HermitFdgFAQs

FAQs about Hermit Crab Feeding

Related Articles: Hermit Crabs, Crabs, Marine Scavengers, Fresh to Brackish Crabs,

Or being fed on? Forster's or Freckled Hawkfish, Paracirrhites forsteri

Feeding large hermit crab 5/28/14
Hello! Thank you for being such a great knowledge resource! I have a hermit crab question for you. I recently acquired a rather large Dardanus pedunculatus with an almost equally large Calliactis anemone.
<Yikes!>
Yes, I did research before purchasing but am finding that there are some gaps in the information I was able to find. So, I know what to feed the hermit crab and the anemone, and also know that the anemone needs frequent feeding.
<Mmm; not "that" frequent... once, twice a week is fine... less if there's "food about" in the system... messiness from the Hermit...>
What I am having difficulty with is judging how much and how often to feed the crab.
<You can gauge this by close observation of the Anemones... they'll shrink and expand correspondingly>
Overfeeding would definitely be bad but so would underfeeding.
<Not so much the latter; not to worry... can go sans purposeful feeding for months>
The crab/anemone pair are the sole residents of a species tank, and the combined size of the hermit crab plus shell are nearly the size of my fist.
<Double YIKES!>
What size "portions" should be fed, and at what frequency?
<Well... does depend... mainly on water temperature; availability of local-produced food organisms (there can be quite a bit in sand and on/in hard substrates period)... but something the size of the last digit of your pinkie finger once/twice a week is about right>
It's pretty easy to measure food amounts for this guy, as he is more than willing to take food directly from forceps.
<Ah yes>
Thanks in advance for your help,
Joanne
<And you for sharing. Bob Fenner>
Re: Feeding large hermit crab 5/30/14
Thank you so much! I feel much more comfortable now about taking care of this big guy. You're absolutely right, overfeeding is much more dangerous than underfeeding. But in the longer term, chronic underfeeding would be just plain cruel. If we take these creatures out of the ocean, the least we can do is make sure we give them good care, don't you think?
<Oh yes>
As a sort of side question, has anyone done any research into crab intelligence?
<Have seen a few such studies... am sure there are many. BTW, hermits are not decapods (true crabs)... but anomurans>
My hermit crab has learned very quickly that I am not a threat to him and readily takes food from the forceps (I'm afraid to use my bare fingers with this crab!)
<As you should be... Very pinchy!>
But is that a sign of intelligence, or is it just a sign of becoming accustomed to a particular stimulus?
<I don't know how I'd go about differentiating>
For example, the Calliactis anemone is much slower to close up now that it is well acclimated but you can hardly argue that it is intelligent!
<A matter of degree to my thinking... the universe is far less "discrete" than what many humans, particularly westerners, have been conditioned to believe... Such matters are more/less, not yes/no>
Cheers,
Joanne
<And you, BobF>

Queen Conch and Hermit Feeding -- 12/19/11
I'm George
<Hello George, I'm Lynn, how may I help you today?>
'¦and I have a Queen Conch.
<Oh boy, I hope you have a big tank! These snails can get up to about a foot in length and have voracious appetites.>
My concern is that she's not getting a good diet as my tank is too clean.
<Ouch, that's going to be a problem. Queen Conchs do better in nutrient-rich systems of considerable size with large areas of open sand bed, a good supply of organic debris/detritus, as well as algae and/or sea grasses. Unfortunately, most of these beautiful snails starve to death in reef tanks.>
What can I buy her that she will get great nutrition from eating? She's about 3-4 inches.
<I can't say it would be great, or complete nutrition-wise, but you might try offering some dried Nori/seaweed (used for sushi). You should be able to find it in packets at most grocery stores in the Asian section or at your local (pet) fish store. Of note is that it's formed into thin sheets that fall apart pretty easily once wet so your best bet is to rubber band it to a rock and place it near the Conch on the substrate.>
Thanks.
Also the scarlet hermits, what to feed?
<I'd offer meaty bits of marine origin (shrimp, fish, squid, etc.), and/or possibly sinking pellets. They may pick a bit at the Nori as well.>
Thanks!
<You're very welcome, George! Take care, Lynn Z>

