Hermit Crabs From Beach

[garybuk]

Just wondering are the hermit crabs that i find on the beach ok to go in my marine tank?

 

[tangokitty]

I doubt that they are legal to collect.

 

[Lynden]

While I don't claim to be knowledgeable regarding UK fauna, I'd imagine that hermit crabs collected from the beach there would be large and carnivorous, is fauna along my own country's coast is an example. Also, they will probably be unable to withstand tropical temperatures indefinitely.

 

[Crazy fishes]

While I don't claim to be knowledgeable regarding UK fauna, I'd imagine that hermit crabs collected from the beach there would be large and carnivorous, is fauna along my own country's coast is an example. Also, they will probably be unable to withstand tropical temperatures indefinitely.

Does that include 'sea weed'? As I was wondering if a good old handful of sea weed (a type of macro algae) could be used in a sump or possibly in a display tank with seahorses (Hippocampus Spp) or some kelp forest inhabitants. Incidently I am on the southern UK coast and on a recent diving exerience I found the water to be a warm and cosy 12 C. (Warm and cosy because the highest temperature the channel ever gets to is ~15 C and in the winter it falls to 6-8 C). It chilled my lips quite a bit though, but the sight, although not as spectacular as a tropical coral reef, was very beautiful with a different type of reef inhabited largely by sea weed and crabs...... aggressive crabs. I think the temperature may be too different for mixing wiht corals but a biotope maybe??

Anyway Regards

 

[SkiFletch]

While I too don't claim to be an expert on UK species, I agree with Lynden that likely anything collected from the cold waters up there would not survive in our tropical tank temperatures, even sea weed. There's a reason you don't see those critters in the tropics

 

[sandfire]

I also live on the south coast and have tried keeping the larger seaweed and bladderwort in my tropical tanks.

It's not suitable long term. The Bladderwort stayed alive for a few weeks but lack of light made it grow slow and distorted and pieces break off and rot, you also need a very large clean up crew when they first go in as most have a white slim on them which I suspect is a bacteria that goes a little crazy when it hits the warmer water - it does not seem to cause any harm but I have a large clean up crew that loves eating it and gets rid of it quite quick.

I used to snorkel off Portland from May to November almost every day and even thought about setting up a cold water native marine tank...stunning snorkelling if you can stand the ice cream headaches in the early months!

The red fine branching algae (the stuff that wraps round your legs when getting out the water on the shoreline) Sea Hares LOVE it, go crazy for it…but then so do the hermits. Never last more than a few hours in the tank without be totally eaten! But it does go bright Florescent red/orange under actinic's.

I would not recommend putting in the tank unless it’s a food source.

The crabs/snails I find under the rocks have been great for feeding my Puffer