Hermit crab eating xenia?

[Ramon reef]

Has anyone ever seen a hermit crab eating xenia?

I recently put a small xenia frag in my tank which I butchered while taking it off the LFS frag plug. I was hoping it was going to bounce back, but there is nothing left of it.

Should I be worried about purchasing anther xenia as the hermits have a taste for it?

 

[Catawba_Valley_Reef]

Are you sure the hermit wasn’t eating it because it was dying/dead?

A lot of critters get the blame for killing/eating coral…but often times they are performing clean up of dead/dying tissue.

I think you would be fine putting more xenia in there.

Also, make sure the hermit has something to eat. Tank looks pretty new.

 

[Ramon reef]

Are you sure the hermit wasn’t eating it because it was dying/dead?

A lot of critters get the blame for killing/eating coral…but often times they are performing clean up of dead/dying tissue.

I think you would be fine putting more xenia in there.

Also, make sure the hermit has something to eat. Tank looks pretty new.

Yes tank is very new. Xenia was my second coral. You may be right about the xenia, i dropped it on the floor while attempting to put it on a rock with an elastic band. Probably injured, but definitely not dead.

 

[Catawba_Valley_Reef]

Yes tank is very new. Xenia was my second coral. You may be right about the xenia, i dropped it on the floor while attempting to put it on a rock with an elastic band. Probably injured, but definitely not dead.

A scavenger will eat anything if it’s hungry enough. Could always drop a couple of pellets in for the hermit(s) until there is enough algae growth on the rocks for it/them.