Hermit Crabs/Feeding 7/14/10
I have 5 small blue legged hermit crabs. Can I feed them Wardley Algae tablets as food.
<Sure, will eat most anything.>
Thanks
<You're welcome. James (Salty Dog)>

Supplement Diet Marine Hermit Crab 10/10/09
I am in the process of cycling a new 29 gal. (fish/reef) bio-cube with live rock and approximately 10 small hermit crabs. The live rocks had some nice algae patches and the hermits have grazed the algae back to bare rock (it appears). I'm afraid the hermits will run out of algae before the tank has cycled.
<Could well happen.>
Can I supplement their diet, and with what?
<These are classic omnivores, and will eat anything and everything they can get their pincers on. While they're unlikely to starve in a reef tank, strips of Sushi Nori held down with a lettuce clip will provide a good staple that can be left in tank as required. You can supplement this by offering very small quantities of calcium-rich foods such as krill or unfilleted fish (e.g., small bits of lancefish). They shouldn't need this kind of supplementary feeding more than once or twice a week. For the most part, they'll find enough small particles left over from whatever your fish eat.>
Thank you.
<Cheers, Neale.>

Hermits From The Gulf - 06/07/2008 Hi, <Hi, Nick. Sabrina with you today.> I have been reading your site now for an hour or so but still have a few questions about my specific situation. Any help would be greatly appreciated. <Okidoki.> I caught 5 quarter-sized hermit crabs off the gulf coast of FL on vacation 4 days ago; they were collected in knee-deep ocean water. Here is a very similar picture: http://njscuba.net/zzz_uw/srb_hermit_crab_1.jpg . <Similar is often not the same, so I would be wary of trying to make an ID off of a photo of a similar animal.> I have been keeping them in a plastic container with lava rocks and a few extra shells, but now need to set up something more permanent (no chance of returning, we're now in TN). <Just a quick note here to others that may read and benefit from this.... I do strongly recommend against collecting critters unless/until you already have a system set up to keep the animals thriving.> I changed their water daily while we were there (used nearby brackish water)- whenever I did this they went crazy moving around and filtering, <"And filtering" you say - what do you mean by this? Do these animals have filter feeding appendages? I'm not sure I follow....> and got along great. However, fresh brackish water <Were these buggers in brackish water or salt/ocean water?> is not quite in abundance in TN. <Heh! No, I'd guess not!> Here are my questions: <Okay!> 1) I have tried to feed them very small pieces of turkey, <Skip the turkey, oh please.> fish flakes, and small pieces of fruit, but they don't seem to go for any of it. What common food would be a greater success, <Human consumption fish, shrimp, crab, shellfish.... Freeze first or buy frozen, to prevent introduction of pathogens. Seaweeds - sushi Nori from an Asian market would be great. Any of these foods, if eaten, will be fine. I am concerned, though, about your comment of "filtering". If these animals are filter feeders, you are up for real troubles.> or is it mandatory to buy commercial food? <Nah. Unless these are really filter feeding animals. If so, you might consider DT's Phytoplankton, or some of the products from Reef Nutrition.> 2) I have a 10 gal. tank, instant ocean, chlorine remover, thermometer, and a filtering system. I realize I will need a hydrometer. <Yes, and urgently. Or a refractometer.> Is there anything else I *absolutely* have to have? (trying to keep cost a minimum here) <A manner of providing calcium, iodine....> 3) How deep should I fill a ten gallon tank with water for the 5 crabs? <If they don't appear to spend much time out of the water, then "completely" is your answer. The more water the better. A ten gallon tank is extremely difficult to keep stable.> 4) What filler should be used (sand, gravel, etc.) and how much? <Calcium carbonate substrate of some sort.... Aragonite sand would be my choice, but crushed coral would do if the former cannot be found.> Should any land be provided? (Crabs have been submersed nearly entire time I've had them) <If they don't appear to spend time out of the water, then a land area is probably unnecessary.> 5) Best way to introduce crabs to new water?, <Slowly, with a drip acclimation perhaps, over a few hours at least.> and 6) Anything essential I'm leaving out here? <Just more research.... This is an entirely "doable" project, but do please keep reading, researching.... I expect you'll even really find this enjoyable! My best regards to your crabby pals, -Sabrina C. Fullhart>

