Crabs eating my coral

[watergirl84094]

I have one emerald crab and about 5 blue leg hermit crabs in my 125g tank. I have a few soft corals and I haven't had any problems. I just recently added a couple more zoa frags to the tank. I noticed a few of the new zoa polyps were missing one day. Then I saw the emerald and a hermit picking at the zoas with their claws the next day. I thought emeralds and hermits were reef safe. They've never touched the other corals in the tank. Could it be my crabs are underfed and are eating things they normally wouldn't?

 

[Airwolf75]

That is a possibility. try the algae waffers they sell for freshwater plecos.

Another possiblility is that some crabs just like the taste of corals.

Also marine animals like to copy eachother, so maybe they saw one doing it, and figured it must be good.

 

[charlesr1958]

I would not say that your crabs are underfed but are simply being what they are....omnivores, if they can find something "meaty", they will eat it. Which is why free ranging crabs are not reef safe.

Chuck