Elegance coral eating hermit crab?

[bugaboo9495]

My crabs tend to hang out under elegance’s flesh from time to time. It’s a neat hiding spot for them and it never bothers elegance. This time crabby went over there to molt. I took a pic of crab next to his molt under elegance and walked away.

when I came back crab wasn’t in his shell, his molt was on the ground and a very bright red crab was inside elegance......did my elegance coral just /eat/ my crab?!

 

[WV Reefer]

My crabs tend to hang out under elegance’s flesh from time to time. It’s a neat hiding spot for them and it never bothers elegance. This time crabby went over there to molt. I took a pic of crab next to his molt under elegance and walked away.

when I came back crab wasn’t in his shell, his molt was on the ground and a very bright red crab was inside elegance......did my elegance coral just /eat/ my crab?!

Sounds about right. They are known to be snail killers so a hermit seems doable.

 

[PicassoClown04]

Yep. RIP crabby. I use large shrimp with my elegance due to this

 

[Miller535]

I have a very large elegance coral. Well ok, it's large to me, lol. It's about 6-8" across. I have only had it about 4 or 5 months, and it has grown a lot in that time. But I had been noticing less and less hermit crabs. Then within the last week or so NO hermit crabs. snails are all there, conchs are all there, urchins are all there. I am thinking that it is my elegance.

 

[User1]

Snails, hermits, sick fish, etc - all fair game with the coral. Beautiful coral and an for most an acceptable risk for such a lovely coral. Back when I had one I had a very naughty cleaner shrimp that loved to steal food as I was feeding it. It would over over a rock ledge near it and do its best to pick off food before it had a chance to fully wrap the polyp around the food. Anyway one day I guess it slipped (not sure if that is the right thing) or it was startled by one of the larger fish but in the attempt to fall or turn the elegance coral got it. That or the shrimp was just old and that was it.

In any case yes. Very possible that snails and hermits and other things will go missing.

 

[Miller535]

Snails, hermits, sick fish, etc - all fair game with the coral. Beautiful coral and an for most an acceptable risk for such a lovely coral. Back when I had one I had a very naughty cleaner shrimp that loved to steal food as I was feeding it. It would over over a rock ledge near it and do its best to pick off food before it had a chance to fully wrap the polyp around the food. Anyway one day I guess it slipped (not sure if that is the right thing) or it was startled by one of the larger fish but in the attempt to fall or turn the elegance coral got it. That or the shrimp was just old and that was it.
.

I do find it an acceptable risk as it is my favorite coral in my tank. I'll just have to buy hermits more often I guess. My clowns looked like they wanted to host it for a while, but I think a couple of good stings was enough to discourage them.

 

[User1]

I do find it an acceptable risk as it is my favorite coral in my tank. I'll just have to buy hermits more often I guess. My clowns looked like they wanted to host it for a while, but I think a couple of good stings was enough to discourage them.

They are very pretty corals. I agree. Acceptable trade off!