Hermit Die-Off (4/19/04)
Hi, I seem to be having a problem with my 6 scarlet reef hermits. I have had them for two months now. I bought them a month after cycling the tank. They are in a 72 gallon saltwater tank with 75 lbs of live rock ( that was fully cured before introducing the crabs ). A week ago, I lost the first one. He had crawled out of his shell and was halfway across the tank where I found him dead. Two days later, I lost another one. He was in his shell, but hanging out of it, dead. Two days after that, I lost another one. Same scenario, hanging out of his shell dead. Then this morning I found a fourth dead, hanging out of his shell. The water parameters are all 0. (Nitrates, Nitrites and the like). <what is the specific gravity?--all inverts tend to do better closer to normal seawater. pH? Tem? Are these all stable?> This tank has been running for 2 and a half months. No fish yet. ( Still in quarantine, they came in sick. ) I add iodine once a week for molting ( I also have a camel and a blood shrimp. I lost my peppermint to what appeared to be a molting problem, so I bought the iodine.) <Best to test levels of anything you add.> I have a dozen or so dwarf blue, red and zebra crabs. They are all fine. My shrimp and snails are good too. Three weeks ago, I did receive an order that included the red legged and zebra crabs, as well as an electric blue crab. Everyone is fine but the electric blue did die a week after he arrived. I also lost the banded Trochus snail that came with that order as well ( He, actually I believe she, had just laid eggs the day before she died. ) On two of the crab shells, I found what I thought were small feather duster worms, but I was told it was Aiptasia. Could that have been the problem? <Harmless to the hermit, but can be a big problem for the tank--read the Aiptasia FAQs.> I see nothing wrong here otherwise. I have over 2 dozen shells of all sizes in the tank, so it was not territorial aggression. My Scarlets have spawned three times in the last month. Is this normal afterwards? <Some inverts die after reproducing, others do not. I am uncertain about hermits.> What is there average lifespan? <I'd guess at least a couple of years--some a decade more.> Could they all just be old? <Possible, not probable.> I bought them all at the same time from the same store. Is there maybe something that came in on the new stock, that is effecting just the Scarlets? <The fact that it is not affecting your other crabs and shrimp does suggest something specific to them rather than a more generalized toxin or pathogen, but I am not aware of a pathogen specific to this species.> They are my favorite and I would love to get more, but I want to make sure that the new ones won't have the same fate. Sorry for the lengthy email, but this is breaking my heart. <It's always tough to lose animals, no matter how "primitive," especially when the cause remains a mystery.> I am trying so hard on this tank, and everything that can go wrong, appears to be doing so. Thank for the info. <I'm stumped here with this scenario. I'd suggest you start a topic on the WetWebFotos forum under "Marine Invertebrates" and see k a range of opinions/theories there. Steve Allen.>

Hermits & Parasites (1/9/2004)
Hello everyone: <Steve Allen here>
I did check your articles and the internet and could not find an answer to this question.  Do saltwater hermit crabs carry parasites on their shells <perhaps> and should they be fresh water dipped before being put in a new tank? <No. Instant death to the hermits. Better to quarantine before putting them in your tank, though the risk of parasites is small.>
Also I am cycling <how long> a new tank(20 Gal.) with a blue velvet damsel. <I recommend against cycling with fish. Needless suffering for them. Fish are not needed for cycling. Search WWM for info on how.>  The Sg is 1.026, Ph 8.2, Temp 79, Ammonia .25 and nitrites are 2.0.  I do at least a 25% water change every other day to bring the nitrites down.  I have noticed that the damsel is scratching frequently and have read elsewhere that this could be irritation from the nitrites. <yes> I gave the fish a freshwater dip before introduction into the new tank.   The fish has a voracious appetite <good sign> even now with the nitrites as high as they are. I have not seen any obvious parasites or white spots on the fish.  He does come up to the surface(2" below) frequently in the corner where he is fed so I am assuming he is checking for food.  Can the nitrites cause the damsel to scratch or does the fish have parasites? <If you do not see spots on the fish, it is more likely the toxic effect. Get these numbers down, but don't change too much water or you'll never get it cycled.>
Thank you guys for your help and great articles. <Glad to be of service.>

