dead hermit crab ?

[nikhil]

I got 4 hermit crabs and 2 turbo snails for my 75 gallon aquarium. I see one of the hermit crabs, in a long shell, hasnt moved since I put him in. He is lying with two legs sticking out, and there is algae that has grown on the legs. he is not moving. Is he dead? molting? How can I find out?

Is it OK to leave a dead hermit crab in the tank? will the other crabs/fish eat it up before he pollutes the water by decomposing?

Also, havent seen a fire goby that I put in 3 days ago. Doesnt even come out for feeding. So, what if its lying dead somewhere under the surface? Do I need to open the roof and take a through look in case its died?

 

[Tahoe61]

In a 75 gallon tank neither a dead fire fish nor a dead hermit will compromise water quality. A molting hermit needs to come out of it's shell to complete the molt, so that sounds like a dead hermit.
Fire fish can hide for a long time, trust me.
If you have concerns regarding water quality all you need to do is test for ammonia or nitrites.

HTH

 

[nikhil]

aaah the crab seems to have moved, but i cant see any crab in the shell now. He had lay with his small claws sticking out for 2 days.. is this molting? has he gone below the sand, out of the shell now ?

Also, the firefish.. will it ever come out? or do they always hide like this.. just wondering whats the point of paying for a fish thats always invisible..

 

[Tahoe61]

Hermits tend to stop moving for a day or two and hide when molting, the exoskeleton is soft and they are more vulnerable to predators so they hide.
Fire Fish can be really reclusive for weeks when initially introduced to a system. Mine typically become more social over a couple months.
Just feed the tank (small amount) and walk away, the fish if still alive will come out to feed once it no longer sees you. Great fish and beautiful, it just takes patience.

 

[jared graves]

I got 4 hermit crabs and 2 turbo snails for my 75 gallon aquarium. I see one of the hermit crabs, in a long shell, hasnt moved since I put him in. He is lying with two legs sticking out, and there is algae that has grown on the legs. he is not moving. Is he dead? molting? How can I find out?

Is it OK to leave a dead hermit crab in the tank? will the other crabs/fish eat it up before he pollutes the water by decomposing?

Also, havent seen a fire goby that I put in 3 days ago. Doesnt even come out for feeding. So, what if its lying dead somewhere under the surface? Do I need to open the roof and take a through look in case its died?

How did you acclimate the hermit crab?