crab questions

[thisanthrope]

my 10 gal nano reef has been cycling for over two months now. In the excitment I went right out and purchased some livestock with only a small amount of research on these things. I purchased a emerald crab, 8 small blue leg hermit crabs, green star polyp, and yellow polyp.

my question is will the emerald crab live in such a small reef?

I saw him pick at some red algea very close to the yellow polyps, will he eat all the red algea before it can be established?

the last question I feel alittle silly for asking but do I need to supply larger shells for the hermits when they get bigger?

 

[astride13]

I have two emerald crabs in a 7 gal. They mow down all the algae nicely. They climb all over the coral, but never seem to damage it.

 

[RogerMcAllen]

Yes, hermit crabs like to find bigger shells.

 

[thisanthrope]

thanks, but where do you buy extra shells? can you go to a crafts store and expect the crabs to move into any random shaped larger shell?

 

[RogerMcAllen]

Usually your LFS has them. I would hesitate on craft store ones because they might, key word might, treat them or glaze them somehow.

 

[two11devan]

I asked my LFS if they gave any away and the guy gave me a handfull of about 20 or so. I think if i asked him if they sold any, he would have made up some sort of price for em!