Sick hermit crab
Hi,
We just got a hermit crab about a week ago now, from a shop on the strip in Virginia Beach. He was climbing around when we bought him. We initially got it for our visiting 5 year old nephew, but then decided we should keep it after reading the booklet we got telling how much care they actually need. He was doing well at first, but then one day (about 5 days later) I looked in his cage and one of his legs (right side) had fallen off. 
<had it been getting daily spraying with freshwater or a daily dunk?>
It was then that I also noticed that his small pincher was missing also. So that left him with the 3 legs on one side and only 1 on the other. He has not been very active since that day. He cannot get around very well. There's a little u-shaped wooden stand that he likes to sit on. He cannot get himself up there anymore, so my husband or I will put him up there. He sits up there all day. So I will occasionally sit him on top of the food so he has a chance to eat (I hope he is anyway). Then we will put some water on him or dip in the water bowl, then set him back on his wood.
<yes... the daily spraying is critical... it helps them breathe! They need humidity and every day>
It happened to be the same day he lost his leg, that we went out and bought another hermit crab for a friend. We also bought a 10-gallon tank so they would have plenty of room. The new crab has been very active, and he's considerably larger. At first we were concerned that he'd try to hurt the little crab so we kept watching them. It doesn't seem he'll try to hurt him. 
<keep many extra shells around to reduce aggression and give them something to play with>
I've been reading on line trying to learn more about what we can do. I went ahead and put the little guy back in his original cage again, and have it sitting in the bigger cage. (We have not had a chance to set up the new cage yet, we're planning on doing that tomorrow. Right now we have a piece of cardboard down and soaked it pretty well with water to keep moisture in the cage for them. We also have a big bowl of water in there, and some of those water sponges. And we have a couple of shells in there, one with water and one with food.)
<the standing water isn't enough... as per above>
We don't know if the little guy is sick or if he's going through his molting. Any information you can give us would be great. Should we try taking him to a vet? Is there anything we can do to help him get better if he is sick? I've read on this site a lot about the alkalinity of the water. Should we maybe add some baking soda to the water? We are using the water from the tap.
<unless your tap water is very acidic (doubtful) please don't add baking soda>
We are very concerned about our new little pet, please help.
Thanks, Jon & Julie
ps. I hope this is the right place to ask these types of questions...
<yes... thank you for caring to learn. You've got the right place!>

Our sick hermit crab
Hi, <<And hello to you...>>
We just got a hermit crab about a week ago now, from a shop on the strip in Virginia Beach. He was climbing around when we bought him. We initially got it for our visiting 5 year old nephew, but then decided we should keep it after reading the booklet we got telling how much care they actually need. He was doing well at first, but then one day (about 5 days later) I looked in his cage and one of his legs (right side) had fallen off. It was then that I also noticed that his small pincher was missing also. So that left him with the 3 legs on one side and only 1 on the other. He has not been very active since that day. He cannot get around very well. There's a little u-shaped wooden stand that he likes to sit on. He cannot get himself up there anymore, so my husband or I will put him up there. He sits up there all day. So I will occasionally sit him on top of the food so he has a chance to eat (I hope he is anyway). Then we will put some water on him or dip in the water bowl, then set him back on his wood.
It happened to be the same day he lost his leg, that we went out and bought another hermit crab for a friend. We also bought a 10-gallon tank so they would have plenty of room. The new crab has been very active, and he's considerably larger. At first we were concerned that he'd try to hurt the little crab so we kept watching them. It doesn't seem he'll try to hurt him. I've been reading on line trying to learn more about what we can do. I went ahead and put the little guy back in his original cage again, and have it sitting in the bigger cage. (We have not had a chance to set up the new cage yet, we're planning on doing that tomorrow. Right now we have a piece of cardboard down and soaked it pretty well with water to keep moisture in the cage for them. We also have a big bowl of water in there, and some of those water sponges. And we have a couple of shells in there, one with water and one with food.)
We don't know if the little guy is sick or if he's going through his molting. Any information you can give us would be great. Should we try taking him to a vet? Is there anything we can do to help him get better if he is sick? I've read on this site a lot about the alkalinity of the water. Should we maybe add some baking soda to the water? We are using the water from the tap.
We are very concerned about our new little pet, please help.
Thanks,
Jon & Julie
ps. I hope this is the right place to ask these types of questions...
<<Well... we specialize pretty much in the aquatic creatures here, but I can sympathize with your situation. What I did was enter the phrase, "terrestrial hermit crabs" into the Google search engine and came up with what I think is a pretty good link with much advice and information about non-aquatic hermit crabs. Point your browser to this place:
http://aboutlandhermits.com/ - I read through the site for a little while. There is a page that addresses your very problem. Good luck treating your new pet. Cheers, J -- >>