Hermits From The Gulf - II - 06/07/2008 6/9/08 Thank you very much for your help! It's great to have a post where questions are actually answered and answered well at that. <Thank you very much for your kind words.> As for your questions, I collected the crabs in the ocean and refilled the water from a small mudflat nearby connected to the ocean (evidently they're not too choosy about brackish/seawater). <Did you find any of the same crabs living in the water at the mudflat? Happen to know the salinity of it? Many invertebrates actually *are* quite fussy about salinity and other factors of the water; do please be cautious here.> Whenever I introduced new water, the crabs would immediately start roving all over the place, <Keep in mind that increased activity level can indicate very different things - it could be that they are loving the new, clean water with nice little bits of stuff in it, but it could also be that they're really stressing from the sudden change in water parameters.... trying to find a way out, basically.> moving extremely small pincer-like appendages to their mouths back and forth repeatedly. It seemed to me like they were "filtering" little particles out of the water, but I may be wrong. <Maybe.... tough to say.> I have now tried feeding them small shrimp pellets but haven't seen them make a move on those either (unless they're just sneakily eating little pieces while I'm not watching,) They have in fact been unusually inactive these last couple days without water change. <Not a good sign. If they're in a small space with no new water, they could be on their way to being doomed - please get some new water mixed up and ready as soon as possible.> They most resemble the Clibanarius vittatus on your site, but my crabs are completely white and are smooth-shelled. <Maybe the same, similar, or completely different species, then. Any chance at a photo of them?> Upon closer inspection I noticed two small "things" within the mouth on either side are continuously moving up and down rapidly even when the crabs are out of water (not the small pincer-like appendages I referred to earlier). <These sound like the antennules (err, at least, I think that's what they're called.... I fear I'm a touch rusty on crabby anatomy) that they use to smell and taste.> Hope my new essay provides some insight :) <Mostly, your key task is going to be to provide them as close to an accurate environment as possible. If you can get an image of them, or if you do seriously feel that they are filter feeders, you might try taking frozen foods like Ocean Nutrition's "Formula One" and "Formula Two" foods and squish them up in the water as best as possible to see if maybe that will help them to eat. I'm most concerned about their water quality and the fact that they've been inactive - please do get them into as suitable a space as you can. Please keep reading - a beginning saltwater book such as "The New Marine Aquarium" by Michael Paletta might be a worthwhile read for you. There's *tons* of information on this site, as well, and you might also take a peek at our forums - http://bb.wetwebmedia.com . There are many helpful folks there who can help steer you right as well. Keep at it - your crabs will thank you for your research, and I do seriously think you'll get a great deal of fun out of this! Best of luck, -Sabrina C. Fullhart>

