Electric Blue Hermit Crab

[bubbymac]

i recently purchased a baby Hippo tang about the size of a quarter from the LFS. Everything has been fine in the tank and no major problems. This morning before i left for work i couldn't find the tang after a search i finally located it laying on the bottom of the tank. Not a big deal i know that is how the tang tends to act. Well i got back home tonight and i cant find the tang anywhere.

My question would a electric blue hermit crab attack and eat the tang. It has killed several of my snails and over the past couple of weeks i have had 1 domino damsel and 2 chromi's come up missing.

I have 29 biocube i know you will say my tank it too small for a tang but as small as it was my tank was fine.

 

[MsBeanCtr]

you'd be surprised just how well a hippo tang can hide. I took half of my tank apart looking for the hippo....I thought for sure he croaked and the hermit crab was feasting.

Have you considered putting in some extra (larger sized too) shells for the hermit crab? He might be looking for a new home.

 

[melosu58]

I dont think the hermit could have eaten him that fast. I agree with msbeanctr. Keep looking.

 

[bubbymac]

thanks for the help guys. you got my hopes up. I just tore my tank apart. I ended up finding her, dead and mostly bones left. I think i will stick to cheaper fish. grrrrrrrrrrrrrr

 

[MsBeanCtr]

Oh man! Very sorry to hear that. I thought for sure you'd find her tucked away in a corner. Jeeze! What a canabalistic (sp?) hermit crab you have.

 

[bawel]

Sorry about your loss Bubbymac... Not to hijack your post, in fact, this posting made me decide to confess... I too have a small blue hippo tang a size of a quarter dollar when I bought from LFS and I only have 28gallon... MY LFS said I can keep it until it grows another 2 extra inches, I have to give it away... So far, it has grown about an inch or so, therefore probably in a month or so when it grows bigger, I already asked my favorite LFS to take in for me. I understand when you said that

I have 29 biocube i know you will say my tank it too small for a tang but as small as it was my tank was fine.

coz my tank is only a gallon less than urs.

I don't think it's cruelty when you actually follow what supposed to be done correctly even for just awhile, it's very fun to watch having Dory and Nemo in the tank, just like seen in the movie. My blue tang is very happy in my tank, always swimming around to front when I stand in front of it. I'm just glad my Electic Hermit Crab, Emerald Crab is all cool when my mini Dory sleeps on the floor bed.

 

[Erok7620]

I suspect the tang was sick to begin with. I never had any luck with the baby blue tangs. They always ended up on their side and wouldnt eat. I tried two then decided to get a medium sized which is doing great. I just dont think a healthy tang would have got caught by a hermit, even a larger electric blue. I could be wrong though, we'll never know.

 

[bubbymac]

i wonder if mine did not get injured or something. She swam into the back chamber of my cube sunday. Maybe when i get a bigger tank i will get another one.

 

[bubbymac]

maybe i need a fish whisper'r