How many Hermit Crabs?

I don't hate them as they are actually fun to watch, but they do kill snails even when they have enough shells and are well fed. I stay away from them now.

 

..................the only good crab is a boiled crab dipped in butter.

 

or a soft shell fried to a nice crisp

 

Wow, interesting. I never had any problems with hermits killing anything.

 

similar situation for me
I never had red legged Hermits, always had blue
I knew they would evict snails for shells if you dont have spares so I always had a few spares

Steve

 

I have probably 15 total mostly red legged, one zebra and there was at least one blue in there at one point living with an assortment of a dozen various snails. I really can't recall a time when any of the hermits caused any issues. I did buy particularly small ones and my rock having a ton of small natural caves truth be told I rarely see most of them...except the zebra (mentioned in my favorite thing in your tank thread).

Like most anything each experience and setup will vary.

My goal between snails and hermits was to have about one per gallon.

 

I've had a ton of different kinds of hermits: red legs, blue legs, electric blue, Halloween, black & white (one of my favs), left-handed, micro hermits (another of my favs), and accidentally in a free shell a striped hermit crab that got huge (almost as big as my hand) in the 4 years I had him. I think the only ones I never got were the scarlets LOL.

The only thing I ever saw outright intentionally kill something healthy in my tank was a peppermint shrimp attacking another one that had just molted. I actually have vid of that...imagine my surprise while filming a molt when another shrimp charged in & attacked!

My Nassarius snails also killed a shrimp, but it was already dying soon after introduction to the tank (its mate lived). I have pics of that, as well...nasty!