Thoughts on hermit crabs?

[Bugenar]

hermits just hunt my snails, and eat waste. I have plenty of things that eat waste in my tank but don't eat snails. I even have things that eat waste, stir the bed, and are still hunted by hermits.

can someone tell me why hermits are so popular, or their purpose in your tank? thinking about getting rid of them all. (to lfs of course)

 

[TX_REEF]

I like small hermits because they're better at eating longer hair algae growth than snails. Once they get larger (bigger than a dime or so), they become a liability. I have even seen larger hermits eat coral, including LPS skeletons once they've polished off the flesh.

 

[vittpsu21]

I have about 10 blue legs in my 200, I just accept that there will be casualties sometimes, most of the time the idiots kill each other tbh

 

[Mark Goode]

I was watching my blue-leg hermits munching on hair algae a couple of nights ago, and decided to get more. If they eat snails, I've probably got enough, so that isn't a problem.

 

[Gumbies R Us]

I had blue legs in my tank, they wre half way decent at taking care of my GHA woes

 

[helmsreef]

Hermits don't last more than a day or two with my wrasses. The only one I have is a Blue Knuckle that is probably about 2" in size and cruises around in a large turbo snail. Had him a few years and is too big to be eaten by my wrasses. Also leaves my snails alone unless he needs a bigger shell.