where are my hermits?

[copi]

I'm missing two hermits -- both among the largest of the 9 that were in my tank. I found two empty shells -- not at all damaged, just empty. At first I thought there were shell-swapping again, but it's possible to see pretty much everywhere in my aquarium by removing the backing & using a flashlight. They are nowhere to be found. One is MIA for 2 days, one for 3 days. If they'd both just swapped shells, I'd think I would have seen them by now.

I found both empty shells sitting atop the same rock.

That I'm aware of, my tank contains: various snails, hermits, royal gramma, yellow polyps, mushroom coral, peppermint shrimp, 'hiker black urchins, hawaiian & dwarf featherdusters. I can't imagine any of these are the culprit.

Are we thinking I've got (another) mantis hiding in that rock?

 

[thanew]

did you have any other shells sitting around in the tank ? this happened to me the other day... I ended up finding one of the hermit crabs hiding in a rock with no shell.. i dunno what happened, i didn't even think it was possible but..

 

[JPloman]

I am always finding the remains of a hermit crab... I think it might be because my tank is a year old now and some of the hermits are dying due to old age. The other hermits come and pull them out of the shells and take the shells. This doesnt sound like what is going on with you.

I would suggest checking to make sure you have extra shells are are larger sitting around the tank, just in case they out grew their shells and cant find a new one.

 

[mle421]

I am always finding the remains of a hermit crab... I think it might be because my tank is a year old now and some of the hermits are dying due to old age.

your hermits shouldn't be dying of old age at the age of 1. are you sure your not just seeing molts?

 

[copi]

I agree that you're likely seeing molts.

I have plenty of shells... an excessive amount, really. I think something is likely eating them since I found two empty shells sitting atop the same rock within a short period.

I'm wondering about the mantis possibility, though, because I thought they destroyed the shells...

 

[copi]

:?

Well whatever it is has a taste for red legs... 3 out of 3 are now MIA. I don't know where the 3rd was taken down as a blue leg moved into his shell before I noticed it was empty.

I still don't know how I'm going to figure this out... Seems like everything is just going to get picked off one by one until there is nothing left...

 

[mle421]

have you tried setting a trap?

 

[douggiestyle]

when a hermit crab molts it quite common for them to hide for a while before and after the molt. they will crawl under a rock or half burry themselves. i had a couple of scarlet reef disappear only to reappear a month later. also they will swap shells usualy right before a molt.