Sooo, The heck with Hermit crabs!

[BiggestE22]

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.

He died and they cleaned it up.

 

[Rick's Reviews]

Like the film... Invasion of the body snatchers, Donald not keither lol (Sutherland). Ok

 

[kamehameha]

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

All of the other fish are happy and healthy. The newest fish is the yellow tang and he has been around for about a month now, the rest of the fish have been in there for 5-7 months. Also, my water parameters are spot on, just tested again to be sure and got nearly identical results as last night, aside from my phosphate, so I'm not sure what the heck the deal is.

 

[BiggestE22]

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

They are useful. Snails can’t reach some areas. Also they clean tge food in the sand that fish Miss. they will if underfed nip and sps polys I think.

 

[kamehameha]

He died and they cleaned it up.

I suppose that it's possible, I just don't see how he could be perfectly fine 30 minutes before I saw him getting eaten. I've never had a fish just kick the bucket seemingly out of nowhere like that.

 

[BiggestE22]

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….

They do seem to get together and play or wrestle. It’s wired. Only happens once in a while. They also seem to move all the dead snail shells into the same area.

 

[Zoa_Fanatic]

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."

I have all of those except jades and never have any issues. Except boy legs like to kill each other from shells

 

[LiveFreeAndReef]

I have all of those except jades and never have any issues. Except boy legs like to kill each other from shells

blue legs are jerks to eachother! Any time I've picked up a dozen blue-legs I end up with 2-3 bullies that like to pin the little ones down until they can rip them out of their shells. They don't even seem to eat them, just like to pick on the little guys

 

[Rick's Reviews]

cuc/ invertebrates, think of the size of stomachs, they would not be cause of death, they would be scavenging for food, who knows... Only you

 

[Rick's Reviews]

Clarify original post and I'm sure community will help... Who knows

 

[JoJosReef]

They do seem to get together and play or wrestle. It’s wired. Only happens once in a while. They also seem to move all the dead snail shells into the same area.

Once you begin seeing those shells arranged and built in structures a la Stonehenge, we'll know the hive mind is real... Or something more nefarious...

 

[LiveFreeAndReef]

Once you begin seeing those shells arranged and built in structures a la Stonehenge, we'll know the hive mind is real... Or something more nefarious...

Hermithenge!

 

[kamehameha]

Clarify original post and I'm sure community will help... Who knows

What are you needing clarification on?

 

[Joe31415]

I mean, a hungry hermit crab doesn't suddenly turn into a mantis shrimp. They're still slow and clumsy

On top of that...they can't swim. As long as the fish can get itself an inch off the substrate or rock, a hermit crab can't get to it. Plus, it's not like an anemone or stinging coral that can injure something that happens to brush up against it. The only way I could see a hermit crab killing a healthy fish is either by dumb luck (ie the fish swam face first into a claw) or, and this could be the case with a goby, it was under a rock or in a cave with the crab blocking the only way in or out.

 

[kamehameha]

cuc/ invertebrates, think of the size of stomachs, they would not be cause of death, they would be scavenging for food, who knows... Only you

Since the start of this thread, the 4 hermits and 1 nassarius snail have completely devoured him. There is no trace of the fish left. It leads me to think maybe they were hungry, but also why would they not just eat the algae?

 

[JoJosReef]

On top of that...they can't swim. As long as the fish can get itself an inch off the substrate or rock, a hermit crab can't get to it. Plus, it's not like an anemone or stinging coral that can injure something that happens to brush up against it. The only way I could see a hermit crab killing a healthy fish is either by dumb luck (ie the fish swam face first into a claw) or, and this could be the case with a goby, it was under a rock or in a cave with the crab blocking the only way in or out.

They is a horrifying mental image. YWG, nowhere to swim. Just the sillouette of the first hermit bumbling into his cave...

 

[JoJosReef]

They is a horrifying mental image. YWG, nowhere to swim. Just the sillouette of the first hermit bumbling into his cave...

"Not like this! Not like this!"

 

[Lyss]

Since the start of this thread, the 4 hermits and 1 nassarius snail have completely devoured him. There is no trace of the fish left. It leads me to think maybe they were hungry, but also why would they not just eat the algae?

That is what CUC is for. Nassarius are not algae eaters, and hermits are both -- they will certainly enjoy scavenging meaty food instead of eating algae if meaty food is available.

I've seen folks even blame fish deaths on nassarius snails, when same thing -- the snails were scavenging and cleaning up the dead fish.

 

[LiveFreeAndReef]

"Not like this! Not like this!"

 

[LiveFreeAndReef]

Since the start of this thread, the 4 hermits and 1 nassarius snail have completely devoured him. There is no trace of the fish left. It leads me to think maybe they were hungry, but also why would they not just eat the algae?

You left the dead fish in the tank this whole time?