# Crabs kiling crabs



## BayouGirl (Mar 6, 2012)

Anyone experienced this?

I noticed my blue electric hermit was missing a limb this morning, but figured it was stress (got it 4 days ago) or molting starting and left him be. Tonight, he was out of his shell, dead, and a (much smaller) scarlet hermit is now inhabiting his shell. Did the scarlet kill the blue one? Is this normal? I do have quite a bit of other shells and water parameters are good - no other crabs are sick/injured.


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## Reefing Madness (Aug 12, 2011)

Hard to say if thats what happened or not. Quite possible as they like to change shells. Just nature. Or, did he molt, then find another shell?


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## BayouGirl (Mar 6, 2012)

The leftovers didn't look like molting leftovers, but a whole crab. We've already had a scarlet hermit molt, and it didn't look anything like this. I'll keep an eye out for him in another shell, but I think he was dead.

It wasn't very active as soon as I bought it, so maybe I just got a sick one as well.


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## Reefing Madness (Aug 12, 2011)

Possible you bought one that was on its way out. In my experience, its really hard to tell a dead crab from a molted one. Most think that they have a dead crab on their hands when in reality its just a molt. Hopefully thats what you have there.


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## BayouGirl (Mar 6, 2012)

We did make that mistake last week, but maybe I didn't learn my lesson. We'll see, I guess!


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## Reefing Madness (Aug 12, 2011)

*rotating smile


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## BayouGirl (Mar 6, 2012)

Blue crab is definitely dead, not molted, and the scarlet crab has forced another scarlet out of it's shell (or is attempting to). No idea what's going on here, except maybe someone can't find a shell it likes....

Everything was hunky-dory until I added these last two, now one's dead and one's a killer...


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## Reefing Madness (Aug 12, 2011)

What size tank do we have these guys in? I've seen hermits grabbing each other out of the shells for their shells, but not when there are some available without a struggle.
I'd get em outta there personally. the snails will do a much better job, and you have a bunch to choose from, as far as cleaning the substrate and the rock, and you won't have them fighting for thier shells.


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## Dedeo (Jun 2, 2011)

I also have a problem crab that turned into a killer I had gotten 3 zebra crabs and they were in the tank first. Then I bought a Halloween hermit crab and an electric blue crab. Very nice crabs then I started to notice this one larger crab with my turban snail shells he never takes the shell, but all 5 snails are dead. And he is still in his same shell then the two hermits disappeared the orange and blue never saw the shells, ever. It's been 2 months. After water changes & moving the rocks a little I still never even found their shells. I talked to the LFS where I buy my pets and they said Hermit crabs don't kill other crabs and only kill snails for their shells if they want the shell. I personally don't believe that. I think I have a bully crab and he just doesn't want the other critters in the tank. He never bothers the othe 2 zebra crabs.


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