Crabs munching cucumber?

[banditpowdercoat]

I am noticing some white patches on my Pink Hawiian Cuke. Think I may have some hermits nibbling?? Got a Pumping Xenia frag yesterday too, its all gone today. Notice 2 hermits up near where I placed it. GRRRR. Think the Xenia was dead anyways, from greyhound, but still. I have 24 Blue leg hermits from Interior reef, but some have brown legs? the brown ones look a little hairy, little fuzz on legs maybe. are they the bad ones? I like watching the hermits, but if they are going to start chowing on my softies.....

[CLINT]

Ive found hermits to be more of a pain than they are worth.Ive had them irritate a coral to death and have banished all of them to the mantis tank.He seems to like the company while its around.Clint

[banditpowdercoat]

I just may do that. Starting to get more snails, and will need to get a bunch more soon. Want some mantis food LOL. Thought about in my sump, but its too small.

[Myka]

Ya, all crabs are banned from my tank.

[naesco]

Originally Posted by banditpowdercoat

I just may do that. Starting to get more snails, and will need to get a bunch more soon. Want some mantis food LOL. Thought about in my sump, but its too small.

The reason your xenia got eaten is the hermits are starving. They will also eat every thing else in your tank that is edible including your snails which you notice are disappearing.
They will also eat the tiny critters that coral require for nourishment.

There is also no way your snails will survive in your tank unless you are providing supplementary algae.

Return all the snails and hermits to the LFS that you purchased them from except for a couple of each.

Thanks

[Drock169]

the hermits with the brown legs with hair on them are snail killers, sump them. You probably dont need more than 10-12 hermits at most for you 45G.

[banditpowdercoat]

Algae for snails is not a problem. Atleast not now. Only have 10 Cerith and 10 Astrea snails. Hermits were added first. I originally was going FOWLR, but now, am moving towards Softies. I am moving brown hermits to sump tonight. There is a couple beautiful Blue leg's and one Emerald green hermit that I'd like to keep in tank, if possible??

returning to store is imposssible. There is no SW store here, I am 100% mail order

[banditpowdercoat]

OK, crabs are all out, and my Pink Cuke's still disintegrating. half of him is all white and shriveled. Ejecting tons of threadlike things. messin my tank horrible. Got scared of him poisining the rest, so hes in the freezer. Just dont want to take a chance. And don't have a hospital tank set up right now, no room. Maybe I'll try another later, I dunno. Wanted a Tiger tail in the first place, but JL was out, only had Pink Hawaiian. I didnt know at the time that Pinks are not as good a sand sifters as the Tiger tails either