

wax32

Active Member
Those pictures aren't THAT bad, good enough for ID.
The top one seems to be like mine and the bottom one like zoie's. I am guessing they are just two slightly different color morphs of C. tibicen.
The doctors could easily have sent you those instead of either zebras or blue legs... both cheap crabs.
I personally would pay more for these, maybe not as much as C. elegans but for sure more than the funky blue legs.


C. elegans

C. elegans
 
milomlo

milomlo

Active Member
Man that is a good picture. I like that one. He is cool looking. Is that one of yours?? What kind of camera do you have? I need a new one that I can get some good tank pictures with. I have a Cannon PowerShot Sd100 Elph - it only goes to 3.2 mega pixels.
i really liked my camera until I got my tank. I can't get a really good clear shot to save my life.
 
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