Red Or Blue ?

[robbhp]

so what is the deal with these little guys, i hve head a few times now that i should stay clear of the blueleged hemit's , is this because they out compeat the red legs for food and the bigger shells . many thanks lads. only asking as it will soon time to start adding my clean up , and i would like to know which ones are the best

many thanks Rob

 

[smithrc]

our blue legged is the underdog to 2 reds...

However, he is always the one to kill the snails though...
Then use the shell for a couple of hours before using one that I've given them!

 

[Mr.September15]

How can you guys see agression?? I have zebras, dont really check out there legs but all I see are patterened legs

 

[SkiFletch]

Well, what are commonly sold as "blueleg" hermits are usually common hermits or zebra hermits. True blue leg hermit crabs are not very aggressive but you'll rarely if ever find them sold under that moniker in a store. What you get when you buy "blueleg" hermits are very aggressive zebras or common hermits that attack each other and snails. They will literally rip another snail/hermit out of its shell, eat it, and steal the shell. And if they find that the new shell is too small, they'll just take their fat stomach back into the old shell... Red legged hermits on the other hand are nowhere near as aggressive.

I had the biggest of my redlegs killed by one of my zebras for his shell. Watched it happen in an area in the corner of the tank I couldnt reach. The zebra dragged it out of its shell, ate its soft body, hopped in the new shell, found it to be too big, and went back to his old home . Aggressive little prics

 

[robbhp]

many thanks then lads think it will be a red only tank then

one more thing how can you tell if they are a true blue leg

many thanks Rob

 

[SkiFletch]

non-aggressive bluelegs tend to be sold under the moniker "Electric Blue"

 

[Lynden]

Beware that "Electric" Hermit Crabs can grow very large and need huge shells; I found several in Hawaii that were inhabiting full-sized Cowrie shells.

Damn them, they were nice shells!

-Lynden

P.S.
I have a suspicion that Electric Blue Hermits will get a lot more aggressive as they grow - while most of the Cowrie shells that they were inhabiting were old and overgrown with coralline algae, at least one or two of them were shiny, right-off-the-snail shells... now I wonder how they got those....

 

[SkiFletch]

Agreed, I've only got one of them

 

[robbhp]

cool mate will look out for some of then guys

many thanks Rob

 

[l337dave]

cool mate will look out for some of then guys

many thanks Rob

what about those mexican reds that everyone seems to be talking about at the mo?


dave.