Really add 1 hermit crab per gallon???

[Rmckoy]

That’s nothing. Mine is 2” and I have seen larger.

Jesus lol.

That’s 1 of the 6 I added .
notice the big bonsai frag he knocked over again ....

 

[Rmckoy]

That’s 1 of the 6 I added .
notice the big bonsai frag he knocked over again ....

 

[Scousereefer]

I have seen several different sources indicate a tank should be stocked with 1 hermit crab per gallon. I have a 125-gallon display tank - 125 hermit crabs seems like overkill. Wouldn't they cover every surface? I could see 25 or 30, perhaps. Should I really be targeting 125?

I would also like to have a variety on my cleanup crew - emerald crabs, various shrimp, starfish, etc. Does the 1 hermit per gallon take into account other inverts?

Please help me understand the recommendation and instances where it may or may not apply, and what other considerations I should take into account when figuring out my overall target hermit crab population.

Thanks!

I paid £7 for a red legged in my LFS the blues were £10 but they were all huge, no chance I'd buy one per gallon at that price lol

 

[Fishingandreefing]

I paid £7 for a red legged in my LFS the blues were £10 but they were all huge, no chance I'd buy one per gallon at that price lol

Wait what? 7 for a hermit crab? But corals over here are crazy expensive on the other hand.

 

[Fishingandreefing]

I gave away like 20 hermit crabs last time from a tank haul.

 

[ScottR]

You have 6 snails in a 230? I have literally 30 in a biocube 32. Different varieties but they all do fine. No mexican turbos though. Just nassarius, astrea, ans cerith

Fwiw, I have 3 astrea and a couple nassarius in my 130g. I feel snails are overrated. I also have only one shrimp and no crabs. I’ve run a heavy cleanup crew before and they just knock frags over and don’t clean as well as fish like tangs, foxface and blennies. I guess it’s subjective as to what one calls a cleanup crew.

 

[Scousereefer]

Wait what? 7 for a hermit crab? But corals over here are crazy expensive on the other hand.

Yeah how much do you pay for them lol

 

[zalick]

I'm in the no crabs of any kind camp. Crabs are opportunistic scavengers and will eat anything they can get in their claws. Even with an assortment of shells they will kill snails.

No thanks.

 

[syrinx]

125 dwarf hermit crabs would fit in a shot glass. Number depends on variety- and expect a 15% loss or empty shells per order.

 

[Rmckoy]

I'm in the no crabs of any kind camp. Crabs are opportunistic scavengers and will eat anything they can get in their claws. Even with an assortment of shells they will kill snails.

No thanks.

I was also in that camp for many years but recently decided to try snails and hermits again .
Knowing hermits aren’t native to living in reefs

I realized fast why I never had any .

 

[Fishingandreefing]

Yeah how much do you pay for them lol

Usually around $1 to $3

 

[sarcophytonIndy]

I have seen several different sources indicate a tank should be stocked with 1 hermit crab per gallon. I have a 125-gallon display tank - 125 hermit crabs seems like overkill. Wouldn't they cover every surface? I could see 25 or 30, perhaps. Should I really be targeting 125?

I would also like to have a variety on my cleanup crew - emerald crabs, various shrimp, starfish, etc. Does the 1 hermit per gallon take into account other inverts?

Please help me understand the recommendation and instances where it may or may not apply, and what other considerations I should take into account when figuring out my overall target hermit crab population.

Thanks!

I have a 125 and my cleanup crew consists of 6 tangs and a foxface. They demolish any vegetative matter whatsoever. I do have a few stray snails and hermits, but the fish do most of the work.

 

[anthonygf]

That’s 1 of the 6 I added .
notice the big bonsai frag he knocked over again ....

I replace mine for smaller before they get that big.

 

[anthonygf]

I have seen several different sources indicate a tank should be stocked with 1 hermit crab per gallon. I have a 125-gallon display tank - 125 hermit crabs seems like overkill. Wouldn't they cover every surface? I could see 25 or 30, perhaps. Should I really be targeting 125?

I would also like to have a variety on my cleanup crew - emerald crabs, various shrimp, starfish, etc. Does the 1 hermit per gallon take into account other inverts?

Please help me understand the recommendation and instances where it may or may not apply, and what other considerations I should take into account when figuring out my overall target hermit crab population.

Thanks!

Stay away from hermits, more trouble than they are worth. Six months ago most of my hermits would get together and climb on the only sps I could grow and break off braches. I returned them all to the lfs. Now I have many frags of my sps forget the name monti branching digitata.