hermits in a reef

[atlorange]

Hi All,

I was just wondering how many members have hermits in their reef and what kind? I have 3 scarlets that are doing fine, they don't bother my corals. I was thinking of getting a couple more and maybe some of the small blue legs. I have never had this kind in any of my tanks and was just wondering if they are truly reef safe.

I had a large electric blue hermit, but he was too destructive with my small frags, always knocking them over.

Thanks in advance,

 

[spike]

I have scarlets and red legs. Blue legs seem to get aggressive when they become larger. Attacking snails and other blue legs to take over their shells. Red legs seem to get pretty large also, but tend to be less combative.

 

[coolsurf]

I have 2 small blue legs which I do like. So far, they have been mild in comparison to my scarlets. Perhaps it is just luck. I havn't lost anything yet but I have been warned hermits will kill your snails.

 

[strapingyunglad]

Ive got two blue legs and there fine. They allway fight and even steal each others shells but they live.

 

[longboarder]

My hermits (elec blue, blue-legged, scarlet) fight like Israel and Palestine, but I love them.

 

[kirru]

i've got a lot, like 8 I think, its in my siggy but thats a rough estimate.

only time i had a problem was when they were growing extremely fast and one snail was dying so one ate and took its shell, but that was ok cause the snail was dying either way. i like em. they ride the shells on the snails and clean them, atleast thats what it looks like

 

[stickx911]

I have a bunch of scarlets and blue legs. I added a bag of snails one day, and the next all my blue legs had new snail shells! lol, a few snails survived, so not a total loss.

 

[nickskains]

I have a mix of reds and blues. Both seem to be very opportunistic in regards to snails. If there is one flipped upside down they are always going to eat it. Too easy of a meal to pass it up. Then once its gone they hijack the shell and move on. As for knocking things over, I have never had this issues as all my corals are glued down. Seems to be a hermit thing. Some are good and some are bad but all the ones I have seen will always go for snails if the chance is there.

 

[thedeper]

I've got blues and reds and wish I didn't have either. They are always disrupting zoas by crawling over them and knocking things over. I honestly think that they are more of a headache than help.

 

[stickx911]

My hermits never knock anything over, but they do crawl over my zoas which close them up for a minute, and with my short light period, that may be bad?

I had a turbo snail that knocked my rock work over once trying to get to sn algae stalk...that darn snail knocked everything over.

I like hermits for their movement and light personality, snails have no personality IMO, they just clean.