Will a Zebra Hermit Crab kill a Scarlet Hermit Crab?

[microman2k]

well i have one pretty good sized zebra hermit crab in my 55.....but the package i plan on ordering from here comes with scarlet hermit crabs....i know blue legs will kill scarlets from experience.....but would this one zebra kill the new scarlets? or do i need to buy a pacakge with blue legs or soemthing.....or will it kill any crab i put in there?

 

[wax32]

How big is "pretty good sized"? The zebras I have are actually smaller than my scarlets, but I have a "largish" maroon crab that has a large left claw like zebras do and it's killed a couple of my scarlets.

 

[microman2k]

i'd say almost 2"

 

[wax32]

My monster I talk about in this thread is smaller than that.

 

[golfish]

Big kills small, there are a few exceptions...I learned a long time ago that Hermits are pertty much useless in a reef. They look nice but their not all that great as far as clean up goes, plus they tend to kill each other and your snails.

 

[sprang]

I have a giant green brittle star that will eat any and everything, so I don't need a lot of hermits which didn't seem to do half the work this ugly-beautiful monster does! Also he never messes with anything else in the tank. The only thing I regret is putting him in sooner.

 

[cjeffrey77]

oops! I put 1-scarlet, 4-blue legs, & 3-zebras in my tank about a week ago! So far they really don't seem to pay attention to each other, they spen their time lostly grazing on the rocks. I have seen diff. ones on the same rock close to each other & still not bothering one another. The zebras are still really small though, so I guess this could all change as they get bigger. I have noticed the zebras are much more active then the others though.

 

[durabane]

I started with 10 zebra and 10 reds I now have 8 zebras all in nice big turbo snail homes if that answers your question

 

[cjeffrey77]

wow! I wish I had read that before I bought them. my lfs store i'm noticing is kind of funny on the things they tell me sometimes. For instance they sold me those crabs saying they would be fine together, however they do have them all mixed up in their tanks so maybe they don't have prob's with them. Other things though like when I was picking out my substrate, the first thing she said was you don't want crushed coral, told me why- which seems to be the same reasons posted on this site & she pointed out a few really good ones for me to pick from. I guess i'm just going to have to double check any info they give me from now on w/this site.

 

[durabane]

When they are all small and new to a tank you wont have any prob it when they start growing and needing to increase their living space that they will start feeding off each other and the snails in your tank. and 2" isnt really that big for a zebra have several in my tank atm that measure that size or bigger. I even put new homes for them in the tank to aviod them killing my snails. I guess the store bought ones were to low rent for mine because they have all killed my turbos to get new homes some one which are like 3" or larger was upset at first then realized its all part of life and the fun of having a saltwater tank

 

[cjeffrey77]

I suppose your right, I guess it's like they say only the strong shall survive! They are fun to watch for right now though seeing how they are the only things in my tank!