Blue leg crabs eating lps???

[Walter White]

Has anyone ever experience hermits picking at LPS? I have recently started noticing the decline of my frog spawn and a few acans. I noticed that at almost all times of the day I have at least one hermit camped out in my frog spawn picking at the flesh. I see them picking at the acans as well.

I feel like this is a chicken/egg scenario. I don't know if the corals are dying back because the crabs are picking at them or if the crab are picking at them because they are dying. All other corals softies, zoos, and sps are unaffected.

The crabs my be not getting enough to eat because I had some pretty good PO4 going and have gotten very stingy with my feeding.

Thoughts?

 

[Cherub]

My fire shrimp ate my torch. I watched it rip it apart after it was down to the last head. Irritating... The torch was healthy and extended its polyps but that shrimp had it in for it. But no never seen a hermit attack anything.

 

[KhensuRa]

I have about 10 to 15 blue legs and they never really mess with my corals except at feeding time, but they are just eating the stuff i spot feed. I do see them climb my sps and hang out at times but never seen them eat anything.

 

[Walter White]

I have never seen mine do this before either. They have been in there since July. Its just a recent occurrence. I probably have 10 or so myself.

 

[coloagro]

I just watched one of my 5 or 6 Blue Leg Crabs diggin in my already troubled Long Tentacle Plate Coral....He has been forbidden to the sump area. I'll get rid of every one of them minus 2 if I see this happen again.

 

[Wicked Color]

Once they get hungry crabs will taste anything, seen it before, Brent's emerald crabs were pealing zoas off the frag bases.

 

[subpotentjoe]

Never seen Blue legs eat coral before but they probably will if they are starving. Having a successful reef tank is all about balance. I do know of people who will only use snails for a clean up crew because of their fear of the hermits eating coral. Try some Scarlets. They are definately less aggressive/active. The Scarlets are also tough suckers. My Scarlets have been around for a couple of years, lived through interceptor twice and have never touched any coral. On a side note Blue legs will not survive interceptor treatments. You could try putting some pellets on the sand bed every once in a while. The hermits will eat that up and maybe be less interested in the coral and more interested in cruising the sand bed looking for the food you leave for them.

 

[Walter White]

I have scarletts too they don't see to be a problem. I'll prolly find another home for the blue legs and just stick to nassarius and scarlets. Thanks!

 

[KhensuRa]

As soon as my blue legs die off i will go with reds as well. The blues are just way to mean for me and my snails.

 

[dirtefish]

When I cut feedings mine started clustering around my larger frogspawn. Figured they were starving so dropped some sinking discs from my cichlid tank. They mobbed it and ignore the corals now. My one large brittle star pops out of hiding every time as well.
Pretty sure the altered environment of a tank makes hungry critters eat anything within reach.

Sent from my VM670 using Tapatalk

 

[coloagro]

I feed Elite Reef's frozen Feast moderately every other day and I only have 2 small black ocellaris right now so that should keep the CUC fat and happy.

BTW if anyone wants a few Blue Legs, come on over and get'm! DBTC style

 

[ShelbyJK500]

Once they get hungry crabs will taste anything, seen it before, Brent's emerald crabs were pealing zoas off the frag bases.

I've seen my emeralds taking a taste to my xenias...so pretty much anything is possible.

When I cut feedings mine started clustering around my larger frogspawn. Figured they were starving so dropped some sinking discs from my cichlid tank. They mobbed it and ignore the corals now. My one large brittle star pops out of hiding every time as well.

Yup, I feed my hermit CUC sinking freshwater shrimp pellets. They go nuts! I had to start almost target feeding my emeralds to prevent the xenia appetite (mentioned above). Once I made the pellets a daily feeding...no problems since.

 

[ShelbyJK500]

I still have been having great success with my Nano Kris. I've got SPS, LPS, and softies in there...including a full frag rack. My nitrates are always higher than I'd like, but I do a water change almost every week, every two for sure. I slowed my feeding down when I saw how my nitrates were getting...but then went back because it was obvious my CUC were getting hungry! I haven't had any ill effects at all from having a higher nitrate level. Every tank is different I believe, but I'm starting to hear from many very experienced people in this hobby that water is almost getting too clean. I'm still no the fence with that one because I'm still relatively new to this hobby myself. Time will tell. Just thought I'd throw that in there!

 

[Walter White]

I am not having any nitrate issues, nitrate always tests undetectable phosphate on the other hand had gotten up to .07 but now is back down to .02. I do believe my phosphate issues were coming primarily from over feeding.

 

[ShelbyJK500]

I am not having any nitrate issues, nitrate always tests undetectable phosphate on the other hand had gotten up to .07 but now is back down to .02. I do believe my phosphate issues were coming primarily from over feeding.

Lol...gotcha...I think I've tested for phosphates like one time in my nano, months ago.