Hello all,
I have a 20 long. It has been running for about 6 months.
Livestock:
2 regular Clownfish
1 Nassarius Snail (the Super Tongan variety I believe)
4 (formerly 5 see below) Electric Blue Hermits
1 Scarlett Hermit
1 emerald carb
Assorted algae eating snails (Astraea, Trochus, and regular Turbos)
1 Strawberry Conch
1 Pocillopora SPS colony
1 Ricordea yuma
So, I wish to relay what happened tonight as the tank light was dimming.
My wife was sitting watching the tank when she called me in. I thought this is weird that my wife is actually calling me to look at the tank. But I was busy with kid #3. So she became more insistent, "you got to come here!" My curiosity was peaked, to say the least. So I come in and my wife is fascinated by a brawl going on in the tank. One of my larger Electric blue hermits was ripping out a smaller Blue hermit from its shell. I was in shock and before I could believe what I was watching, another large Blue had joined in and started ripping the poor little guy apart. The small hermit was beyond saving at this point. But then, my eye was drawn to the other end of the tank. My medium size Blue was fanatically scurrying along getting to the action. However, that was not the end.
So I am there watching what I thought were relatively peaceful tank mates ripping each other apart, out of the sand rises our zombie snail (the Nassarius - kid #1 calls it our Zombie snail). I couldn't believe what I was watching. I am thinking man, I'm going to lose a snail in all those claws! Losing one creature is not great but not my kids favourite snail! As I watch this train wreck, the snail piles on to the now shredded Little Blue. Then the Large Blue starts fighting with the Nassarius. They're rolling and twisting all over the place. Making an absolute cloud of dust. My Scarlett is watching the whole thing from on top of a rock nearby. So then Large Blue grabs on to the main body of the dead Little Blue and it tries to make a break for it. (Watching hermit crabs run is probably the silliest thing you can see.) The Nassarius is now in hot pursuit. It overtakes and crawls onto the Large Blue. The Large Blue (the prick that started this whole thing) now seems frozen. It has its legs poking out but isn't moving. And the Nassarius takes the remains of Little Blue. The other Blues make off during this fight with a leg or two and are hiding in the other end of the tank. So that is where I sit now.
So do hermits go on murderous rampages?
Why is my Large Blue seemingly stunned?
Just another day in a reef tank?
I have a 20 long. It has been running for about 6 months.
Livestock:
2 regular Clownfish
1 Nassarius Snail (the Super Tongan variety I believe)
4 (formerly 5 see below) Electric Blue Hermits
1 Scarlett Hermit
1 emerald carb
Assorted algae eating snails (Astraea, Trochus, and regular Turbos)
1 Strawberry Conch
1 Pocillopora SPS colony
1 Ricordea yuma
So, I wish to relay what happened tonight as the tank light was dimming.
My wife was sitting watching the tank when she called me in. I thought this is weird that my wife is actually calling me to look at the tank. But I was busy with kid #3. So she became more insistent, "you got to come here!" My curiosity was peaked, to say the least. So I come in and my wife is fascinated by a brawl going on in the tank. One of my larger Electric blue hermits was ripping out a smaller Blue hermit from its shell. I was in shock and before I could believe what I was watching, another large Blue had joined in and started ripping the poor little guy apart. The small hermit was beyond saving at this point. But then, my eye was drawn to the other end of the tank. My medium size Blue was fanatically scurrying along getting to the action. However, that was not the end.
So I am there watching what I thought were relatively peaceful tank mates ripping each other apart, out of the sand rises our zombie snail (the Nassarius - kid #1 calls it our Zombie snail). I couldn't believe what I was watching. I am thinking man, I'm going to lose a snail in all those claws! Losing one creature is not great but not my kids favourite snail! As I watch this train wreck, the snail piles on to the now shredded Little Blue. Then the Large Blue starts fighting with the Nassarius. They're rolling and twisting all over the place. Making an absolute cloud of dust. My Scarlett is watching the whole thing from on top of a rock nearby. So then Large Blue grabs on to the main body of the dead Little Blue and it tries to make a break for it. (Watching hermit crabs run is probably the silliest thing you can see.) The Nassarius is now in hot pursuit. It overtakes and crawls onto the Large Blue. The Large Blue (the prick that started this whole thing) now seems frozen. It has its legs poking out but isn't moving. And the Nassarius takes the remains of Little Blue. The other Blues make off during this fight with a leg or two and are hiding in the other end of the tank. So that is where I sit now.
So do hermits go on murderous rampages?
Why is my Large Blue seemingly stunned?
Just another day in a reef tank?
