Log016 - Crabby

Do you remember I mentioned a bought 2 blue legged hermit crabs awhile back?
I think these guys do more good than harm. I do say harm, this is a buyer beware post, a great read for beginners. I do wish I had read something like this before buying these guys.

First, what was the reasoning behind getting these crabs? The reason was algae control. I heard generally, most crabs are great at algae control and other small preventive measures. I had a spawn of green algae growing and stuff on the sand building up, and these guys in 2 days cleared majority of it all!

Molted Bodies - Yes, these crabs molt! Is this bad? No, its a great sign of health, but at first sight with no knowledge, it can be worrisome. So, if you have bought some crabs, and are seeing what looks like a weird spider carcass, its not. Relax, and know your crab is most likely hiding the next 48 hours if you can not find them. 

Stab - Got softies or mushrooms? Smaller soft corals and soft corals in general can be subject to being clipped or moved around by blue legged hermits. If they are on a plug, the hermit will be able to move it around. Crabs for the most part are carful stepping around but can be clumsy when after food. If food is on or near your soft corals like ricordea, the crabs may step or poke accidently on these corals. Most of the time the coral will retract as a reaction. 

Yank - Funny things happen... sarcastically said. When I had purchased these two blue legged crab, they looked a bit small compared to some of the others. Unsure if they grow their own shell or move into others, I asked... "will I need other shells," and to my surprise, they answered "no." Well, I guess my instinct was better than that clerks experience, here's what happened. A few months in, I noticed one crab seemingly interested in the other. Then one day, I saw one of the crabs trying to pull the other from his shell. I immediately went and got 2 shells that seems slightly larger, within a day, he was in the new shell. I took out the old shell and was amazed how small the hole for the shell was, the new shell was at least twice the size.