anyone with hermit crabs that never attacked corals?

[h2o]

I am hearing a lot of horror stories here about blue and scarlet attacking and eatting corals.
I had similar experice in the past, but due to sever algea problem, my cleaning crew arrived today, and I am crossing my fingers hoping nothing will happen to my corals.
Can anyone share experience how you can prevent (if any) your hermits eatting your corals? Or should I just assume that if they are eatting my coral(s) and the coral itself must be unhealthy, so just let nature takes it course?

 

[dfimble]

In the 8 months that I have had a clean up crew, I have only lost 1 snail. It just so happened that I found the snail in the arms of the red hermit. What I don't know is if the snail was sick or dead before the hermit got to it. Just leave a bunch of empty shells around. I've never had a coral attached, although they love to climb on my button polyps.
David

 

[hondo]

I have about 30 scarlet reef and 10 left hand hermits. I have seen them crawl all over every Soft, LPS, and SPS coral I have and they have never bothered any of them. I have seen them eat snails but the snails may have already been dead or dying as I've never seen them take out a snail that was moving. I did have some blue legs but I did see them attack snails that were attached to rocks and heathly so I hunted them down and removed them.

 

[chevron tang]

i had once instance where a blue leg starting eating the base of my coral. i took it out. and then not long ago i got more hermits but instead of attacking the corals they just pestered the heck out of them and made them never want to come out. so once again i took them out.

 

[h2o]

so is it offensive to say blue hermits are not reef safe? i rather have mine eatting snails than my precious corals.

 

[adrian]

Ive had problems with certain hermits, I cant say I ever saw a blue leg eating a coral, but they did/do tend to crawl on on corals and sit for hours at a time causing the coral to close, never noticed any damage though. I have had a halloween crab attack corals, I gave him three chances and then got rid of it. Ive never witnessed a crab eat a snail. I think the red legs are the safest hermits, never had any problems with them, and they do a great job with hair algae and scavenging, at least in my tank