Galveston Hermits (1 Viewer)

[Guest]

I know I have seen something on this board about Galveston Hermits. I had a 40g setup with all my corals in it and over the past few months this brown dead looking stuff has spread all over my rocks and onto my corals. You can use a toothbrush to brush it off, but it never leaves. Moved the corals to my 80 gallon which dont think is sufficient lighting but they are still there. Anyway, I was bored at the beach and collected about 30 hermits. I put them in my 40G to see if maybe they would get rid of this crap that is all over my rocks. The guy by almeda mall gave me some medicine and said it would cure the stuff. Not sure that was a good idea. So, what are these hermits good for and will they kill any coral if my tank ever gets back to normal? Thanks

Eric

 

[HolyBanana]

Those hermits are hordes of destruction. I would never put them in a reef tank.

 

[Guest]

Thanks Bananna. I will take them out if my tank ever clears up and let them go.

 

[FireEater]

I usually collect 1 or 2 very very smalls ones and put in my tank. They do clean real good.

But when the get bigger they go back to the gulf. It is easy for me as I live 2 minutes away from the water.

HolyBanana is right though, they are destructive.

Mark

 

[pernelf]

I don' t think they will eat your algae, sounds like a diatom outbreak. Those hermits are mostly carnivorous if I remember correctly.

 

[Guest]

I ended up giving them to fishranch for store credit.

 

[Guest]

Well what can you do about the outbreak then?

 

[Guest]

You just have to wait it out for the most part. it is a natural part of the cycling process. Increasing water flow, decrease feedings, but mainly just wait. It'll go away.

 

[Guest]

I have never seen that in any of my cycling processes. I do believe it is from lack of current. Now I have it in my 80 gallon tank since I put my rocks in there. The back of my aquarium is like a green carpet of algae. Kinda neat, but will be razor bladed off soon.