Hermit crabs and starfish

[Matt Miller]

I've seen quite a few posts about hermits eating other livestock, wondering if that's what's happening to me. I seemed to have had a bunch of mini brittle stars but I don't see many now. I do have a bunch of hermits, a few snails and a big urchin.

I was going to buy some more colorful starfish but think I might need to get rid of the hermits in order to do so? I only have 4 fish in a 110g, I would rather have starfish I think, but would I be hurting my cuc if I tried taking the crabs out?

 

[Roboson]

How many hermits do you have and what species are they?

 

[Matt Miller]

A bunch lol. Red and blues. Looks like a dozen, give or take

I would like a little more color in my tank. My lfs has some small orange/red stars I wanted to get.

 

[Matt Miller]

I would rather have stars if I can get away with it. My wife enjoys hunting for them and if I can manage without hermits that would be a bonus for me.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

beef up the snails IMO and dump some of the crabs.

 

[Va_Reef]

The way I see it, hermits won't attack anything unless its already dying, with the exception of snails and other hermits.

As long as you don't have those hermits that aren't reef safe (you'd know by now) you should be fine with a starfish.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

hermits won't attack anything unless its already dying

nope. sorry. I have some horrible horrible pictures of hunted fish. IME.

 

[Va_Reef]

nope. sorry. I have some horrible horrible pictures of hunted fish. IME.

I've never known a hermit to be fast/strong enough to catch a healthy fish.

Assuming we're talking about reef safe ones such as dwarf red legs and blue legs.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

I've never known a hermit to be fast/strong enough to catch a healthy fish.

Assuming we're talking about reef safe ones such as dwarf red legs and blue legs.

yes,something hunted and killed a female mandarin over a few days . took days or more, I assumed a bad hitchhiker. Spend days on forums thinking illness at night with a red light etc. wa chatting on wet web when the fish was being shredded and then died. later that day was attached to a scooter blenny. red leg.
I think crab needs are overlooked to much as most consider them scavengers. you'll read a lot more about emeralds going rogue or starving. But I try to balance cuc a bit more now and als feed them a bit.

 

[Matt Miller]

I think the last owner beefed up his cuc because he was getting behind on water changes and using tap water instead of rodi.

All I know is there's blue and red crabs all over, a handful of snails and mini brittle stars. The longspine urchin is always on the move.

I'm taking a few toadstools in to my lfs soon and think I'll take some of the bigger crabs now too.

Any particular snails I should go for?

 

[Lojenn]

Ok... the test is on. Ordered Micron Sea Stars to join well established 40 G. breeder aquarium with fair sized CUC. We'll see who's the last to exit the ring.