Hermit crab health
Good Morning:
<cheers!>
My son has two hermit crabs. The problem is that the bigger one has lost his two outside legs, one each day for the last two days. I think he looks sick. Is there anything I can do to save him or is losing his two legs the beginning of the end? Please send your reply to XXXX@aol.com.
<I assume that this is a land hermit crab (the advice is similar nonetheless). The crab can easily regrow a lost appendage after several molts. We need to be concerned why it happened though. A common error with land hermit crabs is keeping them too cool (an air-conditioned room) and especially not hydrating them properly. Such crabs need to be sprayed daily with fresh water to keep their lungs moist for breathing. Several times a day is better. A dish of water in the tank does not do the same thing. Occasionally dunking them is helpful but caution that they don't drown. Kindly, Anthony>
Thanks. Nelson Frye

- Healing Hermit -
Hi there,
<Hi, JasonC here...>
I have a red legged Hermit crab which I am really worried about. He did he usual hiding before shedding. Disappeared into his nice little cave I made for him.
He shed his skin late Friday night. I noticed he was hiding inside his shell on Sat. He usually remains grumpy for about a week after shedding. However on Sun he came out of his shell and was missing his big pincher and all his legs down the left side.
I don't know if one of the fish pulled him while he was weak or if he just decided it was a good time to loose his shell. <Dropping a limb is an ability crabs and lobsters have that allows them to get away while leaving something behind to distract/appease the predator.> I left him in the tank to reduce his stress however I noticed that some of the fish were bothering him. So I moved him into the sump. He seems to be fine and he is eating etc.
I have knocked the calcium level a bit higher to give him more calcium to recover. Don't know if this will help. Is there anything that I can do to help him heal faster. <Not really, you did the best thing by removing the crab to a quiet place to stave off aggression. The limbs will grow back with successive molts. No worries.>
Thanks, Rob.
<Cheers, J -- >

Sick marine hermit crab- 6/4/03
Hello Almighty fish-helpers,
<Howdy!>
I have a common Hermit Crab (yep, the red hairy leg variety).  He (or she?)
<depends on how hairy <G>>
has been in the family for about 8 months. Up until recently he's been happy in his 75g saltwater fish-only tank. He seems to rule the roost.
<they can be rowdy indeed>
I've always provided him new shells to check out and he moves into one now and then. The last week he's been hanging out in the corner, not moving much and not as eager to get around the tank.  He eats much less and seems to have the blues. Any thought? Thanks,
Steve HJ
<perhaps lack of iodine for proper ecdysis/molting. Iodine is critical for it, and yet is only good in solution for hours/days (part of the reason for recommending small weekly water changes instead of monthly or longer). If the tank gets not iodine/reef supplements and/or has been light on water changes, the little bugger could be starving for iodine. When in doubt, do a water change... 25-50% to see if that stimulates it. Also test your water chemistry: has pH strayed low (below 8.3?), is ALK flat (below 8 dKH), etc. Best regards, Anthony>

