hermit crabs vs. montipora

[bowkry]

Has any one had hermit crabs take over your montipora. Every morning I wake up and I find anywhere from 2 to 6 large hermit crabs, looks like eating my montipora. Some are blue leg some red and some strang gray one (I dont realy think I bought them but I dont know) But it has got to the point now the polips only open just a little bit. It looks like they are killing it. Its pretty big so a few crabs get on it a once. (about 8 in tall)

[spreerider]

did you buy your crabs from J&L i had a few grey ones come with my order
they turned out to be bad and ate my scarlet hermits and started munching zoozs before i banished them to my sump, that is now gone.

[bowkry]

if I did buy them I would have bought them at j & ns. I have been catching them and putting them in my sump, but the more I catch the more come out. Today my polyps still haven't opened. I am hope my lunar wrasse will help with my crab prob.

[Dolf]

Welcome to the land of the believers- I refer to all crabs as terrorists. This includes hermit crabs. I can't figure out why they seem to be a “necessity” when there are so few of them on a reef.
From http://web.archive.org/web/20010410073108/http:/www.animalnetwork.com/fish/library/articleview2.asp?Section=&RecordNo=166

"The downside of this is that the food they are eating is often small animals, such as larvae, small polyps, small snails and smaller crustaceans. Additionally, they often attack recently fed corals, sea anemones and other animals removing their food and consuming it. In the process, they undoubtedly damage these animals.
Hermit crabs are relatively rare in natural reef situations; they simply are never found in dense numbers on coral reef rocks. The corals and anemones in these areas are adapted neither to the crab’s competition for food nor to the physical damage occurring when the crabs move over their surfaces. The pitter-patter of little pointy feet can be very destructive to delicate coral tissues."

[reef bound]

A few days old, I know, but........Just got back from holidays and came home to find my 8" plating monti is home to about 15 hermit crabs in the evening. They used to stay on one big pillar rock in one corner of the tank, but I guess they decided to move. Should I be concerned about this? They don't seem to be bothering it, but after reading this I'm a little worried. Just keep monitoring it for any signs of stress? And really, how would one go about forcing the hermits to move (besides putting them all in my sump)?

[Haloreef]

Anything, I repeat anything that damages my corals is banished to the Great Gig in the Sky! Or given to some one who can keep them in their tank, or sump.

[o.c.d.]

I have read that it is a misconception that hermits will scavenge for their food and their for do not need to be fed. Mine will get agressive with each other and snails if i don't periodically feed them. I'd try to feed them if you haven't tried this all ready

[Jack]

Yes mine do that but I think they are feeding on stuff that settles on it.