What is killing Blue legged Hermit Crabs?

[Saratj1]

What do you guys think is killing my blue leg hermits? I have had them for about a month now and two have died they appear to be partially eaten only their head, claws, and legs remain, Their parts that goes in the shell is gone. I have extra shells in there for them to swap. My first suspect is my coral banded shrimp, but not sure.

Here's my stock:
1. Coral Banded Shrimp
2. Condy Anemone
3. 3 Stripe Damsel
4. 2x Domino Damsel
5. 2x Yellow tail Damsel
6. Sea Urchin
7. 3x Turbo Snails
8. Was 6 Hermit crabs, 2 red, 4 blue, now approx. 2 red 2 blue smaller than a dime in size
9. Misc. Hitchhikers, couple starfish smaller than a quarter, a few species of bristleworms (one black one with a couple white stripes that looks kinda mean) the largest worms seen are approx. 4-6in in length. A couple small crabs around dime sized(very shy)
10. A few coral frags- montipora, eagle eye zoas, button polyps

 

[Marcquez08]

I think the coral banded shrimp is known for killing other inverts. But I am no expert, but i have read that hermit crabs can kill each other. I have read that they fight over the shells that the other crabs may have. This is why I think you are supposed to have extra shells in the tank so they do not fight over each others shell.

Hope this helps.

 

[MacDracor]

Like Marcquez said, hermits will sometimes fight for shells, to the death, but the coral banded shrimp is known to be fairly aggressive towards other crustaceans. An the blues are pretty delicate.

 

[boardsurfer]

Could they have been molting? That's a possibility, but if not- I'd say the coral banded shrimp. I lost plenty of hermits about 6 years ago when I had a coral banded.

 

[sehrhart]

This video should help. I had the same questions.

 

[Jason M]

Just cuz u have shells doesn't mean they will take them. In nature if they see another with an "ideal" shell they will try to take it

 

[Easton33]

I noticed lately that I also had some bluelegged hermits' remains scattered around the bottom of the aquarium. I originally had about 12 of them, and I suspected that my fire shrimp might have been doing it. This happened for about another 3 months, then I realized that I still had about 10 of them, when I had seen so many scattered around. I believe that they might be just molting, however my shrimp or my yellowtail may have had a part in it.

 

[Chiefstrum]

I have a cb shrimp and the same situation. I just buy more crabs every few months to keep him fed