Aggressive Peppermints?

[carb850]

I notice I'm slowly losing my snails and Scarlet hermits. All of the empty shells seem to be concentrated on the same side of the tank. Well, today I saw 2 Peppermint shrimp going at an overturned hermit crab shell. Is this normal behavior for them? I always thought they were completely harmless critters.

 

[LtPiper]

Sounds like they are just scavenging the remains of whatever took out your crab.

 

[carb850]

Well, the one I spotted was not dead. He was retracted into the shell and they were on top of him while he was overturned.

 

[coralreefer]

Maybe the hermit was dieing?
I've never had any aggression from peppermints.

 

[spinnerbayt]

That does sound strange. Never any trouble with mine.

 

[carb850]

How about a large Scarlet killing other smaller Scarlets, is that normal? Yesterday I saw one of my scarlets which had been ripped out of his shell. Whatever killed him didn't bother to eat it.

 

[LtPiper]

Possible molting gone bad?

 

[carb850]

Well, I think I figured it out. I'm a bit embarrassed but I thought I would update just in case anyone else has the same question.

I'm not fairly certain that the carcasses I have been seeing are hermit molts. I only say this because I found one of the carcasses in question in my refugium and I think I only had the one hermit crab in it and he is alive and well. It really looks like something is ripping them out of there shells because the legs and face are all a dark vibrant color with the tail trailing off to shreds.

 

[Kung]

makes sense

 

[demonboy369]

dont feel bad I had that issues for a long time... Now I dont know about the peppermints, mines harmless