Hermit crab w/o shell

[Lance M.]

I just came back from dinner and looked at my nano and saw one of my scarlet hermits w/o a shell. Apparently another hermit took his shell and the scarlet was just sitting on the sand next to a rock looking around. They look pretty cool w/o their shell. Well I grabbed a couple empty shells from around the tank and put them surrounding the hermit and he picked one and now he has a shell again.

My question is- in a tank like mine, where I have no fish or anything else except for pods, a couple bristleworms, and 2 scarlets and 3 other small species hermits, would a hermit be able to live w/o a shell since there is nothing to eat/ attack it (except for another hermit of course)?

 

[aspinn]

im not sure about your question bud but i would love to see a pic of the crab w/o its shell =) i have never seen one be4 lol hopfully he will be OK =(

 

[Phoenix19]

I would say no. Generally the stress of not having a shell will "kill" them. I would also think that the other hermits could pose a potential threat to him because the are opportunistic creatures and a hermit without a shell is an easy meal they can't pass up.

 

[Lance M.]

I was about to take a picture of it after I had placed the shells around him but as soon as I got the camera out he picked out a shell and slid into it.

They have like a tail that is curled up when they are out of a shell and they extend it into the shell and curl it in there.

Yea I thought that the hermits would attack the other hermits. Just wondering.

 

[aspinn]

aww well at least he found a shell lol =) thats really good to hear! now you wont have to worry about him =)