Goby ate hermit

[Keesers]

Hey all, not a newb but but first time ever seen a watchman Goby try to eat hermit. And as in try I mean swallow it only legs sticking out mouth. Could be a molt or caught the crab when he was changing shells not really sure Question is I’m not sure if he is trying to eat or its a mistake now and it’s stuck. Here is picture don’t know how to upload a video. How long do you wait to intervene by helping by pulling it out or could I harm him more by doing so? From stress of trying to catch him in net or internal harm of pulling it out. He is well feed adapted to frozen food and plenty of bugs and copods in tank. #askbrtv fb has some good answers just trying to get as many suggestions as possible

 

[KJ]

Look like he eat the molt. Nothing to worry about

 

[Mjrenz]

I'd be worried if it's stuck, how long has it been?

 

[Keesers]

Not sure wasn’t this morning was when I came home at lunch. I not sure if it’s stuck definitely been in there longer then just moving it.

 

[Mjrenz]

Does it look like he is struggling to get it out of his mouth?

 

[Keesers]

Not really I wish I could post video. Don’t know how? More like he is slowly eating it doesn’t look like it causing issues as far acting weird or swimming weird but I can’t imagine that he would be able to eat the legs. Maybe he can.

 

[Keesers]

This is what it says when I try to upload video.

 

[Mjrenz]

Not really I wish I could post video. Don’t know how? More like he is slowly eating it doesn’t look like it causing issues as far acting weird or swimming weird but I can’t imagine that he would be able to eat the legs. Maybe he can.

You can upload it to YouTube and post a link here

 

[Keesers]

 

[Keesers]

 

[Keesers]

You can upload it to YouTube and post a link here

Got them up thanx for advice on video.

 

[Mjrenz]

Got them up thanx for advice on video.

No problem! You're right, it just kind of looks like he's chewing on it. I've seen mine spit out some pretty large chunks of stuff and he opens his mouth up really wide when he does it. I think I'd just watch him for a while and see if he finally spits it out

 

[Keesers]

Update:
While at gym he spit it out, definitely not a molt. Cleaner shrimps are getting there chance at it now. Cycle of life Hopefully it may have died then eating by goby or maybe he snagged him when hermit was switching hate to see a life gone in tank but very thankful it was hermit not goby in this case I’ll have to keep an eye on rest of them hopefully mister goby hasn't gotten a taste for them.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Usually its the crab that gets the goby, so feel lucky in this sense.
ANY FISH OR CRITTER THAT CAN FIT IN ANOTHER FISHES' MOUTH W I L L !!

 

[Skygirl997]

We have a pink diamond watchmen goby and a tiger pistol shrimp. We also had four large electric blue leg hermits (each about 2”), that one by one passed. LFS had 4 small electric blue hermits in stock...took them home, acclimated, introduced to the tank. Within three days all were lost, we assumed the pistol shrimp had something to do with it as we heard more pops than usual.
Fast forward 6mo, pistol shrimp died, so we assumed it was safe to go get more hermits before we replace our pistol. Special order 5 hermits ($15 each). And again, by the next morning 2 were gone, a few days later the third was gone. So I start sitting for longer periods by my tank to figure it out. One of the hermits approached one of the goby cave openings. To my horror, the goby popped out grabbed the hermit by the legs and whips it to get the hermit out of the shell before swallowing it whole.
Goby was happy for such a tasty expensive snack...we have one remaining hermit that learned quickly from the others mistakes.

 

[Hermie]

We have a pink diamond watchmen goby and a tiger pistol shrimp. We also had four large electric blue leg hermits (each about 2”), that one by one passed. LFS had 4 small electric blue hermits in stock...took them home, acclimated, introduced to the tank. Within three days all were lost, we assumed the pistol shrimp had something to do with it as we heard more pops than usual.
Fast forward 6mo, pistol shrimp died, so we assumed it was safe to go get more hermits before we replace our pistol. Special order 5 hermits ($15 each). And again, by the next morning 2 were gone, a few days later the third was gone. So I start sitting for longer periods by my tank to figure it out. One of the hermits approached one of the goby cave openings. To my horror, the goby popped out grabbed the hermit by the legs and whips it to get the hermit out of the shell before swallowing it whole.
Goby was happy for such a tasty expensive snack...we have one remaining hermit that learned quickly from the others mistakes.

I got an electric blue hermit crab from LFS a few weeks ago and it basically disintegrated in my tank I had been looking for them for a while and they are more expensive than dwarf crabs so I was disappointed... Not sure if I should try another one. It definitely wasn't eaten, just died on it's own.

 

[Skygirl997]

I got an electric blue hermit crab from LFS a few weeks ago and it basically disintegrated in my tank I had been looking for them for a while and they are more expensive than dwarf crabs so I was disappointed... Not sure if I should try another one. It definitely wasn't eaten, just died on it's own.

The one above is about 5 years old now, and he doesn’t move around very much....and certainly doesn’t contribute to the cleaning crew! So I can’t really say that I recommend them other than they are fascinating to watch.

 

[Bryson.bobby]

I got an electric blue hermit crab from LFS a few weeks ago and it basically disintegrated in my tank [emoji20] I had been looking for them for a while and they are more expensive than dwarf crabs so I was disappointed... Not sure if I should try another one. It definitely wasn't eaten, just died on it's own.

My lfs accidentally sold me one for the same price as an dwarf. Sadly, it didn’t last long either[emoji53]

 

[cracker]

Well I'm happy it's gone ! Fish look OK now ? First glimpse in 1st pick . Made me laugh. Look at the fangs on that goby ! LOL

 

[MombasaLionfish]

Usually its the crab that gets the goby, so feel lucky in this sense.
ANY FISH OR CRITTER THAT CAN FIT IN ANOTHER FISHES' MOUTH W I L L !!

You stole the words right out of my mouth.