Electric Blue hermits eating my purple coraline algae ...

[Liz]

Hi all,
I have just added two LARGE electric blue hermits to my tank and they are demolishing my coraline algae. I realise that they may be hungry as they have been in the post the last 24 hrs and this is the first food they have come across but I'm just wondering if they are notorious for this?
They are beautiful but so is my coraline algae ...

Hope someone can give me an answer.
Thanks
Liz

 

[malkore]

well I have blue legged hermit crabs, and they never touch the coraline, just the green algae tufts.

 

[austinsdad]

Are you feeding enuf so that leftovers hit the bottom, or do the fish eat it all first? If not already, try some sinking pellets. Just might keep them from looking at your coraline.

 

[Clown Monarch]

My hermits go nuts for Formula 2. Course, they also eat non-stop I guess.

 

[quarryshark]

I've never seen mine do that and I have one that is 2" in size, but anythings possible I guess.
I agree throw a few sinking pellets in. Its funny to watch my crabs race after them against the shrimp. It's kinda like the Hare vs Tortoise.

 

[Liz]

Thanks everyone.
I have blue legs, red legs and mexican red tips and none have ever bothered with coralline algae but these electrics are enormous. I did drop some crab pellets in and some algae flakes but they just went straight for the "good stuff"
These crabs are beautiful - but so is, or rather was, my coralline algae.

I bought them through ebay (seller's wife liked snails but not crabs) and they only arrived today through the post. They won't have had any food for the last 24hrs so I guess they must be ravenous. I've never seen hermits eat coralline before and certainly not the way these two have demolished it. (They are definately electrics as well). Perhaps they have a deficienncy and will stop once they replenish lost calcium? I can but hope

Thanks again
Liz

 

[austinsdad]

One positive...

They'll poop the stuff and make it spread even better.

 

[Liz]

If that's the case I love munching critters. I'd just never heard of hermits doing this and wondered whether I'd overlooked this almightly flaw when making my purchase.