Hermit ID

[Mickle]

Hello,

I'm planning stocking ideas so I can do further research on specific species, but I cant figure out what kind of hermit this is.. They're the reason I got interested in setting up a saltwater tank so I thought I'd add them (I would always catch them on the tx beaches when I was little). I finally have the space and money to start my own tank but If the hermit eats coral, fish or fights with other inverts I won't get any and I will stick with Halloween crabs or electric blues!

Thank you!

 

[norfolkgarden]

Probably "all of the above".

Any "hairy" crab is usually a bad sign.

For me it was moon snails in Rhode Island.
Another bad idea. Not tropical, Predatory on other snails.

I just keep a few empty shells in the tank from beach combing.

 

[Mickle]

Thank you for helping me!I won't get any then, also can I mix Halloween and electric blues? Thank you again!

 

[norfolkgarden]

Thank you for helping me!I won't get any then, also can I mix Halloween and electric blues? Thank you again!

Honestly, I don't know.
Scarlet was the fanciest we ever had.
Make sure you have plenty of empty shells slightly bigger than what they are in now in the tank.
That should help.

 

[redpine42]

Thank you for helping me!I won't get any then, also can I mix Halloween and electric blues? Thank you again!

I have Halloween, electric blues and red hermits in my tank, with emerald crabs and pom poms. They all get along well as long as there is plenty of food. Lately the algae is starting to die off and I'm seeing gang fights among the hermits.

And yes lots of different shell sizes is very important. My blues have gone from maybe a 1/4 of an inch to 1 1/2 inch shells.

The halloween crabs are always molting or losing limbs. We find halloween limbs in the aquarium all the time, only to find the Halloween a couple days latter looking normal. Never seen them change shells.

 

[Wen]

FWIW
When stocking extra shells for the hermits, consider Halloween’s prefer a longer narrow opening.
Blues and scarlets prefer normal round shell openings.
(I have a harder time finding shells for the Halloween’s body type, mine never have used shells with round openings.)

 

[chris85]

Surf hermit

Isocheles wurdemanni

Family Diogenidae - Left-handed hermit crabs

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Distinguishing
Characteristics
Lives in gastropod shells; abdomen soft, twisted, hidden inside shell; carapace and claw color off-white; claws slightly longer than wide, fingers short, curved at tips; heavily tubercled (bumpy); lots of setae (hairs); left claw slightly larger than right claw; a small hermit crab.
Similar Species
Distinguished by its short stubby claws, heavily tubercled and hairy, curved at the tips, left claw slightly larger than right.
Habitat
Gulf
Maximum Size
unknown, very small
Other Common Names

Previous Scientific Names

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