Hermit Crab Predator

[tankedagain]

I started out with 25 hermits about 3 months ago, now I'm down to about 12....hard to count them all, but there is a definite population decline. Snails are down a little too....

I occasionally find the remains of a hermit (claws only, no body and no shell nearby) in the middle of the tank.

Any ideas, is this hermits fighting each other or do I have a predator, and how do I find out. Truth be told I'm ok with the hermit decline, but afarid this thing might gop after my pistol shrimp and then the snails after.

Suggestions on this would be appreciated.

 

[Travis L. Stevens]

You could have a Mantis Shrimp or the Hermits are killing each other. What fish do you have?

 

[tankedagain]

Two Clowns....

Pretty sure its not a Mantis, no signs, I'm hoping the hermits are attacking each other b.c I'm worried one of these predator worms I've read about recently might turn on my pistol oir snails

 

[IanInDC]

Believe it or not my H. kuda seahorse used to eat them! He'd wait like a sneaky b-tard until they were out of their shells to molt or whatever, and BAM! I saw him eat at least two... Too bad I had so much trouble getting him to eat the food I WANTED him to eat.

 

[Randall_James]

Mantis is pretty unlikely (they are not hard to detect) Some of what you are seeing could be molts. Hermits also need a supply of "New Larger" shells to move into as well. Without larger shells freely available, they will kill each other for a larger home. Hermits can also go after snails in the same search.

 

[tankedagain]

thx all