hermits and acro

[kamberman]

Hello
I'm beginning to have some serious concerns about a dosen of hermits I got. A have them for a couple of months now. Most of them are very small but one has grown quite large. They're black with yellow legs and the big one looks quite hairy and ugly. They move around my acros and during the last two days an acro of mine has begun to bleach in one of its branch. Like someone scratched it. The bleaching of my acro didn't spread the last 3 days. I even noticed scrathces to my coralline algae on some rocks. I'd like to ask:
1) Could it be the hermits or is it a coincidence? Are these particular hermits reef-safe?
2) What should I do about my acro? My water parameters are perfect and stable. The only change I made was to add one 150 watt MH (but that was 2 weeks ago)

 

[javajaws]

1) Probably, and probably not
2) Dinner?

Based on other's experiences I wouldn't put any hermits in my tank except scarlet hermits and those micro blue leg hermits (they are REALLY small).

 

[kamberman]

1) I'll keep an eye on them (an on the acro as well)
2) What do you mean by "dinner"? If I feed them? No...

 

[javajaws]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6529266#post6529266 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by kamberman
1) I'll keep an eye on them (an on the acro as well)
2) What do you mean by "dinner"? If I feed them? No...

Oops! I misread that last question as: "What should I do about my HERMIT?"



I'd do nothing unless it seems to get worse. If it starts to spread again I might would frag off the bleached piece if possible.

But its not out of the realm of possibility that the change in lighting caused the problem in the first place. If thats the case I wouldn't expect it to get worse now that it has stopped spreading.

Or the problem could be something altogether different. Did the bleaching start at the tip of the branch? underside? topside? Any other bleached spots?

 

[kamberman]

Thanks that's what I would like to hear...!
The bleaching is in two (out of 10 branches) from the tip to the middle of the branch, outside. All the rest of the acro is ok and since I put the MH, from brown it begun to turn purple at the tips and I was pleased about it. The coloration is kept the same even after the bleaching and its healthy polyps continue to extend especially during the night