Hermit eating zoanthids

kjbrat

kjbrat

AC Members
Feb 19, 2007
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Sarasota, FL
Hi all...just introduced my first zoa frags this past Friday. They have been doing great so far. But I noticed just a few minutes ago that one of my blue legged hermits was gnawing on the polyps of one of the colonies!

Is this normal? I know these guys are opportunistic and sneaky, but thought they were reef safe. Is my best option to remove all my hermits or do they need more food of other sorts?
 
are you actually seeing them pulling off chuncks of the polyps??? I've had blue legs forever and other than walking over corals they really don't bother to eat mine.
 
My hermits will always investigate any new piece of coral I have. Most likely they are picking off little things that you can't see. They should leave it alone in a day or two. They might visit it a couple of times a month for its "cleaning" time.
 
There are some blue legs sold that are not the same species as the pack. they get very bug and have vertical lines in their legs rather than bands. Check if he looks the same as the other crabs. If he is different pull him out.

He may just be cleaning it also, but some times we get 1 or 2 bad crabs with the pack.
 
He definitely has demolished 3 polyps; they are chewed down to nubs now. I just have to watch/catch him now, since I am not sure its been the same crab each time.

If only I didn't have to work and could watch my tank all day....
 
It's definitely more than one culprit, so it looks like I will be removing them all. And letting my cats play with them. A fitting end for their betrayal... :)
 
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