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06/11/2010, 03:55 PM
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#1 |
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Registered Member
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: canada
Posts: 205
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whats eating my hermit crabs??
past few weeks in the same corner of the tank i see hermit crab legs there.. so so who ever is eating them is only eating the body? or is the body still in the shell and he just got ripped in half
 tank occupants are: 2 med size clowns med size decorator crab brittle star misc turbos/snails |
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06/11/2010, 04:17 PM
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#2 |
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Registered Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Clifton Park, NY
Posts: 3,198
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You sure its the hermits and not molts of hermits???
__________________
Rhonda There is NO such things as Dumb Questions!! There are However.. Dumb Answers!!! ;) ____________ Current Tank Info: 55g reef....Current Orbit SunPaq Lights, HOB Eshopps, HOB AquaClear 110, 2-1400 Koralia Powerheads & 1 Nano Koralia, 40+ lbs LR, 2" LS |
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06/11/2010, 04:19 PM
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#3 |
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Registered Member
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Pennsylvania
Posts: 292
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Perhaps they are molting? Have you actually seen a vacant shell or anything?
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06/11/2010, 04:21 PM
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#4 | |
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Registered Member
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: canada
Posts: 205
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Quote:
 and there is shells laying around
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06/11/2010, 07:00 PM
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#5 |
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Registered Member
Join Date: Nov 2009
Posts: 60
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Do you see other CUC members devouring the remains? A resonably fresh dead crab would bring out all the critters. If you just see the legs, it's likely the molt. It really does look just like a dead crab.
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06/11/2010, 07:27 PM
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#6 |
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Registered Member
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: canada
Posts: 205
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no there not eating them yet... but its only legs and looks like meat hanging outa the legs...
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06/11/2010, 08:41 PM
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#7 |
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Registered Member
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Gainesville, Florida
Posts: 1,626
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Overwhelming odds are it's just molted shells. Any "meat" would get eaten by SOMEBODY immediately.
I posted a virtually identical question when I first saw molted hermit shells. 
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06/11/2010, 08:48 PM
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#8 |
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Registered Member
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: canada
Posts: 205
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ok! does the color come off with the legs?
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06/11/2010, 09:14 PM
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#9 |
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Registered Member
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Gainesville, Florida
Posts: 1,626
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Yep. The shell is colored just like the real thing, if that's what you mean. Same thing when a shrimp molts. Antennae come off, the whole works. Looks just like a murder victim.
It's not IMPOSSIBLE you have dead hermits, of course, but unlikely. Every once in a while there's a psychotic hermit who runs around killing every other hermit in the tank - but that's rare. They ALL do molt. Keeping an empty margarita shell or two in the tank will help keep the murder rate down, BTW.
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06/11/2010, 09:18 PM
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#10 |
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Registered Member
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: canada
Posts: 205
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ok well next time i see one ill try to take a good pic! yes cant hurt to have extra shells!
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