Hermits vs. Anemones

[alanbates12]

I'm searching for an answer as to why my anemones keep dieing. This makes my fifth attempt. I admit I've not done the research with the first three. Since that time I've tried to stabilize my tank. My LFS has told me the water is great. All levels are 0. PH is 8.2/8.4. SG is 1.024. My phosphates are 0/0.5. My lighting is good. So WTHeck. I've managed a frogspawn, trumpet and a brain. Along with some polups that seem to be growing but my anemones keep kicking the bucket. We've looked and set traps for worms and what not. This morning I think I may have found the culprit. A hermit, don't know what kind but he has black an white stripes on his legs appeared to be attacking my BTA. I took him and his look a likes out of my tank. I still have a few smaller brothers and some that are a different type, ie their legs are a solid color. So could this be the culprit. I understand the mistakes I made before, ie not stabe environment. But at this point I'm looking for anything.

 

[davocean]

More than likely your hermit was picking at an already dying nem or something around it.
I don't like or keep hermits for various reasons, but I've never heard of them harming a healthy nem.

 

[velfamily]

I, too, am looking for answers on anenome deaths, Alanbates.

we have lost:
3 rbta
2 green bta
an aurora
4 condy
2 sebae
AND 1 hadoni carpet

I'm in your boat! (water chem great & everything else in tank is flourishing!)

I have a few of the zebra hermits I think you are talking about, but I've never seen them picking on any coral or nem.

 

[Korrine]

I don't keep hermits or any crab for that matter. They are too opportunistic and are omnivorous. Snails can do what hermits are claimed to do as far as algae and food clean up.

 

[patsfan1130]

If you're convinced that it has nothing to do with your water / permaters etc maybe you should stop trying. sometimes scenarios like this never get figured out. My personal opinion is that these creatures are better off left in the ocean anyway. The mortality rate for nems in our hobby is hudreds of times of that when in the wild.

 

[davocean]

^^Well, some might say all fish/corals are better off left in the ocean.
Some nems are harder to keep than others, and those nems are better off w/ people who have had experience in keeping them and in established tanks, but in general if you are set up properly I don't think it's too difficult.
Maybe post pics of your setup.

 

[alanbates12]

[/IMG]

My setup pictures are listed under my information. I don't think this guy is sick. I really think the hermit was attacking it. Had to put my fish in a QT tank, ich, so maybe I'm not feeding the tank like I should and the hermits are hungry...

 

[bues0022]

Where to start...

My setup pictures are listed under my information.

We really need much larger detailed pictures of your tank. The tiny thumbnail pictures do little besides show us that you do, in fact, have a tank. Besides that, all detail is completely lost.

I really think the hermit was attacking it. Had to put my fish in a QT tank, ich, so maybe I'm not feeding the tank like I should and the hermits are hungry...

No, a hermit crab will NOT “eat” an otherwise healthy anemone. Actually, a healthy anemone (species dependant) should be able to (and has in my care before) eaten a large variety of clean-up crews that wander too close. My haddoni was notorious for this. BTA’s sting would drive the crab away. Hermits are scavengers, eating mainly dead things – food, detritus etc. NOT live (and healthy) anemones.

I, too, am looking for answers on anenome deaths, Alanbates.

we have lost:
3 rbta
2 green bta
an aurora
4 condy
2 sebae
AND 1 hadoni carpet

I'm in your boat! (water chem great & everything else in tank is flourishing!)

I have a few of the zebra hermits I think you are talking about, but I've never seen them picking on any coral or nem.

Obviously something is off in your tank. I can’t believe you’ve killed that many anemones and 1) keep trying, and 2) haven’t found your answer. Maybe a penny got dropped into the tank. Copper fittings anywhere? Non-reef-safe chemicals used? In this case especially, there is not a magic bullet, or a large global answer to “how to keep an anemone alive”. There is something seriously wrong with your particular setup, and to find the answer you might want to start your own thread with as many details as possible.

Back to the OP, how old is the tank? Post more details, more explanations, and MUCH better pictures are needed if you want a better diagnosis. Just because you think your anemone looks healthy doesn't mean it is so. The knowledgeable people here will be able to help see if there is something more subtle going on.

 

[alanbates12]

No copper fittings, all plastic. No non reef safe anything used. Water level is good. I've got other LPS doing fine. Tried the bristal worm trap and got nothing. Actually saw a hermit attacking my anemone. He and all his brother have been taken out. The BTA looks great and so far no problems. I'll try to get better pictures but the setup is pretty basic.

The quote you used, bues 0022, is not from me....

 

[alanbates12]

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[alanbates12]

Sorry about the crazy viedo, dont get sea sick. Only chaeto in the fuge the other macro did not do well. No condy's in the fuge either. The BTA is my new anemone.

 

[bues0022]

I was replying not only to you, but the other person looking for answers by tagging along to your thread. The first two quotes addressed some of your questions, then i digressed to the other person, then back to you. My work computer can't get the video to load, but whatever nem is in your sump in that video is severely bleached. I'm not entirely surprised that it didn't make it. The picture of your BTA looks pretty healthy. I'm still quite skeptical that your hermits were actually attacking the flesh of the BTA itself, and not any kind of mucus, food particles, or other things in close proximity. I've been wrong before, but this seems like wildly aggressive behavior for a hermit.

 

[alanbates12]

In the fuge are condy's. I actually could not believe the hermit was nipping at the anemone but I did see it with my own eyes. Whatever type of hermit the LFS said they can be aggressive.

 

[alanbates12]

Also the condy's are not in the fuge anymore.

 

[alanbates12]

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[heckfire]

thats alot of nems to lose,, i really doubt a crab killed all those ,, there has to be something off in your parameters

 

[alanbates12]

Yea that seems to be the consensus. The problem is that I saw it happening. Not to say the hermit killed the anemones but I think he stressed them and that aided in their death. Water parameters have been the same. Just look at the pictures of my BTA without the hermit in the tank, need I say more.

 

[jdyer88]

alanbates, Are you getting all of your specimens from the same place? I've been told by the experts in this thread that finding a healthy specimen in the first place is one of the hardest parts of keeping nems. Also keeping your water chemistry as close to NSW as possible and stable seems to help. I have become more successful at keeping BTAs since I started monitoring mag, cal, alk, and supplementing trace and stront and moly. Iodine seems to very important to all inverts as well. i will suggest stabilizing these things first, and then if you are willing to try again, look for an aquacultured specimen, or someone else's nem that has been in captivity for a while. In no way am I an expert by the way, this is just what I have been told on this thread and have researched on my own.

 

[alanbates12]

Please read the thread. All parameters have remained stable. Please look at my pictures of my current BTA. YES MY MG, Cal, KH are great. Also all trace elements are in place. Seems no one is listening to what I've been saying. Now don't get me wrong, the hermits are not charging up the rocks with claw raised ready to attack. But these hermits with black and white stripe legs were in my BTA with noticed damage to a few tenicals. Yes I saw them attacking. I removed all of them and as I said just look at the picture of my anemone, he looks great.

 

[alanbates12]

[/IMG]Please read the thread. All parameters have remained stable.

Please look at my pictures of my current BTA. YES MY MG, Cal, KH are great. Also all trace elements are in place. Seems no one is listening to what I've been saying. Now don't get me wrong, the hermits are not charging up the rocks with claw raised ready to attack. But these hermits with black and white stripe legs were in my BTA with noticed damage to a few tenicals. Yes I saw them attacking. I removed all of them and as I said just look at the picture of my anemone, he looks great.