Hermit crab got chocolate chip starfish

[cartsue]

Help,
I love my chocolate chip starfish. All has been going well in my 50 gal tank and my 7 fish. Well but a little boring so on a trip to the local fish store to buy snails this weekend, there was an awesome, big, red hermit crab. Long story short, we bought "Bruno" and things were going fine. Well tonight I spotted him munching on my lovely Chip.... he got about 1 inch off of one leg and maybe 1/4 off of another. I rescued Chip....
My questions: will Chip recover? Will his legs grow back? He is now up top, on the glass so I think he survived but what about monster Bruno? I have 4 damsils, 1 Valentini puffer, 1 maroon clown and an engineer gobbi (I think thats what he is) who lives under the substrate. Is this crab a killer who I need to return to the fish store before he nabs anyone else? any feedback is appreciated!

 

[o2ngk]

Your starfish will be fine and grow back its feet slowly. Hermit crab is a scavenger by nature so it will eat anything eatable that they can get a hold of. If you worry, but need one for some reasons, try to trade him with a smaller one.

 

[renogaw]

not a big hermit... they aren't scavengers they are predators. get rid of the thing.

 

[cartsue]

Awful ending to this story....woke up to find the crab on top of the starfish and the starfish in pieces....: (
Took him back to the fish store today, no more killer hermit crabs for this tank. RIP Chip.

 

[beth]

And this is why I vehemently speak out against hermit crabs in any tank with inverts.
Overall, they basically have no purpose, do no good, in a tank....unless you just like hermits.
Sorry this happened.