Thinstripe Hermit Crab (Eating Everything!) - 05/09/08 Hi there, <<Hello>> Firstly I must say I use your site regularly (it's great) and usually find an answer to any questions I have, however, on this occasion I have come unstuck! <<Oh?>> I currently have a Red Sea Max 34g tank with full reef setup. At the beginning I was duped into believing that a Thinstripe hermit crab would be a suitable reef tank-mate. <<Hmm…I honestly don't consider "any" hermit crab to be reef-safe…and many species can be downright destructive>> The conditions in the tank a perfect and as a result the hermit has grown very well, a little too well and is getting quite big, at least a couple of inches. <<This is a problem, in my opinion>> He is very boisterous, knocking over corals and others things plus he likes to rearrange the tank now and then. <<Another negative aspect…aside from their opportunistic feeding habits>> This behavior clearly upsets my corals especially the Goniopora, Pulsing Xenia and polyps. Lately he has been getting onto the Sarcophyton sp (about 5-6inches wide) and eating its' tentacle thingies (not sure of the technical term!) <<Polyps>> At which point it closes up and recently started eating the tubes of the fan worms, nipping at the finger sponge and I saw an end of the pulsing xenia floating about as well (maybe he had a go at that?). <<Best to remove this very predaceous hermit>> You don't think it is a food source problem, he is just very opportunistic! <<Indeed>> Clearly I need to remove him from the tank and I am sure the LFS will put him in one of their big display tanks, however this guy (his name is Rocky!) is so cool, he is so much fun to watch so would be reluctant to get rid of him. <<Interesting creatures for sure>> My question is this, is it possible to put him in a separate smaller tank on his own without the need to have all the equipment? (Skimmer, powerheads, lighting etc) I known the Thinstripe hermit is very hardy and can go for long periods out of water so could I get away with a small amount of live rock, standard tropical lighting, standard heater, a simple filter and regular water changes (maybe a small powerhead but I don't think this is necessary)? <<This could work, yes…be careful not to over feed, and make sure you monitor Nitrates and keep them down with the regular water changes…and do also supply some water movement via the powerhead>> Any help much appreciated. Colin, London <<Happy to assist. EricR, South Carolina>>

Phimochirus holthuisi...Care and Feeding - 08/28/06 Please, I need your help! <<I'll do what I can>> I have a red striped hermit crab. I have been trying to find information on its feeding and habitat needs but can't find any info on that species in particular. <<Habitat and feeding will be similar to other marine hermits (blue-leg, red-leg, etc.)>> So, I guess my questions are: is it a full-marine animal, <<Yes>> or does it need both water and dry land? <<No>> If it needs some land, does it also need some fresh water? <<No>> And what does it eat? <<Anything that crosses its path (an opportunistic omnivore). If it is in a system with fish/live rock it will get by on the excess fish food/emergent life on the rock. If it is in a system on its own, a couple "shrimp pellets" or a small pinch of marine fish flakes each day will likely suffice>> I've been giving him hermit crab food from the pet store, but it doesn't look like he's eating any of it. <<Please do some research re keeping marine hermit crabs. Please start reading here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/arthropoda/crabs/hermitcrabs.htm >> If you could help, that would be greatly appreciated!!! Jon <<Regards, EricR>>

Halloween Hermit Crab (Ciliopagurus strigatus) care - 08/26/06 Hi know from reading on your site you don't like crabs in a reef tank but I do have a few. (Crabs & questions) I think my Halloween Hermit Crab is dead I cant tell if he is still in his shell. In the past he has molted and I could swear he was dead but than in an hour he would me moving and by the next day back to his old habits. But this time it's been about four hours. All parameters seem OK PH 8.2 Ammonia 0 Nitrate 10 Nitrite 0 temp 78-82 1.024. The only thing I think of is that I replaced some evaporated water and the salinity went from 1.025 to 1.024 could this be enough of a change ? <Mmm, yes, to effect this behavior, possibly kill Hermits> I have 2 Petrolisthes sp I feed them DT phytoplankton every other day 1 emerald & 6 scarlet red crabs. At night I drop 2 pieces of sinking food tablets in the tank. Is this sufficient food for the crabs there's algae growth green & brown & coral line. Thanks <They will "let you know" if insufficient food is offered... by feeding on each other and the other life in the system. Bob Fenner>

