Sooo, The heck with Hermit crabs!

[kamehameha]

I just ordered a reef cleaners hermit and snail pack about a week ago to put in my tank, the snails have been great, but today, the stupid hermit crabs killed my yellow watchman goby. I didn't think they were capable of it but he was pretty small still about 1.5 to 2 inches. He was happy and healthy in my tank for ~5 months and was out eating today. I didn't see them get him just the after math.

Since he was a daredevil and looked so cool, he was the favorite fish in the aquarium for the whole family. I would like to replace him, but I'm wondering now if a pistol shrimp would have kept him safe from the stupid crabs. I would be quite happy to yank all of them out and just let the murderous jerks die at the moment!

What do you think? Will a new YWG be okay in there with a pistol shrimp, or should I just go all medieval on the crabs?

 

[LiveFreeAndReef]

Did you witness the hermits kill the fish, or were they found snacking on it? I'm not sure that a healthy fish gets taken down by hermits unless there was something already going on to weaken the fish

 

[kamehameha]

Did you witness the hermits kill the fish, or were they found snacking on it? I'm not sure that a healthy fish gets taken down by hermits unless there was something already going on to weaken the fish

I did only see them munching on him, but I tested my water last night, and he was out for food this morning, and even hanging out by him perch about 30 minutes before I saw them all over him. He didn't show any signs of illness at all.

 

[Lyss]

Agree. Hermits are usually opportunistic eaters and will scavenge. People tend to see them eating some other livestock and assume they killed it, but they are cleaning up the mess.

What type of hermits are they?

 

[HB AL]

Unless your hermits are big and the fish was extremely small I doubt the hermits were able to catch and kill a perfectly healthy fish. Chances are the fish died and the hermits were cleaning up the remnants.

 

[kamehameha]

Agree. Hermits are usually opportunistic eaters and will scavenge. People tend to see them eating some other livestock and assume they killed it, but they are cleaning up the mess.

What type of hermits are they?

They were a mixed bag, but larger than the electric blues I had gotten from my LFS. I really wouldn't think the fish died or was unhealthy though, he showed no signs, even yesterday he was giving my Yellow Tang (who is also quite small) some attitude since it got too close to his home. They didn't fight, the tang just swam away from him.

EDIT:According to the reef cleaners description these were the ones that may have been included: "red legged, left-handed, jade, white claw and blue leg hermit crabs."

 

[attiland]

Sorry for your loss. I doubt the hermit s killed your fish though. It must have been something else

 

[Uncle99]

I removed every single crab 5 years ago now and so happy I did so.
No mystery deaths, still have my snails.

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

sorry for the fish, but I also agree it wasnt the hermits.

 

[JoJosReef]

I don't have enough experience with reef-keeping yet to say, but for those concluding it was not the hermits, do you know what a hermit is capable of if they are going hungry? OP, does your tank lack enough algae and detritus to keep the hermits (and other cuc) fed?

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

But regardless if they killed your fish or not, I will say they are bad. They will kill each other, snails, and eat some corals. I got rid of mine long ago when I caught one munching on my acan.

 

[LiveFreeAndReef]

I don't have enough experience with reef-keeping yet to say, but for those concluding it was not the hermits, do you know what a hermit is capable of if they are going hungry? OP, does your tank lack enough algae and detritus to keep the hermits (and other cuc) fed?

I mean, a hungry hermit crab doesn't suddenly turn into a mantis shrimp. They're still slow and clumsy. Either they evolved into a hive-mind and all decided to work together to take a fish down, or the fish wasn't as healthy as thought and it died to be food for the hermits

 

[LiveFreeAndReef]

I don't have enough experience with reef-keeping yet to say, but for those concluding it was not the hermits, do you know what a hermit is capable of if they are going hungry? OP, does your tank lack enough algae and detritus to keep the hermits (and other cuc) fed?

And if the hermit crabs were "going hungry" they'd be eating eachother and snails before they would ever go after a fish

 

[Rick's Reviews]

I just ordered a reef cleaners hermit and snail pack about a week ago to put in my tank, the snails have been great, but today, the stupid hermit crabs killed my yellow watchman goby. I didn't think they were capable of it but he was pretty small still about 1.5 to 2 inches. He was happy and healthy in my tank for ~5 months and was out eating today. I didn't see them get him just the after math.

Since he was a daredevil and looked so cool, he was the favorite fish in the aquarium for the whole family. I would like to replace him, but I'm wondering now if a pistol shrimp would have kept him safe from the stupid crabs. I would be quite happy to yank all of them out and just let the murderous jerks die at the moment!

What do you think? Will a new YWG be okay in there with a pistol shrimp, or should I just go all medieval on the crabs?

I think you need to look after what you have ATM, don't buy anymore

 

[Sharkbait19]

The goby was probably sick, the common hermits cannot really do much damage to a fish. When I had fish die early on, I blamed it on crabs…I didn’t want to think about disease despite it being present. Not all diseases are easy to spot.

I mean, a hungry hermit crab doesn't suddenly turn into a mantis shrimp. They're still slow and clumsy. Either they evolved into a hive-mind and all decided to work together to take a fish down, or the fish wasn't as healthy as thought and it died to be food for the hermits

Don’t joke about hermit hive minds…it exists!
Mine would ritualistically gather around a zoa frag plug and all work together to flip it, then walk away on their own business. Every dang time I flipped it back….

 

[NowGlazeIT]

Where Sherlock when you need him

 

[LiveFreeAndReef]

The goby was probably sick, the common hermits cannot really do much damage to a fish. When I had fish die early on, I blamed it on crabs…I didn’t want to think about disease despite it being present. Not all diseases are easy to spot.

Don’t joke about hermit hive minds…it exists!
Mine would ritualistically gather around a zoa frag plug and all work together to flip it, then walk away on their own business. Every dang time I flipped it back….

SB's hermits:

 

[Rick's Reviews]

The goby was probably sick, the common hermits cannot really do much damage to a fish. When I had fish die early on, I blamed it on crabs…I didn’t want to think about disease despite it being present. Not all diseases are easy to spot.

Don’t joke about hermit hive minds…it exists!
Mine would ritualistically gather around a zoa frag plug and all work together to flip it, then walk away on their own business. Every dang time I flipped it back….

Wierd, I thought my dwarf hermit crab shell grew, I'm sure it did

 

[NowGlazeIT]

Wierd, I thought my dwarf hermit crab shell grew, I'm sure it did

He must have kept the snail alive as a hostage then

 

[kamehameha]

I don't have enough experience with reef-keeping yet to say, but for those concluding it was not the hermits, do you know what a hermit is capable of if they are going hungry? OP, does your tank lack enough algae and detritus to keep the hermits (and other cuc) fed?

There is plenty for them to be eating, however only a few of the crabs actually ever seem to go after algae, most of them go after extra food. I often leave 2 or three extra pellets on the bottom so they can go for them and they do, but most of the crabs seem to want nothing to do with algae.