I have I idea.

Adam113 · Dec 14, 2016

Alright, I'm new to the hobby, and I have NO idea what this is. It was right next to one of my hermit crabs. I bought 4 hermits and all are accounted for. The back end was flipping back and forth.

Ty Hamatake · Dec 14, 2016

That... looks to be a hermit that was removed from it shell, probably against its will.

Either that or a face sucker from Half Life. You may need to quarantine your house now...

Adam113 · Dec 14, 2016

Ty Hamatake said:
That... looks to be a hermit that was removed from it shell, probably against its will.

That's what I thought, but all four that I bought are happily crawling around

xjiang7 · Dec 14, 2016

More likes an exoskeleton to me..No worries it just molted

Adam113 · Dec 14, 2016

xjiang7 said:
More likes an exoskeleton to me..No worries it just molted

Man. That is insane. I guess that make sense why it was right next to a hermit. I thought it seemed to be moved by the current much too easily. Well that's a first for me. I'm glad we went to take a look at the tank before bed.

ahiggins · Dec 14, 2016

+1 molt. If it dies, you'll see vibrantly colored claws. At least I did when I had a scarlet kick the bucket lol

xjiang7 · Dec 14, 2016

Adam113 said:
Man. That is insane. I guess that make sense why it was right next to a hermit. I thought it seemed to be moved by the current much too easily. Well that's a first for me. I'm glad we went to take a look at the tank before bed.

LOL, a corpse would be heavier. These blue legs are hardy as long as they get enough food to eat

Vincent100 · Dec 14, 2016

+1 molt

502 · Dec 15, 2016

+1 molt

Irishman · Dec 15, 2016

Emerald crabs leave crazy molt as well.

GHsaltie · Dec 15, 2016

Another vote for molt. Just the other day my single blue legged molted as I was doing a water change, it just popped right out of the shell and started twirling around on the sand bed. Scared the crud out of me until I saw him sticking his little blue legs out of his shell

.

Adam113 · Dec 16, 2016

Speaking of molting. I'm hoping my peppermint shrimp is going through it right now and is hiding out? I haven't seen him for 3 days and he's usually pretty active in the tank during day and night. Haven't seen him dead or anything anywhere and I can see most areas of the tank. I'm assuming he's hiding out in a little hole in the rock?

How long can shrimp hide out after molting? I'm making sure to shoot some food around the live rock hideouts if he's back there.

Tahoe61 · Dec 16, 2016

You should see the shrimp re-appear within a day or two. It's been my experience that shrimp hide and become reclusive just prior to a molt and for about 3 days afterwards while the exoskeleton hardens. Molting is stressful and can be the demise of these inverts. While the exoskeleton is soft the shrimp becomes vulnerable to predatory inverts such as other shrimp, crabs, serpent stars.

Adam113 · Dec 16, 2016

Tahoe61 said:
You should see the shrimp re-appear within a day or two. It's been my experience that shrimp hide and become reclusive just prior to a molt and for about 3 days afterwards while the exoskeleton hardens. Molting is stressful and can be the demise of these inverts. While the exoskeleton is soft the shrimp becomes vulnerable to predatory inverts such as other shrimp, crabs, serpent stars.

Ah, okay. So they hide out before the molt occurs, as well as after. Well hopefully I see him in a day or two. My favorite creature in the tank! Love watching him.