About my hermit crabs... and no-no's re nanos... maint. 5/28/06 Hi, guys, I have spent all evening reading your very interesting site. It has already answered many of my questions about hermit crabs. But I would like, if possible, to have a straight answer to the following questions: <Okay> How many hermit crabs do I need for a 24 Nano tank with about 15 pounds of live rock? <Need? None, zero, zip> I have about 13 hermit crabs, 3 snails, and a emerald crab. <Watch this last... can become an "eater upper"...> At the beginning they did an excellent job and cleaned all of my rocks in about a week. My rocks looked superb with beautiful violet and green colorations. But they seem not to be cleaning them as much. Many times I do not even see them. They spend many hours hidden in the rocks! Therefore, the rocks are being covered with red and brown hairy algae which seems impossible to get rid of despite my weekly changes of water, an installation of another power head and reduction of the hours of light from 12 to 9 hours per day. Why are they so shy and disinterested in cleaning the rocks? <Mmm, very likely there has been a "natural" shift in the make-up/preponderance of the algae types/species/groups here... from the more tasty "red and greens" to the less-palatable browns and BGA... and also probable, a shift in food/feeding preference to excess food from scavenging.> Besides the cleaning crew I have two blue Chromis and a rose bulb anemone with its beautiful clown fish. Jeanette <... dangerously crowded... Do be "religious" re water quality testing, water changes... Bob Fenner>

Coralline Algae and Hermits a-chomping 5/2/06 Hi Crew and thanks for helping all of us! <Hello back at you! Jodie here once again on this fine and stormy evening.> We have a 30 gallon tank with 30 pounds of live sand and about 40 pounds of live rock. We have 4 very small fish and around 30 hermit crabs. <What kind?> In spite of all of our efforts, we can't get the rocks to "purple" with coralline algae. A year and a half ago, we added a 120 watt lamp. The rocks look darker now, but not purple. My wife has noticed at the local fish shop that the tanks that have nice purple rocks have no hermit crabs. She's convinced our crabs are eating the coralline algae. <She could be right...> I insist otherwise. <...but so could you.> Which one of us is correct so we can settle our wager? <Hermit crabs, especially red-legged ones, could be eating the coralline if they are lacking in food. I would check your parameters first though, before blaming them. Low magnesium levels can hinder coralline growth, as can nuisance algae, poor water circulation, urchins, etc.) Thanks for all of your great advise! <Sorry I couldn't definitively settle your bet. Too many variables for me to make a solid judgment. Cheerio, Jodie> Charlie

Snails and hermits - feeding - 04/14/2006 Hello WetWebMedia expert, <Hello! You've got John here this morning.> I first want to say of all the sites I have visited these past 6 months, this is one of my favorite. Very informative and lively exchanges. <Thanks! It's my favourite site too!> My question is a general one about snails and hermits. I am just about done cycling a 125 gallon reef tank (my first) with 110 lbs. of live rock. So far, so good. My water parameters are good and I have oodles of copepods. <Good> Two days ago, I purchased my first live stock- 5 turbo snails, 5 Astraea snails, and 10 (total) blue leg and scarlet hermits. The live rock had a fair amount of algae and other matter, living and dead, on it. I was amazed how quickly these guys devoured the plant material. After only two days, about half of everything has been consumed. My concern is that it appears someone (turbo snails?) is also eating my purple coralline algae. <Not likely, unless you have something like an urchin in there.> Help! Am I imagining this or do one or more of these critters eat coralline algae? Thanks. <Most likely, the coralline is seeing off naturally. It will tend to go through death/renewal cycles like this whenever it suffers a major change. It's normal to expect that some species of coralline would die off during the first few months of a reef tank. Hopefully, it'll come back in time.> Steve <Best regards, John.>

Dardanus megistos question 7/23/04 I have a large crab (carries a 6 inch shell) that is starting to worry me. He is in a 20L tank all by himself. Normally he becomes sluggish and stops eating for a week before he molts and then returns to his normal activities and eating patterns after his molt. It has been a little over 2 weeks now since he last ate. He is sluggish and I keep waiting for him to molt.........how long can a molting process/no eating take? Is there anything I can do to help him? There is live rock in his tank and the water parameters are all good.......Thanks for your help........ Janey <Janey, I suspect one of two things... Such a large crab requires a lot of food. Either it isn't getting enough, it is getting enough but (especially considering the relatively small tank) water quality is poor. I would recommend at least 20% water changes monthly as a minimum and be sure that your crab is getting enough food with plenty of variety. Best Regards! Adam>

