Hermit Crab vs Red General Starfish - Not Good.

Ok so heres the situation...

Today I stopped at the lfs and found what they called a red general starfish for $30. It is about 5 inches from one side to the other. Before I bought it, I looked through some of the stores books and read up on it and it seemed like a good candidate for my FOWLR tank. Its a meat eater, meant to be kept away from corals, but doesnt have any harmful characteristics that might harm anything in the tank like poisonous spines or anything. So I brought this thing home, acclimated it, and dropped it in the tank.

Heres what he looks like (Random internet pic):


So I watched him for a while and he just sat there not moving. Now in this tank I have a 2 inch scarlet hermit crab. I did some other things around the house and then came to find the starfish slowly creeping his way over the back of the hermits shell like it was going to consume him and eat him. I watched for a little while and the crab finally noticed the starfish and started trying to walk away. Over time the crab just kept moving closer to the other side of the tank and that starfish just kept following him. I knew there was going to be a problem right then. So later I was talking on the phone and I looked over at the tank to find the starfish had totally pissed the crab off and the crab was on top of him with one of the starfish's spines in between his pincher claw ready to clamp down. I immediately shot my hand into the tank and grabbed the crab and moved him to the other side of the tank and that is where we are at right now.

So I am wondering if anyone else has had experience like this. Did I make a bad compatibility decision? I dont want to take it back if I dont have to, but I definately love my crab more than the starfish and I dont want to lose $30 if the crab wins. What does everyone think I should do?

 

He's a meat eater ....... crab is meat ..... 1 + 1 = 2.
Small fish may become a meal as well when sleeping at night.

 

But are they really that stupid? Do they wake up in the middle of the night and say "Ouch, that hurt! For a second there I thought you were trying to eat me...What was I thinking?" I mean, the starfish moves so slow, I am actually worried about the crab getting fed up with it and pulling a terminator on its spines.

 

I wouldn't worry about the crab vs the starfish. I have had a red general star for years and never had any problems with their interactions with the hermits.

The starfish is too slow to actually catch the hermits and while I have occasional seen a hermit climb on the starfish, I've never seen them do any actual damage.

 

Yeah I just bit my tongue and watched the hermit walk all over him last night and I am thinking everything will be fine as well.

 

Cool, I think they will get along fine. Reminds me of when I put a Goniopora in my tank, and the next day I see the arrow crab climbing around amongst the polyps picking at it. I just about pulled the darn arrow crab, but I decided to let nature take its course and hope for the best. A month later he still climbs around in the Goniopora and picks around. I guess he's just stealing food.

 

Called an Red African, or Horned Sea Star! Oportunistic omnivore of other inverts... and will wipe out an aquarium of sedentary life and is not to be trusted with small or sleeping fish!

 

So put "No Doze" in your tank so the fish won't fall asleep? That would probably work. Maybe pour a bottle of Mountain Dew in there every night.

 

thats still just funny