in my 20 gallon tank i got my first ever coral a small green star polyp frag i have a firefish and neon goby fish wise they dont mess with it my peppermint shrimp doesnt mess with it but it didnt open last night i turn tank light on its still not open but a few minutes later some of the green polyps start popping out of the matt but my stupid hermit crab climbs on it and they all hide how much longer before it opens back up
got my first coral
- Nano Build
- Thread starter fishboy10
- Start date
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Oh and hermits are just not worth it in my book. I have one and that is all I ever have.
Oh that is any bodies guess, typically after being interrupted by a hermit not long. If it's chemistry issues, acclimating, detritus or algae on the surface of the coral, then days possibly, not a hug deal, it's hard to kill this coral and I have tried.
thehammer1985
Well-Known Member
Shouldn't take too long they are pretty resilient those mats with good water quality should spread like wildfire
Flameback Pair
started reefing 1999
To better help you we need your equipment specifications and water parameters.
1stNoel
Well-Known Member
I wouldn't sweat the hermit crabs. When I got my first coral, they all swarmed it. I panicked at first, and sat there for 2 hours keeping them away with a stick...but they were relentless. 
At the end, they didn't do anything to the coral. They were simply cleaning the algae off the plug. And when you target feed, they'll go to it to pick off some leftovers. I've had no issues with hermit crabs. Think of them as a welcoming committee.
Emerald crabs, on the other hand, completely ate one coral and they will be going in the sump if they touch another. :mad:
At the end, they didn't do anything to the coral. They were simply cleaning the algae off the plug. And when you target feed, they'll go to it to pick off some leftovers. I've had no issues with hermit crabs. Think of them as a welcoming committee.
Emerald crabs, on the other hand, completely ate one coral and they will be going in the sump if they touch another. :mad:
I'm not a big hermit fan, I take them out once they get to be very big. I put a small fuzzy lion fish in my tank, the next day I saw the hermit grab it's fin and it took off. In the process it got a tear where the hermit was holding, got an infection (it was so new I'm thinking it was from being stressed), then died.
njtiger aquariums
Well-Known Member
Gsp, by my understanding, very hardy corals. I wouldn't be concerned about the crab on it cause my crab, shrimp, fish, and snail bug mine.
Now when they grow they will grow. I heard they will take over rocks so I keep mine on a small island by themselves.
Now what kind of lighting are you using? How's your flow?
Now when they grow they will grow. I heard they will take over rocks so I keep mine on a small island by themselves.
Now what kind of lighting are you using? How's your flow?
