hermit crab ID help please

rgauvin · 02/12/2012, 09:10 AM

so I'm very new to the SW world. I tossed in a hermit crab into my tank that I thought was really cool, sure enough, the LFS said he was reef safe and just called him a hermit crab, but in trying to look up more information on him, I think he may not be reef safe.

Is this indeed a white spotted hermit crab (Dardanus megistos)? He's a pretty decent size and has tonnes of character but I think I may have to bring him back if he is as I want to start my tank as a FOWLR (low quantity of fish) tank but turn it into a reef tank as I get more confident in my abilities and that I won't kill everything.

I'm told white spotted hermit crabs are not reef safe and that they'll eat tube worms, corrals, and even fish if they can catch them, but my LR came with a feather duster, and he has left it alone, he actually has a feather duster growing in the shell beside him (not visible in the pics sadly)that he doesn't appear to have touched.

donya · 02/12/2012, 09:32 AM

It is not Dardanus megistos. I think have seen photos of this species once before...Paguristes sericeus is coming to mind, but that could be incorrect since my memory is fuzzy and I haven't had any coffee yet this morning.

rgauvin · 02/12/2012, 09:46 AM

Paguristes sericeus doesn't appear to be reef safe either, but the pictures do seem to be about right.

Darn, I love this little guy, I guess I may need to find him a new home...

donya · 02/12/2012, 11:19 AM

The notion of "reef safe" is too vague to be useful most times. What corals are you planning to keep? The main issue with potentially large hermits is usually the bulldozing ability rather than coral-eating, although sometimes there are problematic combinations in that regard. I am keeping Dardanus megistos in with corals right now by doing things like this: http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2.../magnets12.jpg. I also have hardy and very flexible soft corals and anemones being at sand-level while still thriving. Of course, not all thrived...as an example of the rare problematic combinations, my D. megistos immediately gobbled a Sinularia frag that spent less than 5min on the sand while I was rearranging things. It can be hit and miss.

Anyway, if you want to put stoney or fragile soft corals in accessible locations to large hermits, then it definitely becomes an issue of safety for the coral. For example, probably a Fungia would die in with my D. megistos, not because of being eaten, but because of tissue damage from being trampled occasionally.

rgauvin · 02/12/2012, 11:39 AM

I haven't really decided on which corrals. It is a couple months down the road most likely so I have time to figure it out. I am still in the process of planning (aside from the above mentioned/photographed hermit and the typical cleaning crew), I only have 2 clowns in there with him and I am trying to avoid any form of heartbreak if I can (wrong hobby for that, but I want to try)

02/12/2012, 09:10 AM	#1
rgauvin Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2012 Posts: 196	hermit crab ID help please so I'm very new to the SW world. I tossed in a hermit crab into my tank that I thought was really cool, sure enough, the LFS said he was reef safe and just called him a hermit crab, but in trying to look up more information on him, I think he may not be reef safe. Is this indeed a white spotted hermit crab (Dardanus megistos)? He's a pretty decent size and has tonnes of character but I think I may have to bring him back if he is as I want to start my tank as a FOWLR (low quantity of fish) tank but turn it into a reef tank as I get more confident in my abilities and that I won't kill everything. I'm told white spotted hermit crabs are not reef safe and that they'll eat tube worms, corrals, and even fish if they can catch them, but my LR came with a feather duster, and he has left it alone, he actually has a feather duster growing in the shell beside him (not visible in the pics sadly)that he doesn't appear to have touched.

02/12/2012, 09:32 AM	#2
donya Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: CT, U.S.A. Posts: 242	It is not Dardanus megistos. I think have seen photos of this species once before...Paguristes sericeus is coming to mind, but that could be incorrect since my memory is fuzzy and I haven't had any coffee yet this morning. __________________ My website & research info: http://pantheon.yale.edu/~dvq2/ Current Tank Info: 3 fw tanks (2x20g and 1g), 10 sw tanks (0.9g, 3x1g, 1.5g, 3g, 5g, 10g, 20g, 55g)

02/12/2012, 11:19 AM	#4
donya Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: CT, U.S.A. Posts: 242	The notion of "reef safe" is too vague to be useful most times. What corals are you planning to keep? The main issue with potentially large hermits is usually the bulldozing ability rather than coral-eating, although sometimes there are problematic combinations in that regard. I am keeping Dardanus megistos in with corals right now by doing things like this: http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2.../magnets12.jpg. I also have hardy and very flexible soft corals and anemones being at sand-level while still thriving. Of course, not all thrived...as an example of the rare problematic combinations, my D. megistos immediately gobbled a Sinularia frag that spent less than 5min on the sand while I was rearranging things. It can be hit and miss. Anyway, if you want to put stoney or fragile soft corals in accessible locations to large hermits, then it definitely becomes an issue of safety for the coral. For example, probably a Fungia would die in with my D. megistos, not because of being eaten, but because of tissue damage from being trampled occasionally. __________________ My website & research info: http://pantheon.yale.edu/~dvq2/ Current Tank Info: 3 fw tanks (2x20g and 1g), 10 sw tanks (0.9g, 3x1g, 1.5g, 3g, 5g, 10g, 20g, 55g)

02/12/2012, 09:46 AM	#3
rgauvin Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2012 Posts: 196	Paguristes sericeus doesn't appear to be reef safe either, but the pictures do seem to be about right. Darn, I love this little guy, I guess I may need to find him a new home...

02/12/2012, 11:39 AM	#5
rgauvin Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2012 Posts: 196	I haven't really decided on which corrals. It is a couple months down the road most likely so I have time to figure it out. I am still in the process of planning (aside from the above mentioned/photographed hermit and the typical cleaning crew), I only have 2 clowns in there with him and I am trying to avoid any form of heartbreak if I can (wrong hobby for that, but I want to try)