What would kill a large hermit crab?

[kdx7214]

I've got a 75 gallon DT and have a collection of snails (which are frequently suicidal idiots) and some hermit crabs. One of the hermits was enormous - far larger than the fish. It was around 3" long. I have a six line wrasse, a silver molly, and a lawnmower blenny. Today I found the legs of the large hermit crab, but no body and no shell. What kind of hitchhiker would be able to do this?

 

[((FORDTECH))]

I've got a 75 gallon DT and have a collection of snails (which are frequently suicidal idiots) and some hermit crabs. One of the hermits was enormous - far larger than the fish. It was around 3" long. I have a six line wrasse, a silver molly, and a lawnmower blenny. Today I found the legs of the large hermit crab, but no body and no shell. What kind of hitchhiker would be able to do this?

Water quality

 

[kdx7214]

Water quality

It's not that. I've got sps that are growing just fine, and the hannah checkers I have show everything is good. I really think it's some kind of hitchhiker just don't know what it is.

 

[Who me?]

What would kill a large hermit crab?

... A larger hermit crab!

But seriously, it's hard to speculate, could be a lot of things.

 

[Doglips56]

We find hermit crab legs all the time. They have an exoskeleton and shed then hide for a day. Are you sure it’s not alive?

 

[G Santana]

He just might be hiding until his new body hardens

 

[NanoJHB]

I've got a 75 gallon DT and have a collection of snails (which are frequently suicidal idiots) and some hermit crabs. One of the hermits was enormous - far larger than the fish. It was around 3" long. I have a six line wrasse, a silver molly, and a lawnmower blenny. Today I found the legs of the large hermit crab, but no body and no shell. What kind of hitchhiker would be able to do this?

If it had just shed and couldn't find a large enough new shell, that sixline could potentially have taken it out.

Not saying that definitely happened but it is a possibility.

 

[Calm Blue Ocean]

I will second the idea that a hermit crab will kill a hermit crab. Had one murderous little beast that pulled all the legs off one crab and started in on a second, pulling both front claws off it. Amazingly the second crab lived to tell about it.

 

[TangerineSpeedo]

Do you know where the shell is at? When hermit crabs molt (mine) they will usually hide for a day or so until their exoskeleton hardens.

 

[blaxsun]

I'm going to also vote molt/hiding.

 

[kdx7214]

Do you know where the shell is at? When hermit crabs molt (mine) they will usually hide for a day or so until their exoskeleton hardens.

Yeah, just found the shell. It's in pieces, so whatever did it is strong enough to break a shell. The other crabs seems fine, although I've not seen my second shrimp in a while.

 

[((FORDTECH))]

Yeah, just found the shell. It's in pieces, so whatever did it is strong enough to break a shell. The other crabs seems fine, although I've not seen my second shrimp in a while.

I’d assume mantis shrimp then if shell is broken

 

[vetteguy53081]

I've got a 75 gallon DT and have a collection of snails (which are frequently suicidal idiots) and some hermit crabs. One of the hermits was enormous - far larger than the fish. It was around 3" long. I have a six line wrasse, a silver molly, and a lawnmower blenny. Today I found the legs of the large hermit crab, but no body and no shell. What kind of hitchhiker would be able to do this?

Assuming dead, starvation, low calcium, aggression and high nitrate.

 

[Duncan62]

I've got a 75 gallon DT and have a collection of snails (which are frequently suicidal idiots) and some hermit crabs. One of the hermits was enormous - far larger than the fish. It was around 3" long. I have a six line wrasse, a silver molly, and a lawnmower blenny. Today I found the legs of the large hermit crab, but no body and no shell. What kind of hitchhiker would be able to do this?

Shed?

 

[kdx7214]

The shell is in pieces, so I'm strongly leaning towards either mantis shrimp of bobbit worm. I'll look with some red light tonight and see if I can find anything. There was a brief day or so where a hole in the rock had what looked like small white tentacles hanging out. I thought it was an anemone but now am questioning that.

 

[soreefed]

I've got a 75 gallon DT and have a collection of snails (which are frequently suicidal idiots) and some hermit crabs. One of the hermits was enormous - far larger than the fish. It was around 3" long. I have a six line wrasse, a silver molly, and a lawnmower blenny. Today I found the legs of the large hermit crab, but no body and no shell. What kind of hitchhiker would be able to do this?

It likely molted… I find crab skeleton every once in awhile. They hide in their shell after and seem dead. Prolly just fine!

 

[kdx7214]

Assuming dead, starvation, low calcium, aggression and high nitrate.

I checked calcium and nitrate. There's a ton of algae in the tank for them to forage on and when I found it's shell it was in pieces. Argh. Now to find the darn thing.

Thanks!

 

[vetteguy53081]

I checked calcium and nitrate. There's a ton of algae in the tank for them to forage on and when I found it's shell it was in pieces. Argh. Now to find the darn thing.

Thanks!

Shell in pieces may very well be a molt. Give it 24hours and IF molt , crab will again be on the move

 

[Timfish]

Yeah, just found the shell. It's in pieces, so whatever did it is strong enough to break a shell. The other crabs seems fine, although I've not seen my second shrimp in a while.

The shell of the hermit crab or the shell the hermit lived in? If it molted you should find the shell of the hermit floating around along with the legs, thier exoskeletons are pretty thick and can last awhile in a tank. It it's the shell the hermit lived in that's another story.

As far as what can kill them, just about anything if they catch it in the process of molting. Old age, they do have life expectancies and it sounds like your's could be pretty old.

 

[kdx7214]

The shell of the hermit crab or the shell the hermit lived in? If it molted you should find the shell of the hermit floating around along with the legs, thier exoskeletons are pretty thick and can last awhile in a tank. It it's the shell the hermit lived in that's another story.

As far as what can kill them, just about anything if they catch it in the process of molting. Old age, they do have life expectancies and it sounds like your's could be pretty old.

Being old would not shock me. I got a cleanup crew from reef cleaners (love that place!) and it was already huge then. He upgraded shells twice in two months as well. Watching the conga line was fun.