Hermit crabs die...

[Sharkbait_Ls1]

first off sorry If this is in the wrong section. I have a 55 gallon saltwater. for some reason my two hermit crabs have died. If you remember my introduction I bought this tank and the tankmates together about 3 months ago. My fish are completely fine and I do about 4-5 gallons a water change every week or so. I don't exactly know my "water parameters" but specific gravity stays at about a 1.023-1.024. I could go get my water tested I suppose if that will help you help me. The owner before had some kind of marine bio. person come over monthly and check over the tank and help him with whatever need be. Now I cannot afford that. But could something have ate my hermit crabs. I asked my Local fish shop guy and he said maybe I had some kind of worm(s) in my tank? or it could be my iodine is low? He told me to first check and see if maybe the big one moulted, which I thought at first bc there was a sack like thing coming out the back of him. I came back later and that was gone but the "body" part was still there. It's been over a week and It hasn't gone back in its shell and I haven't seen whatever that was coming out of him. I brought the other "body" to the shop and he said that he was dead. I'm NEW to all of this so I don't know hardly anything at all.

 

[Sharkbait_Ls1]

and to add, the large hermit crab that was about the size of the inside of my hand came from down in mexico. The guy brought him back in a container and was able to keep him alive. he had been in the tank for about 6-7 months.

 

[Sharkbait_Ls1]

BUMP!

 

[joy13]

I am not for sure what hermit crabs you have but I have seen mine actually fight over a shell and one ended up dead. There is plenty of other shells in the tank but they both seemed to want the same shell.

 

[Sharkbait_Ls1]

Well I am guessing just regular hermit crabs idk. They have red legs... It wouldn't have been a fight tho. One was about the size of a nickel and the other was about the size of a super bouncy ball I mean huge! I still have no ideal.

 

[Sharkbait_Ls1]

Ok so don't know what happened to them. I arranged all my rock and then I noticed I have a very small scarlet leg hermit crab. Pretty cool I guess. Is he going to survive. I hope so

 

[thincat]

If you did not have any shells large enough for the Hermit to go into when he outgrew his shell then he would be at the mercy of your fish or just about any animal in your tank.

 

[Sharkbait_Ls1]

Nope actually I had a couple shells fairly larger than his that would have been perfect he fiddled with them all the time never switched over. The smaller one had other shells as well he could have gotten into? I have no clue. But I do have two very small one that seemed to have came out of no where. More pleasent than the super huge one I did have but it was a big attraction in my tank ad well as my smooth searpant starfish