Scarlet Hermit Deaths
>Hi,
>>Hi.
>We are new to this hobby and your website has been a tremendous help!  However, we have a mystery that we can't seem to find an answer for.
>>Thank you, you're welcome, and let's see what can be done.
>After the tank cycled and the algae bloom subsided, we were left with a few small patches of hair algae and some areas of brown diatom algae.  2 weeks ago, we purchased our first clean-up critters from JEF.  6 tapestry snails and 10 scarlet hermits.
2 scarlet hermits died the second day.  pH and Alkalinity were low (7.8 and 2.1 respectively), so we slowly added Seachem pH buffer.  
>>Hhmm... pH is a tricky thing to be messing with.  I wouldn't make changes any larger than .1-.2/day.  The pH is indeed low, but what about specific gravity?
>The scarlet hermits have continued to die - one or two every few days.  We left the bodies in the tank, just in case it was molting.  Most of the time they had crawled out of their shells - and their little bodies were still in tact for days (so we assumed it was not a predator).  The really weird thing is that eight of them came to the same area of the tank to die (within inches of each other)!!!
>>No answers to that.
>We lost the last one today.  He had been really active and was on top of a large rock eating yesterday.  Today, his shell was empty and a 3 inch long bristle worm came out of it.  He is the only one that has apparently died at the other end of the tank (one is still missing).  All six of the tapestry snails seem perfectly fine.  A friend offered to give us a few scarlet cleaner shrimp.  Now we are afraid to take them (don't want to risk their health).  Can you help us figure out what to do?  Also, should be buy a wrasse get rid of the bristle worms?
>>No, the worms are there for a reason, and they do perform a function.  If they seem to be of "plague" proportions, you definitely have a nutrient/excess detritus issue.  
>Thanks!!!  Dave
>The tank is a little over 2 months old -
110 gallon (29 inches tall) with about 85 lbs of live rock and an ecosystem filter (with Caulerpa) sg  1.24 (swing arm tester)
>>Poor choice for a measuring tool, in my opinion.
temp 80
alk 4.8
pH  3.0
>>This can't possibly be right, can it?  
>nitrites  0
nitrates 0
>>Curious about test kit brand/reliability.  If your specific gravity is indeed spot on, then I am at a bit of a loss, as there is nothing I can think of that would kill only the hermits and nothing else.  I would indeed try the shrimps, one, maybe two, just to see.  Acclimate slowly and watch.  Double check your test kit(s), as well as your hydrometer against something a little more reliable (my own affordable preference are floating hydrometers).  Sorry I can't be of more definitive help at this time, but maybe you'll find something by double checking the kits, etc.  Marina

What is Killing our Scarlet Hermit Crabs?
>Thanks.  We bought a good floating hydrometer.  Salinity is right at 1.024.  Two people have told us that some worms including certain types of bristle worms are dangerous (can kill).  
>>Bristle worms will eat what is dead, I doubt very seriously that they are an issue.
>We bought an arrow crab that we are very slowly acclimating.  Did we make a mistake?  Also, if we should keep it - do we need to quarantine it (this early in the reef stage)?  Dave
>>Personally, I believe in quarantining everything, including inverts.  You've purchased the arrow crab to eat the bristle worms?  If so, consider instead that the bristle worms perform a function, as well as indicate a possible buildup of detritus, as I mentioned previously.  Marina

New Tank/Hermit Crabs
Hi, I have a new 29 gallon marine setup than has been curing for 5 weeks now. <Wow! Very new to the hobby??? Welcome to a world of wonderment and addiction, mate>  Its a live rock system. I have checked the water for ammonia, nitrite, PH and salinity, all of which turned out fine but just to be on the safe side I also took a sample of the water to my local marine specialist and again it tested fine. <Very good. I always use a few test sources just to calibrate my own findings> So I bought 5 hermits and 4 snails to help clear the tank of the algal growth that had covered the rocks, glass and bottom of the tank. <OK> About 2 hours after I had introduced them I checked on them and 3 of the snails were almost dead on the bottom with the other 2 still on the glass but very weak. <Did you acclimate?? Should do so over a long period of time if you ask me. Sometimes a huge difference in water quality between your tank and the dealers. The process for inverts from a dealer to my tank can take up to 2 hours and even more in extreme cases (starfish)> Also 3 of the hermits were hanging out of their shells looking dead and the others again weren't moving around and looked very ill. <Interesting> I immediately took the hermits out of the tank and they seemed to recover a little in the air. <depending on what hermits may have been necessary. Some hermits work intertidal areas meaning they sometimes need a little air from time to time> The tank has a red algal growth covering the rocks that looks like velvet. <Sounds like Cyano-bacteria. See here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/bluegralgae.htm > Could this be the problem or is something else causing these animals to die? <It is A problem, but not in the cause of death in your hermits and snails. Check the posted links for more information regarding bacteria-bacteria. As far as cause of death for your inverts I couldn't say. If parameters are all in check, try a longer acclimation time. Make sure you are getting quality livestock by watching the animals making sure they are active and have been in store for awhile. (not a good idea to new arrived shipments from a dealer) Quarantine if possible. -Paul>

