Can't keep hermits off of birdsnest

Noob2015 · 09/19/2015, 09:02 AM

I have a racquetball-sized pink birdsnest that my hermits have recently started crawling all over. I pick them off and toss them to far side of rank....10 minutes later another one is parked in it. There are three on it now! Any issues that I need to worry about?

ColinAbi · 09/19/2015, 09:07 AM

Howbout put the hermits in the sump and get some snails instead? My snails were much better at eating algae .

cloak · 09/19/2015, 10:02 AM

Just wait it out.. It's probably just a phase. You could try piping down a few pellets on the opposite side of the tank for them to find though. This might change things up a little. I've got a small hermit that likes to perch on a Montipora, but as soon as food hits the water he's on the move.

jmm · 09/19/2015, 11:14 AM

The biggest hermit magnet I ever saw was a clam on the halfshell. It looks like football team running for a loose ball when I put it in. Of course the fish go after it also, but it is hilarious how every hermit in the tank makes a straight line at high speed for the shell. Even after the visible part of the clam is gone and the fish are no longer interested, the hermits stay to pick clean the remnants for hours.

I didn't even know I had that many hermits.

Sk8r · 09/19/2015, 02:41 PM

No big deal. They mass very little. If the birdsnest doesn't close up I wouldn't worry about it. You probably have a female in that collection.

Noob2015 · 09/21/2015, 08:08 AM

Thx for the responses. It doesn't look like they are doing any damage....but it seems to be their favorite coral to climb all over lately. Maybe as it's growing it's catching pieces of food from the water column? Just wanted to make sure others didn't notice their crabs causing harm.

cloak · 09/21/2015, 10:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Noob2015

Maybe as it's growing it's catching pieces of food from the water column?

This makes since. I'm not sure what your feeding, but I could see how flake food or possibly some of the larger pieces of a frozen food could get caught up in the branches of a birdsnest.

09/19/2015, 09:02 AM	#1
Noob2015 Registered Member Join Date: May 2015 Location: Dallas, TX Posts: 70	Can't keep hermits off of birdsnest I have a racquetball-sized pink birdsnest that my hermits have recently started crawling all over. I pick them off and toss them to far side of rank....10 minutes later another one is parked in it. There are three on it now! Any issues that I need to worry about? __________________ 90 ga mixed reef. 30 ga sump/fuge. BRS dual carbon/GFO reactor, 70lbs live rock. Miracle mud, chaeto, S-200 skimmer, SICCE 4.0 pump. Gyre 150. Radion XR15 pro x 2.

09/19/2015, 09:07 AM	#2
ColinAbi Hola Join Date: Jan 2015 Location: Huntington Beach, CA Posts: 614	Howbout put the hermits in the sump and get some snails instead? My snails were much better at eating algae . __________________ -Colin -"The most amazing things that can happen to a human being will happen to you, if you just lower your expectations." Current Tank Info: N/A

09/19/2015, 02:41 PM	#5
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	No big deal. They mass very little. If the birdsnest doesn't close up I wouldn't worry about it. You probably have a female in that collection. __________________ Sk8r Salinity 1.024-6; alkalinity 8.3-9.3 on KH scale; calcium 420; magnesium 1300, temp 78-80, nitrate .2. Ammonia 0. No filters: lps tank. Alk and cal won't rise if mg is low. Current Tank Info: 105g AquaVim wedge, yellow tang, sailfin blenny,royal gramma, ocellaris clown pair, yellow watchman, 100 microceriths, 25 tiny hermits, a 4" conch, 1" nassarius, recovering from 2 year hiatus with daily water change of 10%.

09/21/2015, 08:08 AM	#6
Noob2015 Registered Member Join Date: May 2015 Location: Dallas, TX Posts: 70	Thx for the responses. It doesn't look like they are doing any damage....but it seems to be their favorite coral to climb all over lately. Maybe as it's growing it's catching pieces of food from the water column? Just wanted to make sure others didn't notice their crabs causing harm. __________________ 90 ga mixed reef. 30 ga sump/fuge. BRS dual carbon/GFO reactor, 70lbs live rock. Miracle mud, chaeto, S-200 skimmer, SICCE 4.0 pump. Gyre 150. Radion XR15 pro x 2.

09/19/2015, 10:02 AM	#3
cloak Moved On Join Date: Jul 2000 Location: Stockton, CA Posts: 14,854	Just wait it out.. It's probably just a phase. You could try piping down a few pellets on the opposite side of the tank for them to find though. This might change things up a little. I've got a small hermit that likes to perch on a Montipora, but as soon as food hits the water he's on the move.

09/19/2015, 11:14 AM	#4
jmm Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2015 Location: Dallas, TX Posts: 569	The biggest hermit magnet I ever saw was a clam on the halfshell. It looks like football team running for a loose ball when I put it in. Of course the fish go after it also, but it is hilarious how every hermit in the tank makes a straight line at high speed for the shell. Even after the visible part of the clam is gone and the fish are no longer interested, the hermits stay to pick clean the remnants for hours. I didn't even know I had that many hermits.