Hermit crabs driving me nuts!

[wontonflip]

Ok, so I bought 10 hermit crabs, and 2 of them are scarlet crabs. Those 2 drive me nuts!! A few days after I got them, I couldn't find my 2nd scarlet! I know they're good at hiding, but no sign of the 2nd scarlet for days. Then all of a sudden, I saw a stray dismembered claw floating on the sand! I had never seen a crab molt, let alone leave a leg that looked like it was torn off...but sure enough, a week later, there goes the 2nd one...happy as a ... crab.

But today, I freaked cuz I saw one of my scarlet's body parts! This time, it was 4 legs, plus what seemed to be an eaten upper body, no sign of the shell. So I figured, dang. I guess it died and the others ate it....low and behold, tonight, I now see both of my scarlets. This molting thing is crazy!!! I didn't think they'd leave complete looking body parts all over the place LOL

 

[dustin_P74]

when they molt they drop everything, it looks exactly like them, i see it all the time and i still question if its a molt or the actual thing

 

[cthegame]

Its a combination of both. Hermits die just like snails every once in a while. Some times i see them fighting each other. Other times i see my tang picking on them. So i think sometimes they die but most of the time they are molting.

 

[Coletrickle]

I added a cleaner shrimp one day and the next morning all I see is a clear shell. I was upset to say the least. Later on that day I feed and out he came from under a rock. I thought for sure something had ate him.

 

[yote]

Thats just crabs in general.

 

[sicklids]

i got 3 big red hermits, and i found this weekend that one is missing out of his shell, and his remains are laying in the bottom of the tank. do hermits leave their shell to molt"?

 

[yote]

Sometimes.It could have molted and couldnt fit back in the shell.I've seen that happen before.

 

[sicklids]

well, there are shells, or at least one shell in there that is a bit larger than the one he was in, but no sign of him really. seeing as how he is in a predator tank, that was probably him gettin eaten by the other 2 crabs in there. i dont know, i guess time will tell!!!

 

[wontonflip]

i got 3 big red hermits, and i found this weekend that one is missing out of his shell, and his remains are laying in the bottom of the tank. do hermits leave their shell to molt"?

You are where I was when I first got my crabs LOL. one went missing and I saw it's claw floating around,. but he popped up a few days later.....and it had happened again, except it was 4 of his claws, and attached to what looked like chewed up upper body....but later on, there he was, happily eating, and his claws lookin' fresh.