leather coral vs hermit crabs

[KingRobot]

So I recently bought a leather coral and right now I have it sitting in the sand while it is light acclimating. Twice now I have caught a few of my small hermit crabs climbing onto it. I removed them when I noticed it. My question is can they harm the coral? Should I bother removing them each time or will the coral be fine? They were dwarf blue leg hermit crabs, if it matters.

 

[LAA]

mine do that every time I get a new coral. I think it’s because they try to clean it. I do the same thing. Gently flick them off. However I don’t think they harm them.

 

[Jekyl]

So I recently bought a leather coral and right now I have it sitting in the sand while it is light acclimating. Twice now I have caught a few of my small hermit crabs climbing onto it. I removed them when I noticed it. My question is can they harm the coral? Should I bother removing them each time or will the coral be fine? They were dwarf blue leg hermit crabs, if it matters.

They shouldn't be eating the coral. Usually just dead stuff. Best to keep your hands out of the tank as much as possible.

 

[anthonygf]

I had an assortment of hermits in my 75. Most of them would climb up on my Branching Monti, I remove them and the next day they are back with a few more of their cousins. It got so bad at one point they would brake the branches off. Well I had enough and when I had to remove them again this time they went to my LFS. No more crabs for me. Now I have 300-400 assorted snails. When lights are off my glass is covered with them, they retreat back to the sand bed or rocks when lights start to ramp up.

 

[coralfishreef]

Hermit crabs won’t harm leather corals. They do climb on them from time to time.

 

[anthonygf]

My hermits did not eat the coral polyps, though they did make many frags for me. My Monti was the size of a softball grown from a 1 inch stick, in one month it was cut in half by those viscous hermits.

 

[Jbell370]

I have several varieties of leathers and the hermits are on and off them without issue, I figure dead tissue, shedding perhaps, who knows, it's nature let it happen.

 

[anthonygf]

I have several varieties of leathers and the hermits are on and off them without issue, I figure dead tissue, shedding perhaps, who knows, it's nature let it happen.

The coral is not bothered by them trampling on it? Well life in my reef is better without them.

 

[Jbell370]

The coral is not bothered by them trampling on it? Well life in my reef is better without them.

If you keep hermits, that will happen. I don't see them ever on any other corals, just the leathers, don't seem to effect mine at all.