Dead Hermit Crab, what killed it?

Etoimos

Etoimos

New member
O was taking photos of my tank this evening and found this. The only thing in my take are 5 assorted hermits (was 6 and all close in size), 1 larger (than other crabs) electric blue hermit crab, 3 snails, a plate coral and a maxima clam. Also have 3 goniopora, toadstool leather frogspawn, and a couple of small blue mushrooms.

Any thoughts?
90944d09dbbd776dbd6a05af74ba3a3c.jpg


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Only seeing 5 of them right now. One could be hiding, but it's only a 60G cube. When they molt, do there entire exoskeleton come off? Like, legs, antenna, claws, and does the mold retain the color of the crab?

It really looks like there is some meaty flesh stuck to it behind the head in the photo I posted.
 
Leave it. I swore my red leg died. I saw that meaty part and was like oh well he's a goner. Two days he came out of the rocks looking fresh.
 
ReeferNoob4ever said:
Leave it. I swore my red leg died. I saw that meaty part and was like oh well he's a goner. Two days he came out of the rocks looking fresh.
Click to expand...

I'll leave it, but it just kind of swishing back in forth in that same area... tumbling some. So if that is not a molt, he has to be dead. I still can't find an empty shell anywhere though... and only 3 of my little hermits right now. lol
 
Hermit crabs can find plenty of places to hid in a 60 gallon tank, heaven knows they do in my 40 gallon one. It's a rare day that I actually see 1 of mine.

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ladynavyvet said:
Hermit crabs can find plenty of places to hid in a 60 gallon tank, heaven knows they do in my 40 gallon one. It's a rare day that I actually see 1 of mine.

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Click to expand...

It's funny, this is the first time in two weeks I've not been able to find all of them within a few minutes.
 
Etoimos said:
Only seeing 5 of them right now. One could be hiding, but it's only a 60G cube. When they molt, do there entire exoskeleton come off? Like, legs, antenna, claws, and does the mold retain the color of the crab?

It really looks like there is some meaty flesh stuck to it behind the head in the photo I posted.
Click to expand...
Yes the molt is their entire exoskeleton, I had a blue leg hermit that just died (still in his shell) but when he would molt and it was the same color.

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JVan82 said:
Yes the molt is their entire exoskeleton, I had a blue leg hermit that just died (still in his shell) but when he would molt and it was the same color.

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Click to expand...

Thanks, so it's possible he is still in there alive some place.
 
Possibly, I had 3 crab, 2 plain that grew very very fast, and a blue leg that hardly grew, the blue crab was always hiding under the rock, found that out when I had to tear my rock work apart. If you are missing a crab you should have an empty shell in the tank.

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Okay, the wife came home and was able to locate all of the hermit crabs, so it was just a molt floating around.

I need to do some research on extra shells for these guys.
 
It happened to me a few time. I thought they were dead but it turned out it was just molt. These guys are pretty hardy.
 
Thanks guys. Do you just buy an assortment of sizes and drop in the back of your tank?

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