What Hermits Are Definetly NOT Reef Safe?

[Patroklos]

Alright, to a certain extent all crab including hermits are opportunistic and could cause your reef problems, but what species do we know are going to be menaces from day one?

I ask, because I was looking for some large hermits at the LFS to eat extra food and they swear blue legged hermits would terrorize my tank. On the other hand, I hear scarlet hermits are harmless. I have a single halloween hermit that has been no trouble.

So, what hermits should I avoid and what hermits can I add with a reasonable expectation that they won't go crazy?

 

[melosu58]

I have these and I can vouch that they are reef safe. They are a little smaller but IMO great janitors.

Saltwater Aquarium Invertebrates for Marine Aquariums: Dwarf Zebra Hermit Crab

 

[HoCkEyGmC]

scarlets are the only ones ive heard not to be as bad as the rest. i also have a halloween hermit but it doesnt move much. my other hermits have caused problems and reduced my snail population to half of what it was. i would get just a few scarlet hermits just to avoid any problems.

 

[Patroklos]

I have read about the zebras before, they are listed as reef safe online and I am glad to hear you concur via real world experience.

My Halloween doesn't move around much but that's because he is grazing on the vast fields of Algae covering my LR so he doesn't have to!

 

[HoCkEyGmC]

most people around here dont do hermits or only do scarlet hermits if they do.
i think the reason that my halloween doesnt move much is cuz at the store, it was in a tiny critter tank in a larger tank so he wasnt used to being abel to move to new places much. but now hes becoming more active

 

[divedeep1689]

will a scarlet hermit bother a queen conch?

 

[Innovator]

There are very few definite answers in this hobby. From my experiences Scarlet Reef Hermits are the only one's I have had little trouble with in comparison, but that doesn't mean they won't pick at snails from time to time. All hermits are omnivorous/opportunistic.

 

[roka64]

Watch a hermit try to attack a healthy conch. You will see how far a conch can really "jump".

 

[Patroklos]

As active as my conchs are they would probably just crush the little hermit with their foot!

 

[Patroklos]

How about electric blue hermits? I have two larger ones in my tank now, but as I start preping for my first coral one of my LFSs' tell me they eat polyops. I would hate to banish them two my refugium as they are bright and active, but I can't have them eating my corals!