Blue leg vs red leg hermits

[Joe Fish]

Are they both reef safe? I've kept the same red leg hermits since I started, but are blue leg any different other than color? Snails seem to die to fast at least the margarita and astrea ones do for me. So I would like to add a few more hermit to help keep the tank clean. I really liked the astrea snails because they really ate the algae that grew on the glass of my fuge. My nassiarius(sp) ones don't see to eat it.

 

[DclownD]

i have had more hermit deaths then snail...

 

[Joe Fish]

I have had a few deaths, but not many. I think it was because I didn't have big enough shells for them to go into. Some of them did kill a couple snails for their shells. I'm still debating on what to get. I'm thinking about 25 snails and 25 hermits from ebay.

 

[DclownD]

i dont see that as a problem.. the blue legs look a little nicer in my opinion... and one of my bl hermits seemed to have grown very fast
the brown ones have grown but not switched shells... and i see like 3 tiny bl's still

 

[Lorna]

Both blue leg and Scarlet (not the red legs) are reef safe, in fact the Scarlet are the best in my opinion. Nassarius snails don't eat algae, they are detritus eaters and sand stirrers......try Nerite snails for algae and margaritas. Some that you get are temperate climate snails and can't take the heat of a reef tank and don't live long.......try to get them from tropical locations....baha are cold water.....so they like cool water....

 

[Joe Fish]

Thanks Lorna. I just thought all snails ate algae. I still have decided what I'm going to get yet.

 

[Lorna]

No problem, I have some shell-jacking murderous hermits if anyone wants them.....hahaha....little beggars.....

 

[wayne]

Blue legs are safer, none are perfect. Redlegs are ok, if you get the right species, but you get a lot of omnivorous hitchhikers.

 

[fish outa wata]

wayne's right red legs can be used in reef tanks they are excellent for removal of green hair algae.

 

[ram man]

i have some Nassarius snails in my mantis tank, he doesnt eat them, from what i have seen they eat no algae, i have witnessed them being "predators" though, the mantis gave a good wack to the emerald crab, in about 30 seconds all of the Nassarius snails came bursting out of the sand and finished the crab off, started eating the meat out of his wound.

 

[rohnds]

Red leg are also know for eating cyanobacteria. Many consider them to better algae controller than blue legs.

Rohn

 

[Lorna]

Well if red leg hermits are supposed to eat cyano....it's is news to my red legs as they won't touch it. Nassarius snails are not algae eaters they are detrivores and scavengers, they work by cleaning up any left overs you feed and keeping the sand bed stirred and clean.......

 

[rohnds]

Well if red leg hermits are supposed to eat cyano....it's is news to my red legs as they won't touch it.

Yes they do. Don't take my word for it, read these links.

Red Leg Reef Hermit Crab - Pet Solutions
It is stated on 10th line of the 1st paragraph.

NATURAL ALGAE CONTROL FOR REEF AQUARIUMS
Here again, on the 4th line of the 3rd paragraph.

Cleaning Crew

Hermit Crab

I can list about couple of 1,000 site.

Rohn

 

[Lorna]

okay I must have fussy hermits. I have never seen them touch it let alone eat any of it. In my honest opinion a person could do very well without any hermits at all and just use snails to clean up. They are better at keeping things clean and don't bother anyone else unlike the murderous hermits.......

 

[Joe Fish]

I do have to agree with you, but I like having the diversity. One thing I like about snails is their shells grow with them. I just read that hermits will eat red slime algae if it's their only food source left.

 

[Lorna]

well mine won't touch it, must be better things to eat.