Just a few observations on small reef safe hermit crabs.
All different types of hermit crabs will always need empty shells available, that are slightly larger than what they have now, as they molt and grow.
Our hermit crabs are all 4+ years old.
Waiting a few years on restocking any more just to see the possible life span and be certain these are the old survivors.
Based on 4 years of observation.
Blue leg hermit crabs like dwarf cerith snail shells. (Willl kill the live snails for the shells if no empty ones available)
Someone once told me that blue legs eat red legs so I never bothered buying regular red legs.
Dwarf zebra hermit crabs like margarita snail shells.
Scarlet hermit crabs like nassarius snail shells. And some other similar shape.
The "Halloween" electric orange and black and the electric blue and black hermit crabs like a flattened elongated shell similar to a cone snail shell or a conch.
Absolutely nothing seems to like turban, trochus, astraea or similar shaped shells.
Never had a hermit crab big enough to use a turbo snail shell.
We stick with the hermit crabs I listed.
Someone once told me any large hermit crab that was noticeably "furry" wasn't likely to be reef safe.
Would love to hear other people's experiences.
All different types of hermit crabs will always need empty shells available, that are slightly larger than what they have now, as they molt and grow.
Our hermit crabs are all 4+ years old.
Waiting a few years on restocking any more just to see the possible life span and be certain these are the old survivors.
Based on 4 years of observation.
Blue leg hermit crabs like dwarf cerith snail shells. (Willl kill the live snails for the shells if no empty ones available)
Someone once told me that blue legs eat red legs so I never bothered buying regular red legs.
Dwarf zebra hermit crabs like margarita snail shells.
Scarlet hermit crabs like nassarius snail shells. And some other similar shape.
The "Halloween" electric orange and black and the electric blue and black hermit crabs like a flattened elongated shell similar to a cone snail shell or a conch.
Absolutely nothing seems to like turban, trochus, astraea or similar shaped shells.
Never had a hermit crab big enough to use a turbo snail shell.
We stick with the hermit crabs I listed.
Someone once told me any large hermit crab that was noticeably "furry" wasn't likely to be reef safe.
Would love to hear other people's experiences.
