Why a Reef Tank Needs Long Legged Salt Water Hermit Crabs
Deemed as Reef Safe
Experienced reef keepers will tell you that most species of the long legged hermies are deemed as reef safe. It is best to buy the smaller varieties because they are less lightly to destroy the coral, eat other fish or upset the finely balanced structure of your tank. Instead they will sit comfortably with other species and varieties of marine life in perfect harmony.
Sand sifters
Certain types of these particular hermies are known as sand sifters. This means that they will scour the bottom of the tank where the substrate sits and pick out detritus, other fallen debris and any uneaten food that fall to the bottom of the tank. They are even known to eat faecal matter. This means that they kind of act as a biological sand filter system.
Vacuum cleaners
These particular hermies are very good vacuum cleaners. This means that they swim through the water hoovering up unwanted particles thus keeping it clean and free from any crud such as red slime algae that might develop over a period of time
Food finders
As the title suggests, these hermies are natural scavengers. This means that they will scour your reef tank for food particles and will find their own source of food. So you do not have to feed them very often. Just be aware that if the algae within your reef tank dries up, you will need to make sure that you supplement their diet by giving your pet hermies a little dried seaweed, as this contains all the nutrients they need to be fit and healthy.
As you can see here are some of the reasons why long legged salt water hermit crabs are an excellent addition to your reef tank. They are masters at keeping your tank or aquarium at the right natural balance that will in turn support all the other marine life living within it. They also provide a fun element to your aquatic paradise as they constantly change their shells. Finally their lifespan can be quite lengthy, so you will not have to keep replacing them every few years. So if you are about to set up your reef tank for the first time then the aquatic hermies should be the first on your list every single time.
Questions and Answers
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long legged saltwater hermit crabs
Choose Long Legged Saltwater Hermit Crabs For A Reef Tank
Fishermen of the Mid-Atlantic from New England to North Carolina often fish around structure, including shipwrecks, rocks, rubble, bridge pilings and artificial reefs.
29 gallon container, lots of fish, is this ok? I have a 29 gallon tank with 1 silver angle fish, 1 serpae tetra, 1 golden tetra, 1 masculine guppy, 3 zebra danios, 4 neon tetras, and 1 rubber mouth pleco. is this okay, the angle fish started eating the neons so now there is none vanished....
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Now you may not know this but wentletrap and hermit crab association comes about due to the fact that hermie babies are born without shells and as soon as they are big enough they set about seeking a discarded shell to move into and call home. Wentletrap snail shells are perfect for the job since they are small, no larger than 2 inches at best, and can easily accommodate a tiny hermie baby.
Hermit crabs are amazing little creatures and the more you get to know them the cuter they become. Whilst many potential pet owners have an ultimate goal to breed their pets, in the case of pet hermies, this is really best avoided. You see, hermit crab babies stand a better chance of being successfully bred and reared in the wild. In order to even attempt to breed from a pair of hermies, you need to have a great deal of time and patience and be prepared to fail, time after time.
Years ago hermit crabs were considered cheap disposable pets but increased research into these endearing little creatures has meant that their wants and needs are more widely known, and it is not uncommon for a caring pet owner to achieve a hermit crab life expectancy of six to eight years, sometimes longer.
Hermit crab behavior can vary signifcantly from one individual to another. If you own several, I am sure you will have recognised that fact that each individual has its own personality and traits to go with it. A good indication of whether you are buying a suitable hermie for a pet is to observe the hermie's personality and habits when it is inside its shell.
You little hermie crabs come in a variety of beautiful and vibrant colors, particularly the marine species, which vary in color from bright yellow, blue to scarlet and are chosen for reef tanks largely for their appearance as well as for their foraging habits. However, it is only natural that hermit crab shells turning white would set off alarm bells in most owners' heads, although fortunately much of the time this is not too serious and can be dealt with quite easily.
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