Hermits forgiven. Emerald BUSTED.

kien · #1 05-24-2010, 07:13 PM

Hermit crabs are opportunistic scavengers by nature. If they are hungry and spot an opportunity, they will scavenge anything they can get their claws on. I try to keep my hermits happy and fed with chunks of shrimp that I'll throw in every couple of nights or so. Have yet to see any hermits go to town on a coral.

lastlight · #2 05-24-2010, 07:18 PM

Yeah I thought since there was a little algae on the rocks that'd be good enough. I might have to give them some mysis occasionally as I was doing when they were introduced and maybe leave the algae to the Vlamingi since he's looking really thin.

Doug · #3 05-24-2010, 07:29 PM

Brett, my scarlets always sat in or near the top of my sps. Some of the crabs are several yrs. old. Never seemed to bother the corals and not sure what they were eating. Perhaps algae of some sort or coral slime?

I,m more worried about my larger red mithrax crabs if all their algae is gone.

lastlight · #4 05-24-2010, 07:37 PM

I've gotten really efficient at getting food to the fish now that I know the currents etc. So It's mainly sounding like the crabs are sorta ok as long as they're fed. Hate to feed those lazy buggers lol.

My emerald is the hardest working of them all though.

Doug · #5 05-24-2010, 08:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lastlight

My emerald is the hardest working of them all though.

Yes mine also. The green one is a lot more shy but the reds are out always on the search for algae and never stop eating. I can darn near poke them with my finger and they dont back down.

lastlight · #6 05-24-2010, 08:10 PM

My emerald is out all day and even parades across the front of the glass. I think he's got a loose screw somewhere but he's amsuing to watch. My hermits scrap with each other more than they forage which is a deperature from when I added them!

lastlight · #7 05-24-2010, 08:22 PM

Ok lights just came on and the birdsnest def looks worse. It is not tissue recession...it looks more like the whiter areas have had the tissue scraped and the polyps look mashed. Now on my green/orange formosa it looks like there are some coralites that are sorta bent/mashed and these are a touch white.

All looks like physical damage to me and not recession or die-off.

I'll be watching after lights out tonight but I think my hermits are going to get yanked. I don't even see them grazing the rocks during the day anymore.