Clam and hermits ok?

[D. Torres]

Sorry if this has been posted already but I really need to know. My main question is are blue leg crabs safe to have around Maxima clams? ;Nailbiting Got a great deal on a couple maxima clams on a recent visit to California (1/3 of the price asked for in Las Vegas) I should have done my research ;Facepalm but as soon as I acclimated and placed my clams in the water one of my hermit crabs approached it and started poking its legs into the clam but it shut right away. Scared the crab off for now. I only have 10 blue leg crabs and 1 Halloween crab in there. I also have 2 cleaner shrimp. If I need to get rid of the crabs I'll round them up and give them back to my LFS or anyone that will take them. But I really need an answer ASAP because I'm going to have to work today (12hr shift) and I'm afraid I'll come home to a pair of expensive meals that my crabs had. Please help. Thank you in advance.

 

[TheEngineer]

I’ve had clams and hermits together in the past without any issues. Hermits are generally Reef safe.

 

[Maritimer]

Hermits will be curious about anything "new", and examine it for possible nutrition or (if it's a snail shell) usefulness as a new home. That'll pass quickly, and in almost every case they'll get along just fine.

My scarlet, Philipine, blue-leg and Hallow'een hermits sometimes snack on algae growing on my clam's shell - but never bother the clam itself much at all.

~Bruce

 

[D. Torres]

@TheEngineer @Maritimer Thank you for the quick replies. Will help keep my mind at ease while I'm at work.

 

[FishGeist]

My observation is scarlet hermits have a memory when eating things that they like just like we do. For example, my scarlet's ate a dead Derasa clam to the shell 3 months ago. Today, I added a healthy Maxima which they tried to eat and pick at within 30 minutes of adding the new clam. End result would be either a stressed out clam or possibly an expensive snack for the hermits. Needless to say, all the hermits went into the Refugium until I can get a safer cleanup crew.

I would say use caution with scarlet's and clams, they are opportunists and scavengers.