Dying hermits - 11/20/03
The only thing I knew about acclimating was to leave the tank in the bag for a while. Though I have just been informed about slowly adding small amounts of tank water into the bag. The hermits are a reef species so I don't know if they require air but they didn't have any in the suppliers tank. <you would be surprised! Many species of hermits require a spot to grab some air. Not all, but again, there are a great many who can take advantage or air. In any event, not "THE" issue here in my opinion.> The animals had been at the dealer at least a week. <Very good. I think the issue here was that your acclimation procedure was improper for these animals. There is likely a disparaging parameter between your reef water and the dealer holding water. Keep that in mind with all your additions -Paul>
Oh and thanks for replying. <No problem.>

Hermit death sleuthing
Alright, I wrote you last week about clown fish and scarlet reef hermits. One of the hermits showed up dead this morning, out of its shell, like it crawled out and then expired. The other one I have not seen today, and though it was quite active on Friday, I am concerned it kicked.
Water tests, using an Aquarium Systems test kit yielded the following results--no ammonia, a range of 0.2-2-mg/l of Nitrite and a range of 0-10 mg/l of Nitrates, salinity 1.024 and ph 8.2.
Three questions:
1. How long does it take for my tank to do a cycle using cured live rock. Is it possible the tank is already on phase 2 of its cycle even though I only added rock 4 days ago?
2. Was the crab molting and died or what happened--any ideas?
3. I am noticing an increase in the brown diatom algae--what can I adjust in my water to make this go away?
Jeff Ranta
< 1) Jeff, next time wait on the livestock till your system has completely cycled; zero ammonia and nitrites. Some well- to completely cured Live Rock will present a situation of pre-cycling by itself, but this is rare. In some situations, where the rock has a lot of dead biomass, or is killed off by its handler(s), cycling may be delayed for months... This is why one needs to measure things like ammonia and react (generally with massive water changes) if conditions become deadly (to the live rock organisms). Keep checking your nitrogen cycle parameters; you should find no nitrite and growing nitrates with establishment of cycling.
2) The crab probably died from outright chemical stress, from the die off, and respective changes brought on by the cycling.
3) The Brown scum/diatom algae you mention is a good sign! This indicates succession, cycling that is producing nutrients and viable conditions for other life... I wouldn't disturb it as yet. Wait till you see it being supplanted by Green algae, this will happen soon.
Patience my friend, Bob Fenner>

Hermit crabs
I find a dead hermit crab in my tank, laying out of its shell, every week. 
It is always a scarlet reef hermit. I have blue leg, and left/right handed 
hermits in the tank. The other species of hermit never die. Are the other 
types killing the Scarlets? The Scarlets are by far the biggest hermits in 
my tank.
Thanks, Jared
< It's possible as all crabs are outright opportunistic omnivores... but there might be another reason for your Scarlets passing... For instance, do you know how much Calcium and Alkalinity are part of your system? You/they need both... and how about an assortment of shells for them to "upgrade" to? As Hermits grow, they need new, larger homes... And if they get caught too long outside... may fall prey to other predators.
Bob Fenner>

Red legged hermit crabs
Bob,
I have an aquarium with two eels, Koran angel, 2 red cardinals and a 
grouper. the tank has been up and running for years, but I can't seem to keep 
hermit crabs alive.
Also snails don't have a problem. All the fish are happy and healthy, is 
there something special that my water could be lacking or some type of care.
Thanks
Crab less in St. Pete
<It's likely you either are missing something in the way of alkalinity and/or calcium in your water (you can get test kits for these, and modify their values)... or too much of something, like a metal residue from your source (tap) water, contamination from some part of your decor (a tramp metal, like a part of a pop-top lid in your gravel, or a metal thermometer)... Check for sources of metal in your system... a rusty screw in a lid? a metal clamp on part of your plumbing?
Bob Fenner>

The mysterious hermit crabs . . .
Bob,
I enjoy your daily FAQ on the FFExpress site - Thanks for helping us "newbies" out. :)
Do you have any idea how long a hermit crab will live and how big it will get? I have 2 - a blue legged and a tan one (it has the big left claw). The blue legged crab hasn't grown much, but the tan one has outgrown 3 shells in 6 months. At that rate he will outgrow my 30 gal. tank quickly.
Also - should I feed these crabs or let them find their own food? I have been feeding the tan one frozen brine shrimp and I'm thinking that the reason it's grown so much.
Thanks, Brandon
>>
Thank you for writing. Some smaller species of Hermits only live a year or so... some of the humongous ones several years... And yes, I mean no to feeding yours directly. Don't encourage their growth... they'll live longer, healthier lives by "just" scavenging... and probably be much less inclined to "get into trouble" nibbling away at sessile livestock and coralline algaes...
Bob Fenner

