Crab harming snails?

[dct0]

This is my first post.... Sadly its not an overly positive tone.

Recently a friend of mine was nice enough to help me get started in the arena of salt water fish tanks... So after getting some live rock in there, a clean up crew of Nassarius, Astrea, Cerith snails and a single Scarlet Reef Hermit crab was added this afternoon.

I gazed in to find a single nassarius messing with the Crab. By messing i mean crawling next to it, sticking its 'snorkle' into the shell of the crab. My buddy told me that snails weren't exactly the smartest creatures, so i chalked this little guy up for a future Darwin award.

10 minutes later i came back figuring i would need to move the dim witted nassarius to the other side of the tank.... Please see the attached images for what i found... 3 of em ganging up on the crab!

is this something to be expected? This started happening roughly 2-3 hours after the cleanup crew was added to the tank. The crab is still functioning and moving a little with out these limbs... What should i do in response?

 

[dct0]

i forgot to note that food was introduced to the tank shortly after the cleaning crew was added

 

[skippy2]

I would think the crab is on his way out and the snails are cleaning up. Which is what they are intended to do.

 

[J. Montgomery]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10064960#post10064960 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by skippy2
I would think the crab is on his way out and the snails are cleaning up. Which is what they are intended to do.

I second that. I wouldn't bother to replace it either. The last thing you want is a hermit crab deciding to help itself to a nice $2 or $3 snail meal.

Just to throw it out there, many people recommend long drip acclimations (~2hr) for crabs and shrimp.

 

[skippy2]

I have had 1 crab for over 5 yrs. Definately a love-hate relationship. When he died, I didn't replace him. No crabs in my tank at all.

 

[1F2FRFBF]

Interesting. Maybe it's because I've been paying more attention to these kinds of posts since my Nassarius went on a hunt for other snails in my tank, but I've seen a fair number of posts from people who have had their Nassarius snails go after clams, sea hares and nudibranchs in addition to other snails.

Lots of "not well" animals in tanks out there, I guess.