cleaning crew not reef safe

[pikachu]

woke up this morning, my open coral is 1/3 gone, showing its skeleton. who could have done it? I want to take every single thing I bought from this site and barbuque it, and feed my dogs. who said cleaning crew is reef safe? I got plenty of algea, and they attacked every corals there is in my tank.

 

[tangs_in_pacifica]

What kind of cleaning crew critters did you get?

 

[krazzydart]

what kind of clean up crew did you get?????
what kind of coral was it??????
how long has the tank been set up??????
what size is it? what are the water condetions like??? did you acclamate the clean up crew properly?? what else is in the tank????
we need to know all of these things in order to help you!!!

 

[playtime]

Which crew did you buy. What is in your tank besides the crew? As hard as it is, try not to jump to conclusions. Take your time and try to figure out the problem. I noticed this is only your 22 post so I am not familular with your set up. Please give more information so we can help.
playtime

 

[coralbeauty]

Who else is in your tank? I caught my flame angel and wrasse snacking on my green open brain. Now once the wound was there I saw the hermits on top of the coral. But I do not think they were eating it. However, I moved it to my other reef and it healed and is doing really well again. This reef does have hermits, emerald crabs, and snails in it as well.
Good luck,
Connie

 

[pikachu]

wow, thanks for the reply. my tank is 55g i have set up for 2 yr. started reef 1/2 yr ago. last wk i bought the 55g+ package from this site, 20 scarlet hermit, 20 blue hermit, 20 snail and 2 emearld crab, 2 cleaner shrimp. my open brain coral, cauliflower coral, clam have been introduced into tank for 4 months now, i also have 2 tomatoes clown, 1 cardinal, a blue damsel, a yellow tail damsel. tested water lastnight, water .24, nitrite 0, ph 8.2 what gets me confused it prior the arrival of this package, califlower coral streched all the way out, but now it hardly opens. tell me if it's a bad idea, i am about heading to lfs to get a 20 tank, and put the suspects in it, and use a siphon hose from the main one to this small tank, then goes into the sump as circulation. i spend a lot of time taking care of this tank, and just sad to see this healthy coral get hurt.

 

[mithrax]

I have a sad experience with my open brain coral too. I actually saw blue leg hermits tearing it's flesh apart but I thought perhaps because the coral was damaged during shipping exposing some parts of it's skeleton and some flesh were torn to start with. So I did not really blame the hermits. The second open brain I got was not bothered at all since it is intact when I received it.

 

[jimi]

A crab is a crab and some will eat corals or any meat they can get a hold of.

 

[up north hermit]

Crabs (most hermits) are opportunists, not agressive predators. Chances are, something caused the coral damage, and the crabs took full advantage.
On the other hand, I am starting to be inclined to agree more and more with Dr. Shimek, who calls crabs "reef terrorists". However, they do have their place in a well bio-diversified reef.
My humble .02
Hermit

 

[playtime]

While I am sorry for your loss, I do agree that the crabs were just doing what they do ( if they are the culprits). If something isn't well, as with the case of one of my turbo's,( they ate him). I have to think They are too cute to be that cruel. Hopefully, you wont have any more problems. Also, If there were something wrong with the coral, it could have been anyone. Good luck.
playtime

 

[burnnspy]

That hermits were doing what they do best scavenge. The corals were diseased or dying, 'survival of the fittest' dictates that they be destroyed and the hermits abliged.
I lost a damaged Brain and Clam to them also but they haven't touched healthy corals or show any interest either. Blue legged hermits are more likely to take advantage of a distressed coral(clam) then a scarlet, that is why I only keep scarlets in my reef.
BurnNSpy

 

[b_ball12_99]

I agree about the hermits cleaning up the dead and dieing