Hermit Crab
Bob,
I have had a Red Legged Hermit crab for approx. 5-6 months in a FO 60ukG
tank. All has been OK for those months, as he has been keeping the tank
nice and clean and roaming around, occasionally shedding his “skin”.
Two nights ago I found it on its back and therefore hiding in the shell. I
assumed he had fallen off the rocks in the tanks and could not right
himself – I waited a while (1-2 hours) but he did not even come out a little
bit. I did the honors by placing him right way up but he never seemed to
come out of his shell. He came partly out but then retreated somewhat.
Last night I discovered that he was in fact dead and therefore removed him
from the tank, shell and all. There are no other signs of illness in the
tank and no problems with any other fish over the past few months.
Water parameters are OK (pH is a bit high – above 8.6) and all other fish are OK!
<Hmm, am concerned about how/why your water pH is so high... this could be the very cause of loss... not uncommon that supplement "shock" is for hermits, snails, cucumbers, Seastars...>
Could he have been shell shocked??
<Hmm? A 'Nam vet? Not from falling... and no worries re Hermit spatial orientation... healthy ones are very able to right themselves.>
Any suggestions?
Thanks in advance. Scott
<Just to investigate your water conditioning practices, test kits... Bob Fenner>

Further:
Bob,
Having sent you an e-mail on my Hermit Crab, I meant to add a further
question.
When making water up for a routine water change I get a “scum” on the top of
the water prior to adding it to the tank. I use de-ionized water and add a
re-mineral M additive and salt. I then aerate this using a pump for 12-24
hours before changing. It is after this aerating that the scum appears. In
order to stop the scum entering the tank on a water change I filter it
through a sponge and this seems to work.
<The sponge is a good idea... but would aerate, store the new water for a good week... >
I have not seen any noticeable affects on the fish or water quality apart
from a rise in pH (it was stable at 8.6 from start but now raised to above this).
<You need to check your alkaline reserve... I suspect that you have insufficient carbonate, bicarbonate content in your water... and I would vastly cut back on the use of the "M" supplement>
Is this normal and is it just being aerated too much or too vigorously?? I
am now using the pump from my thrown away Seaclone (replaced with a
Turboflotor on your advice – much much better!!) – a 1000l/h pump (I think!)
<Not un-normal... but also not a good sign/indication... you don't want to have a permanently elevated pH... many potential problems with this condition...>
Is there anything I can do to lower the pH or should I wait and see if it cycles?
<Cut back on the supplementing... get involved with the "madness" of adding buffers (precipitating out some of the cause of the high pH...), skip both and get on to using a calcium reactor, just rely on the added biomineral and alkalinity boosting of good salt mix (like the Instant Ocean products)... Really though, gaining an understanding about the aspects of pH, alkalinity and alkaline earth elements, their roles, interactions in captive environments... Please read over the sections and especially FAQs areas on these concepts posted on the site: www.WetWebMedia.com and seek out the books/references mentioned to read over their thorough treatments... buy, use testing... And...>
Thanks again for your time, Scott
<We'll be chatting. Bob Fenner>

Hermits, low spg, apparent aggression 
Bob,
Can low salinity precipitate vicious behavior in inverts? 
<Hmm, can? Yes>
One of the red
reef hermits viciously pursued, attacked, and killed another one over the
course of a day. He started by attacking him while he was in his shell and
then after the little guy ran naked around the tank, he ripped a leg off.
Last night the little guy was clinging to a rock and this morning I found
him eviscerated on the ground. We lowered the salinity the day before from
1.020 to 1.019. Should we revamp our hospital tank (remove the copper) and
put the inverts in there? 
<I would not... Know that many hermits are "quite opportunistic" and given any shortage of food, shells to trade into (you should have some spares in the system...) will "go after one another"... even so-called "vegetarian" or "mainly greenery-eating" species...>
We have 2 large red hermits and 2 cleaner shrimp
left now? Or is that red hermit trouble and we should trade him in because
he's got a destructive personality?
<Maybe... Bob Fenner>
Thanks, Allyson