My hermit crab has lost both of its claws! Can it still eat? I have two hermit crabs, and one of the molted. Afterwards it seemed smaller. It had always inhabited the bigger of the two inhabited shells (there are other shells in the tank as well). The other crab looks very robust and is really popping out of its shell. Anyway, I noticed today a claw lying around on the sand, and when I picked up the one that had molted it was missing both claws! <this occurs often from inadequate humidity (have you been misting them with a spray bottle daily? They need this to molt and to breather (!)... humid air to take up oxygen better... like the beach <G>) or from inadequate diet (are they eating a formulated pellet, or improvised diet instead?)> I feel terrible! Can it still eat? <the large claws are not primary for feeding (smaller claws set in next are). No worries.. it can still eat.> Is there anything I can do for it? I am taking it out of the tank and putting it somewhere else because I think the larger one must have been fighting it for the shell. please answer ASAP if there is anything I can do. Thanks. Janet <new claws will grow soon of course. We have some great information in the archives if you care to read it at wetwebmedia.com. Best of luck, Anthony>

Red Legged Hermit crabs MR. FENNER IS THERE ANY TRUTH TO THE ALLEGATIONS T. MILLER HAS MADE THAT RED-LEGGED HERMIT CRABS ACTUALLY EAT CORALLINE ALGAE. (Yes... they can, do... perhaps not as a first or desired food item...) I HAVE A REEF TANK THAT I STARTED IN OCTOBER, THAT'S NOT GROWING THIS ALGAE EVEN THOUGH MY WATER PARAMETERS ARE AS FOLLOWS. CALCIUM - 400+ KH - 12 PHOSPHATE - .4 NITRITE - 0 NITRATE - 0 I HAVE APPROX 60 HERMITS AND 25 SNAILS IN THIS TANK (75 GALLONS) MANY OF THE HERMITS ARE THE RED- LEGGED VARIETY. I HAVE CORALLINE ALGAE ON THE LIVE ROCK THAT I PURCHASED AND I HAVE GARF GRUNGE IN THE TANK ALSO. I'M USING 4 PC LIGHTS (96W) 2BLUE AND TWO DAYLIGHT, AND I WAS LEAVING THEM ON 10 HRS A DAY. I JUST CUT THEM DOWN TO 6 HOURS BECAUSE I'M BEGINNING TO SEE GREEN ALGAE. MAYBE YOU CAN SHED SOME LIGHT ON MY INABILITY TO GROW CORALLINE ALGAE. (Could be a few other major possibilities here... a dearth of magnesium... is likely... other algae competing, producing toxins that curtail coralline growth...) THE ROCKS ARE GETTING A GREEN AND GRAYISH COLOR - SIMILAR TO WHAT'S DESCRIBED IN T MILLER'S ARTICLE THAT BLAMES THE RED-LEGGED HERMITS. I SPOKE TO LEROY AT GARF AND HE TELLS ME THERE'S NO VALIDITY TO THIS CLAIM. I'D REALLY LIKE YOUR OPINION AND HELP. (As stated, have seen this behavior, heard of it from other folks who can be believed. Please see the coralline algae, hermit crab sections on our website: www.WetWebMedia.com for more here) THANKS JOE SLAVIK (No need to shout... type in all capitals... Bob Fenner)

Rock hermits Hi Bob, I have kept a Dardanus deformis rock hermit (complete with his anemones) for several months now. I love this guy, of course he is in a FOWLR system. He has shed twice, and both he and his anemones have grown substantially. He is currently in about a 2" shell. I have seen him sit his anemones down on food pellets ( coincidence or what ??). <Not coincidence... purposeful feeding of mutualistic symbionts> He is so much fun, but I can't find anyone else who has or has had one. Here's a pic, but he's bigger now. http://www.members.home.net/d.hadford/rockcrab.html Deb Hadford <Very nice... do see this species in the trade occasionally... easily collected at night. Bob Fenner>

