Will a large hermit crab take up stocking room for potential fish?

[Parsely]

I am setting up my first tank and am a couple months in. It’s a 13.5 gallon Fluval evo.

I currently have 2 clown fish in there, and a CUC of 4 hermit crabs, 1 Nassarius snail and 3 trochus snails. I have added the CUC in parts and yesterday was at a lfs to get the trochus snails and impulsively got an extra hermit crab.

After adding the hermit crab to my tank he is wayyy bigger than I realized when I got him at the lfs(in their display he didn’t seem too big but in mine he is huge!).

I was planning on eventually getting a tailspot blenny or a yellow watchman goby eventually. I know my tank is smaller and my stocking options are really limited, my worry is that a crab this big will make me unable to get another fish in there. Any opinions on this?


Attaching a picture: the big crab is on the right and the small one is one the far left. It’s a couple of empty shells in the middle

 

[Timfish]

I wouldn't consider your hermits a reason not to get one of the fish you're thinking of. Consistant maintenance, including water changes, are a more important consideration.

 

[Parsely]

I wouldn't consider your hermits a reason not to get one of the fish you're thinking of. Consistant maintenance, including water changes, are a more important consideration.

Ok good to know thank you. I was worried this one being so big it was as if another fish was in there

 

[TheReefDiary]

Ok good to know thank you. I was worried this one being so big it was as if another fish was in there

I would just be careful of hermits in such a small tank. I have the same setup and run a snail only CUC. I found I didn't have enough algae for hermits and they're opportunistic eaters so they'll eat snails and corals if they don't have enough other stuff to scavenge for.

 

[TheReefDiary]

Ok good to know thank you. I was worried this one being so big it was as if another fish was in there

But I have 4 fish in my evo, wouldn't do more than that. I'd also make sure all the fish get along because it's a tight space if they don't. It's a high biolad for a small tank so I do weekly water changes and I run a chaeto reactor.

 

[Parsely]

I would just be careful of hermits in such a small tank. I have the same setup and run a snail only CUC. I found I didn't have enough algae for hermits and they're opportunistic eaters so they'll eat snails and corals if they don't have enough other stuff to scavenge for.

Ugh ok, good to know thank you. Definitely won’t be adding any more then. Maybe I’ll see if the fish store will take the hermits back if they start going after the snails

 

[Parsely]

But I have 4 fish in my evo, wouldn't do more than that. I'd also make sure all the fish get along because it's a tight space if they don't. It's a high biolad for a small tank so I do weekly water changes and I run a chaeto reactor.

What 4 fish do you have in yours?

 

[TheReefDiary]

What 4 fish do you have in yours?

2 clown, yellow watchman goby and a firefish.

 

[TheReefDiary]

2 clown, yellow watchman goby and a firefish.

Once they're full size though I think I'm just going to leave the ywg and firefish. The clownfish will move to a larger system.

 

[Parsely]

deleted

 

[Parsely]

2 clown, yellow watchman goby and a firefish.

Nice! What kind of pistol do you have with your ywg? I am thinking of getting one as well

 

[TheReefDiary]

Nice! What kind of pistol do you have with your ywg? I am thinking of getting one as well

I don't have any shrimp besides sexy shrimp in my system. Don't really feel it's large enough for one currently. When I add a larger system I'll think about adding a shrimp.