Snails and hermit crabs
Hello,
I have a couple of questions about bottom feeders....
Do I need to quarantine snails and hermit crabs when I get them? 
<Only if you suspect they may die easily, polluting your main/display system... if there are DOA's, the water smells badly... I would>
How about
dips, do they need that too? (I have read your book from cover to cover so
I know about quarantine and dips :-)
<I don't generally dip/bath snails or hermits>
Also, I was wondering if cleaner shrimp and crabs get along alright (I'm
thinking your book says "NO")?
<Most species, most cases, no... many crabs will consume the Cleaner Shrimp, particularly at molting time>
Thanks,
Jana
p.s. I am putting together my own, homemade protein skimmer right now and I
tell you what - even if the dang thang don't work, I sure had fun doing it !
Everyone should make their own simply for the self-satisfaction.
<I agree with your go-getter spirit. Good for you. Bob Fenner>

Hermit sick
Dear Bob,
I've read your archives on alkalinity, pH, hermits, hermits FAQ.
Our red reef hermit has been hanging out near/on top of our bubble wand for
several days now and I'm getting concerned. He'll usually slow down a bit
before he molts but he does not look like he's eating (he usually takes food
from my hand) and this has been going on unusually long. He also looks a
little pale. Here are our water parameters. Do you think low alkalinity
could account for this?
<Possibly... you do have a place for it to haul all the way out of the water?>
Can you tell me very explicitly how to raise the
alkalinity in a way that is safe?
<Simple baking soda... oh, I see you know from below...>
You mentioned baking soda (we bought Arm
and Hammer--are you sure there aren't dangerous additives)?
<Hmm, yes... the only ingredient is sodium bicarbonate... you might want to use a test kit if you're concerned... there is very little chance of overdosing though>
alkalinity=3
pH=8
ammonia=0
nitrite=0
nitrate=5-10
temp=82-84
salinity=1.022
We've had our tank since January and we're sparsely stocked in a 125 gallon
tank with 1 Naso tang, 5 damsels, a cleaner shrimp, and the red reef hermit.
We have a few chunks of live rock too. We gave our Naso tang new food a week
ago (Spirulina pellets) and that's the only recent change I can think of.
Our filtration is a trickle filter with Biobale and a carbon canister. I'm
grasping a any other hypotheses.
Thanks!
Allyson
<Mmmm, maybe just a pre-molting incident... Bob Fenner>

Re: hermit sick
Dear Bob,
I've read your archives on alkalinity, pH, hermits, hermits FAQ.
Our red reef hermit has been hanging out near/on top of our bubble wand for
several days now and I'm getting concerned. He'll usually slow down a bit
before he molts but he does not look like he's eating (he usually takes food
from my hand) and this has been going on unusually long. He also looks a
little pale. Here are our water parameters. Do you think low alkalinity
could account for this?
<Possibly... you do have a place for it to haul all the way out of the
water?>
You're kidding! I have not read that red reef hermits need to come out of
the water! Is this really true?
<Some folks dispute the possible benefits, need... but they are found out of the water (where they're collected) in the wild... and this one may need to "dry out" a bit>
You don't think that if I take him out of
water, he'll die? Hmm. I'm not sure how to engineer something he can climb
on.
<Good idea... even just a piece of Styrofoam anchored to the upper corner... Bob Fenner>
Thanks,
Allyson

Re: hermit sick
The little hermit is better!!!! I added 2 tbsp of baking soda last night
and alkalinity increased by .5 (to 3.5) and this morning he's waltzing
around!!! (although not as energetically as he typically does) My log books
showed a slow drop in alkalinity over many months (you mentioned this is
common with trickle filters). 
<Yes, more so than other filter modes>
The little fellow must have reached his
breaking point. PH might have increased too (not sure-8 to 8.1, hard to
tell). I'm going to increase alkalinity a bit more. I'm having trouble
finding what is typical in our books but our test kit is saying the value
should be 4-6 meq/L but Tullock says it can be lower.
<Better to be a bit higher IMO>
Wow, thanks.
<You're welcome my friend. Bob Fenner>
Allyson

Hermit Crab Mystery?
what does it mean when a hermit crab loses both of his pincers at the
same time?
<That somebody probably ate them. -Steven Pro>

Hermit Crab Mystery II
He is alone and the pinchers are in the tank.
<Perhaps he had some problems shedding? -Steven Pro>