Tropical Fish Forums

Barby Girl · Regulars Joined: 05 Apr 2006 Location: Ohio

Question 1: Live rock
If a chain pet store is selling "Cultured Live Rock" is this the same thing as cured? I asked the teeny bopper working the fish section and she didn't know.

Question 2: Hermit crabs
I read hermit crabs are good for cleaning your sand. Do they need lots of extra shells to choose from like land hermit crabs do or do they stay put in their "homes" for longer periods of time? My little brother had land hermit crabs for a long time and they were changing shells back and forth like every few days.

Thanks!
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Barby Girl

Pete Harcoff · Advisors Joined: 18 Jun 2005 Location: Canada

To answer your first question, "cultured" live rock refers to rock that is not taken from the wild. IIRC, it's rock that is inserted into a seabed so that various organics (bacteria, algae, etc) become embedded in it. In a sense, I guess you could say that it is manufactured live rock. This is apposed to wild live rock, which would be live rock harvested from a reef.

As for your second quesiton, I have no idea. I just added some hermits to my own tank, so gimmie a week or two, and I should have an answer.

number6 · Moderators Joined: 07 Feb 2003 Location: Ontario, Canada

they need to upgrade shells as they grow... if they cannot find an unoccupied shell that fits their next growth spurt and one they like, they will take an occupied one from a weaker crab...

I have had nothing but trouble keeping one crab satisfied with his shells as he grows... lately, he has rejected the larger shells I offered, and the result was the death of another hermit just so he could test drive the other shell... he then went back to his black one...

so... offer lots of different sizes, and lots of different styles of shell to avoid deaths... or just buy one crab!
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"Just don't look in my fish room honey... it's just better for all of us. "

Barby Girl · Regulars Joined: 05 Apr 2006 Location: Ohio

Thanks... I remember with the land hermits my bro had named one Rodman (like the basketball player) because he couldn't decide between a bright blue shell or a bright pink one, lol. Quick follow up question... There are some snails in my 55 G FW tank that seem to be committing suicide when they get to a decent size, they climb on the power head and get stuck and sucked out of their shells, could I soak those shells in salt water to clean them and offer those to the hermits?
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Barby Girl

number6 · Moderators Joined: 07 Feb 2003 Location: Ontario, Canada

as long as they are completely clean inside. I read on an saltie forum that if they have any left over snail, this can rot and cause a bacterial infection in the crab.
In the end, I opted out of using fresh water shells and went for the 50 cent shells at Big Als.
HTH
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"Just don't look in my fish room honey... it's just better for all of us. "

Fishboy86 · Members Joined: 14 Feb 2006

some times the hermits will kill a snail if they see that they have a bigger shell thats what mine did. Sad