Are you sure they kill.

[Be11yDancer]

My tank is only a couple of weeks old, but having years of experience pulling dead snails from my freshwater tank, and a few terrestrial hermit crabs as pets. I don't feel the tiny blue legged hermit crabs in my tank now could be vicious killers

A snail's life span is not that long: only a few months (look it up)! You're lucky if they are alive when you buy them. Even if you pluck them off the glass.

My theory is if a hermit crab is pulling a snail out of the shell, I bet that snail was already dead. You couldn't tell, but the crab could. I don't think a crab could pry open the snail's door if it was a healthy snail.

How's that for an educated beginner guess?

Though right now I'm looking in my tank at snails that are 7xs bigger than the crabs, maybe I would think differently were it the other way round. . .

 

[Be11yDancer]

As you can see I'm new. This message was supposed to be a reply the hermit crab discussion, I didn't mean to make a new topic, don't know what I did wrong, sorry.

 

[Anonymous]

A snail's life span is not that long: only a few months (look it up)! You're lucky if they are alive when you buy them. Even if you pluck them off the glass.

I think you're a bit mistaken. Many types of marine snails can live for decades if you treat them well.

 

[pwj1286]

I got a snail shell that is 1/2 the size of a baseball. Mexican turbo snail. Biggest I have seen.

I knew a guy that had one snail that has been in his tank for 6 years and did not grow a centimeter.
_________________
grapefruit marijuana

 

[FragMaster]

Red legged hermits stay fairly docile at any size. Blue legged hermits get mean when they reach larger sizes. This is fact.

 

[Anonymous]

Red legged hermits stay fairly docile at any size. Blue legged hermits get mean when they reach larger sizes. This is fact.

What does "mean" mean? Where do you get your "facts"?

 

[Omni2226]

Lol the battle of the hermits. Red versus Blue.

All crabs are omnivores so given the chance they may eat anything. I have witnessed my bluelegged hermys attacking a margrite snail and evicting it. One of the bluelegs now sports its shell.

Two of them ganged up on the snail by turning it over. They then sat for hours picking at it till they finally got a pinch or two in on the softer parts and that was all she wrote for the snail.

 

[FragMaster]

I get my facts from reading online and my own experiences.
I have personaly witnessed the behavioral differences in red legged hermits and blue legged hermits at all stages, and My experince has been that the blue legged hermits are more agressive.
THey will all kill a snail for its shell. But large blue leggeds just seem to do it for fun some times. Seriously.

 

[Anonymous]

THey will all kill a snail for its shell. But large blue leggeds just seem to do it for fun some times. Seriously.

(nods in agreement) Hermits will evict a snail if they want the shell given half a chance.

 

[Mihai]

I saw a zebra hermit crab killing one of my snails. It was not dead. I'm not sure about the blue or red ones. To be on the safe side I gave them some 20+ shells to take away their excuse .

M.

 

[FragMaster]

Now why didnt I think to post that? LOL!!
I have been doing that for years as well. They will still kill a snail though if they like its shell regaurdless of what's already available.
Its always a good idea to place some larger empty shells in the tank for them to move in to as they grow.
Good post.

 

[Omni2226]

My bluelegs try the mexican turbos once in a while but they are usally on the glass so the hermy gets his head beat against the glass and gives up.

The margrite they caught on the sand where it had no grip. Doubleteam FTW>

 

[SavetheReefs]

Blue legged hermits get mean when they reach larger sizes.

I am curious, how large do blue hermits get because I have never seen a large one. TodayI actually took a pic of a scarlet eating an astrea snail and I might post it later.

Blue legs are so small they rarely pose a threat to nything let alone snails.

SavetheReefs

 

[Anonymous]

It's funny you guys mention this now.
I have 3 blue-legs in my 10g. I neglected to put any other empty shells in for them. Just a couple weeks ago 2 of them molted (I found the cast exoskeletons) and this week they both killed a Nassarius and took it's shell. The original spiral horn shaped shells I bought them with were on the sand in the corner. One benefit of having a small tank, hardly anything happens without me seeing. I missed the first one, but saw the second. Nassarius are pretty defenseless little guys, and this little blue hermit was ruthless. He cut the snail out with medical precision, and popped right into that shell. Left the soft body on the bottom to die. I didn't see him really eat any of it. My goby came by and finished the snail off. So, I have no doubt he killed it with that purpose in mind.
So now I have 2 hermits in little black Nass. shells.

 

[FragMaster]

BLue legged hermits get roughly the same size as red legged/scarletts.
I realy dont think there is such a thing as a "drarf" blue legged hermit.
I could be wrong and just not have found the scientific name or taxonomy on it though? I believe them to be nothing more than baby blue legged hermits.
as for them not posing a threat on snails? Just do a google search on the subject, or ask any experienced reefer on this board that has had them in thier tank for more than a year :wink:

 

[SavetheReefs]

Well here is the dwarf blue leg hermit

And since I have thousands of these hermits I would call myself an expert.

[/img]http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_Display.cfm?pCatId=623

 

[Omni2226]

This is from Wetwebmedia.com :

Clibanarius tricolor, the Blue-Legged Hermit Crab. To less than an inch in length. One of a few "reef-safe" Hermits that stay small and almost exclusively feed on algae (and Cyanobacteria!). Good for aiding in aerating the substrate as well. Aquarium photo.

The crew there will tell you quick that NO crab is truely reefsafe and is at best reef freindly.

The picture is from wetwebmedia too.

 

[SavetheReefs]

Jasen the Nassarius snails you speak of do not do well in the home aquarium and likely died from the high temperatures. It is highly unlikely that the hermits killed them.

SavetheReefs

 

[thebicyclecafe]

Never trust a crustacean. It is because of that that I stopped keeping hermits in my tank... they just cause all sorts of trouble if they don't have enough food. A good mix of snails can yield the same power as a bunch of hermits in terms of cleaning capacity. The hermits will attack and kill snails to steal their shells.

 

[GSchiemer]

BLue legged hermits get roughly the same size as red legged/scarletts.
I realy dont think there is such a thing as a "drarf" blue legged hermit.
I could be wrong and just not have found the scientific name or taxonomy on it though? I believe them to be nothing more than baby blue legged hermits.
as for them not posing a threat on snails? Just do a google search on the subject, or ask any experienced reefer on this board that has had them in thier tank for more than a year :wink:

Here are some "facts:"

-There are no "dwarf" blue-legged hermit crabs. They're all Clibanarius tricolor sold at various sizes. If they live long enough and get enough to eat, they'll grow to adult size, which is less than one inch.

-The scarlet hermit crab (Paguristes cadenati) is a different species and grows larger (less than 2 inches); although it is less aggressive than the blue-legged hermit crab at any size. It is also less effective at algae control and prefers reticulated coralline algae over "hair" algae.

-All these small hermit crabs are opportunistic omnivores and typically incapable of overpowering healthy snails, but will "gang up" on dying or dead snails.

-The life-spans of snails varies by species, but it's not "six-months." I have some herbivorous snails that are over 10 years old. I know this because I collected them myself.

Greg