Hermit crab anemones Hello, how is everyone tonight, well I hope. <thank you, with the same wishes in kind to you. Anthony Calfo in your service> I will be doing so so so much better if you can help me with some info. <I'll tell you what I know and make up the rest to sound very convincing <smile>> I have a fairly large hermit crab in my 30gal. long aquarium with an anemone on it's shell. From Dr's Foster and Smith's website, I figured out that it's a Calliactis polypus. <Ughhh... fascinating but tenuous life for the anemone in captivity. I rather wish these animals were not made available for random impulse purchases. This is definitely one for the "I should have looked before I leaped" file. Please do research all animals, especially the unfamiliar before you acquire them, my friend>> But that's all the info I can find on it anywhere on the web. I was wondering if you could tell me what it's lighting requirements are. <actually a heavily feeding dependant Cnidarian (organismal as absorption)> It seems to be doing well so far, I've had it a few weeks, and it's still fully extended all the time. <which means little or nothing to tell the truth. Most all anemones can hang in there for several months starving to death while they execute normal polyp/tentacle cycles> When I feed it, twice a week, it grabs the piece of food out of my fingers and immediately curls around it to swallow it. <very good to hear it! Please do continue to deed a wide variety of meaty foods (4 or more of marine origin) with the hope of keeping this animal for more than a year... hopefully years!> It also picks up little bits of "stuff" off the substrate as the crab moves around the tank, <indeed... lighting is secondary to their feeding strategy for deriving sustenance> and every time the crab changes shells, it takes the anemone along. MY biggest worry though, is that it's not getting enough light because usually during the day, the crab goes under a ledge and digs into the substrate leaving only the anemone on top of his shell exposed. <natural again for this heavily food dependant. Still, quality full spectrum reef lighting is attractive if not necessary for other live rock and invertebrates you might have. Bulbs favoring the 6500 to 10,000 K rating would be ideal. Several bulbs are most likely necessary> As I said, I can't find any info anywhere on this little guy. Any information you could give me would be sooo greatly appreciated!!!! <explore the links to FAQ's from this site... perhaps info inside. Photos of a couple of hermits with their guests on this page too...http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/arthropoda/crabs/hermitcrabs.htm> Thank you, Kristen:) <best regards, Anthony>
Re: Hermit Crab Anemone Hello again, <Hello! Steven pro with the follow-up.> I wrote before about the hermit crab anemone. I do take full responsibility for not finding out about it's care before I bought it, but as I said, I could find no info on it anywhere on the web other than what it was. <If no info was available, it would have been better to not purchase.> This little guy seems to fall under the same category as the mandarin fish and the sea horse, the pet stores are more concerned with selling them than keeping them alive. <Yes, unfortunately true. Mostly profit/market driven. If no one purchased them, no store would stock them. A vicious circle.> I wish I could have found some info on this thing, I figured it's like a curlicue-- low light and lots of feeding. I don't want to return it to the petstore and have someone else buy it and starve it to death. I'll just try to keep it alive as long as I can. <Agreed. Try your best and document your attempts and hopeful success.> Should I be feeding it more than twice a week? <Maybe every other day.> What I feed is : thawed of course, <An important note, please defrost with tank water, not hot tapwater.> Ocean Nutrition Very High Protein Formula, Sally's marine cuisine, tetra freeze dried shrimp, and very small crumbs of frozen krill and little bits of silversides. <All sounds good.> I also have about fifteen pounds of live rock and the glass, gravel, and rocks are crawling with those little Copepod things. How am I doing? <Sounds pretty good.> What else if anything should I be feeding? Thanks, again, Kristen:) <You are welcome. -Steven Pro>

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