Do hermit crabs eat zoas?

[coralgazer]

I have a new reef tank cookin, up 9 months and well cycled. Parameters are perfect. I have mushroom corals, ricordeas, a large hammer coral, 2 feather dusters, all absolutely flourishing.

I want to grow a bunch of zoas. I ordered a frag with 10 polyps. I could see 10 little polyps. By day 7 it was down to about 7. Within 5 days everything was gone! disappeared! Nothing left but bare rock. Since my water parameters are so awesome, what could've happened?

I do have several hermit crabs, which were seen in the vicinity of the new frag rock. Could they have eaten these off the rock? The company has offered to replace them, but I need to know how to protect them so they can spread a little bit, and hopefully not disappear. Any suggestions welcome

 

[Jerome]

What kind of hermits crab do you have there are 100 genera. Some species can be very opportunistic. That said I doubt there the cause. They were probably gathering around it to eat the die off or something else in the vicinity. The shipping and handle of corals through the collectors to distributors to the store then to us can stress corals and fish for many reasons to numerous to list. This can cause corals and fish to have difficulty establishing themselves in our tanks no matter how ideal the conditions.

 

[whippetguy]

Zoas can melt for no apparent reason sometimes. Also, some zoas like not so awesome water parameters. I've got tons of zoas and have never seen hermits eat them, but that's just my experience.



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[ddelozier]

zoa's are tough, but weird. Sometimes they melt and fad without apparent cause. I've had em detach from the rock, fall apart and disappear, only to find one or two polyps on attached seperately to different rocks.

 

[DianaKay]

There are also zoa eating nudibranches that are hard to see. I had (or have?) them pestering my only zoa frag. I have learned a lesson in using coral dip BEFORE I put corals in my tank. Sorry to hear about your zoas! I hope you get it figured out....I love they way they look, I hope to have lots of them also.
I don't want any crabs because I'm afraid of what they will eat if they get hungry. :rollingey

 

[coralgazer]

There are also zoa eating nudibranches that are hard to see. I had (or have?) them pestering my only zoa frag. I have learned a lesson in using coral dip BEFORE I put corals in my tank. Sorry to hear about your zoas! I hope you get it figured out....I love they way they look, I hope to have lots of them also.
I don't want any crabs because I'm afraid of what they will eat if they get hungry. :rollingey

do you dip zoa frags also? i dipped these before putting in the tank. Could that have killed them? I used Coral Rx for 5 minutes.

 

[DianaKay]

do you dip zoa frags also? i dipped these before putting in the tank. Could that have killed them? I used Coral Rx for 5 minutes.

I didn't know to dip when I added my zoas...I don't know if the nudi came with them or out of my live rock after I put my frag of zoas in my tank cnfzd: ....I did get some Coral RX Dip & I have dipped them every other day. They look good now & open each day. I will dip ALL corals now. Unless there are ones that should NOT be dipped. I'm just learning about corals, so I love this forum

 

[R1junkie]

I know the zebra hermits will eat zoas I have caught the ones I used to have munching on them.

 

[dewi]

I'm just learning about corals, so I love this forum

and me :tears: never heard of dipping corals before putting them into the tank

 

[gbose]

I just caught one of my hermits (blue-legged, I think) apparently munching on a tiny new white poly frag I just put in. I moved him away, but he just went back..... not sure if he's eating the coral or just pruning die-off...

GBose