Hermit Crab in Polyp colony

[phases99]

I have a Hermit who has taken a liking to my new Yellow Polyp colony. I have removed him a half dozen times and keeps going back. Will him bumping into the Polyps and walking over them hurt them? They close when he hits them but then open back up. I thought they sting when they are disturbed. Thanks

 

[Guest]

They won't sting the crab. As long as hes not eating the actual polyps don't worry about it, and he will stop (should at least) in a few days. Since it's new hes probably looking for something on the rock it came on.

 

[phases99]

Well I found one of my Polyp heads on the sandbed and I can only think of one culprit. Its a tiny one so I'm amazed it didn't get caught up in a PH. It appears to have attached itself because there is a pretty strong current. Can anyone recommend a safe underwater glue I could use to attach it to a rock? Thanks

 

[Guest]

Superglue gel

 

[dianeww]

I just used the search and came up with this thread. Yesterday I purchased a small colony of yellow polyps (my first coral). This morning there were two rather large hermit crabs pawing at it, and it looked like they were eating the polyps. Is this likely? I've never heard that you can't put hermit crabs in with these polyps.

The rock with the coral is now temporarily in a deep tupperware on the sand, and the hermits can't climb the plastic.

As long as hes not eating the actual polyps don't worry about it, and he will stop (should at least) in a few days.

Is this true? Will they stop, or have I made a mistake here?

 

[Jason]

I'm sure that some hermits would pick at the polyps, but probably not the hermits that you have.

do you know what kind of hermits they are?

more than likely, the hermits were picking algae off of the rock or something off of the polyps, not eating the polyp.

HTH

 

[Jermz79]

My scarlet hermits love to hang out in my GSP's. At first I thought Oh No they are eating my first coral. I have kept a close eye on the GSP and see no visible damage.

What type of hermits do you have?

 

[dianeww]

I have red-legged and blue-legged hermits which were purchased from one of the on-line sites for clean-up packs. The guilty explorers were both large blue-legs.