Hermits -- They Work!

[DT's_Reef]

Just a reminder that *some* hermit crabs can truly keep your rocks sparkling clean.

I found that just the plain, non-fancy, Mexican hermits work the best (no white legs, blue legs, red/scarlet legs, or big claw). I have an SPS system with a 1/2" sand bed.

I find that my snails tend to run off the rocks and prefer the glass.

I was at my LFS the other day (a truly rare LFS that does nothing but high-end reefs and is really a crazy hobbyist at heart) and commented that his rocks were the cleanest I had ever seen. He said it was the hermits.

I don't have any hair algae, but my rocks were getting "grungy" and had not looked nice for some time. Snails weren't doing it, and at this point I had scant few left.

So I put a bunch in and can't believe the progress they're making. I saw a difference after several hours. They never stop working. And they stay on the rocks.

I couldn't be more pleased. I've been in the hobby for a zillion years and had problems with other hermits, but always went for the more expensive kinds.

I've probably stated the obvious for many of you, but just wanted to post as a reminder, just in case.

[jb61264]

have a picture of this type of hermit?

[Gwynhidwy]

That's nice to hear. I've been contemplating adding some hermits to one of my tanks for a while now, but have been scared off by the various stories of hermits killing various other reef inhabitants.

[DT's_Reef]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15336328#post15336328 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jb61264
have a picture of this type of hermit?

I don't have a pic handy, but will see if I can find a reference on the internet.

There's nothing that stands out about them...very plain. They're small, and have charcoal-colored legs. I'm sure there are various kinds of Mexican hermits, but am betting some of the more experienced LFSs will know what you're talking about....hopefully, lol.

[sikpupy]

Naaa, i would not count on them, I am counting on you, lol. If you can get a proper name for them, that would be awsome.

[beachgyrl0]

What LFS did you get your hermts from?

[DT's_Reef]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15336737#post15336737 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by beachgyrl0
What LFS did you get your hermts from?

Amazing Reefs & Aquariums in Tustin

[IndyReefMan]

Do these Mexican hermits pester SPS corals? I've had other types of hermits in the past (blue leg and scarlet red) and they always seem to just climb into the branches of my SPS corals and stay there. That's why I've shyed away from hermits now.

[ReefWreak]

Something that many people don't take into concideration when having some of these inverts long term is that their diets change. There was a great study I think by E. Borneman (or he made a recommendation off of the study) or something down the line, but it showed that the diets of many crabs (emerald and hermit included) changes with age. The younger specimens make most of their diets herbivorous, but as they age, they eat much much more protein (coral, food, fish, etc). So maybe the reason that these small ones are so fantastic is because they're young. We'll see down the road how they are.

I had hermits and hated them. I had emeralds and hated them more. I'm 100% snails, tangs, centrygope angels, and vodka dosing :D

[DT's_Reef]

I think it depends *greatly* on the species. There are probably a ton of hermit crab species.

ReefWreak...interesting and makes sense. I'll keep a watch on these guys. Fortunately, hermits are super easy to remove in an open system. So far they haven't bothered my SPS. I have a large very branchy one (a. valida) and they stay on the ground.

[DT's_Reef]

These guys are too tiny for my camera to get a decent picture.

But, like I said, they have grey legs....and they also have red/orange antennae.

My rocks are sparkling clean after only 4 days! I bought 30 of them for an 85g tank. My tank is lightly landscaped, so I don't have a ton of rock. I didn't want to buy so many that my system wouldn't be able to keep them alive after they cleaned house. That remains to be seen. I imagine I should also buy a decent number of larger shells so they don't have to kill each other for a bigger house (I assume they do this).