Hermits and zoa frags.

[owsley]

First time poster, recently getting back into the saltwater hobby after a ten+ year absence. Hoping to get some advice here,
Recently acquired a 29g tank that was running for close to a year with nothing but a clown(and rock n sand.) Over the last couple months we added another clown for a buddy, a firefish and a cleanup crew of crabs n snails.
Well this week we decided to finally get some corals in there and started with some simple zoa frags. Tonight we get them in and settled into place, I’m sitting there giddy as a school boy as I watch them slowly open, only to start freaking out as these jerk hermits rush over to eat the algae or w/e off the frags but in the process dragging their shells back and forth over them, quickly forcing them to close up and doing what I see as unneeded stress( especially in a new home) and possible damage. So what’s others opinions and experiences? Are these little one and two polyp frags hardy enough to handle these hermits scraping their shells over them? Should I worry about the added stress when already trying to acclimate these guys to my lights etc? What’s the thought on hermits in a possible zoa garden, should I just get rid of them before I get too deep?
thanks in advance!

 

[Doctorgori]

from what I read, no worries
I don’t worry too much over small hermits, my trust in them is proportional to their size
what type of light do you have?

 

[ying yang]

My hermits do same all time and never caused ant damage to about 7 different variety of zoa/palys and in water things aren't as heavy so out if water a hermit shell weighs next to nothing but in water its got note bounency if that's the right word to use idk lol
But wait until you get a cleaner shrimp if you do get one and a coral grabs some food or my larger palys and the paly closes up with food Inside and cleaner shrimp stabbing inside the closed polyp stealing the food they complete utter jerks compared to hermits lol but still again never seen Any damage caused by them either so think you have nothing to worry about and the hermits will move on.they new to tank also so just exploring there new surroundings

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

I got rid of all my hermit crabs after I caught them munching on my acan. If they dont munch on corals, they will kill snails and each other, just for fun. Hermits really are the jerks of the reef tank.

 

[owsley]

from what I read, no worries
I don’t worry too much over small hermits, my trust in them is proportional to their size
what type of light do you have?

Not 100% as I acquired the lot used with zero info or boxes etc. but from my searching I believe it’s one of the cheaper nicrews, 100w version. Not the best but seemed adequate for what I’m looking to do.