hermit problem

[jonathansruelas]

ok i had a total of 20 hermits for my 55 gallon, and it seems like every other day im finding of what it seems to be the remains of the hermits. The only thing left is their legs when i take them out of my tank.. and last night i saw one without his shell roaming around..
Is this normal??? What could be causing the deaths of the hermits? the only fish i have that i think could do this is my sixline wrasse but the lfs told me they wouldnt bother them

 

[Dratini]

Water Parameters?
Also do you have any big mythrax crabs or other inverts in the tank?

 

[KeMo]

Are they dead and not molts ? When they molt all that is left over is the front part of the body were the legs are. Just my 2 cents.

 

[scubasteve06]

Here is a good way to find out if it is a molt or the actual dead hermit. I learned the hard way and you will once you find a dead one. If when you pick it out of the tank and (I know this sounds gross) smell it. If it has no smell but a salt water smell like a piece of prefilter foam smells after its been in the tank for a week then its a molt. If it has a nasty god awful run for your life smell and there is something greasy and slimey hanging from its abdomen area then it is a dead hermit. The reason they keep their abdomens covered with a shell is because it is soft, almost mucus like. Their legs, and head are the only shelled parts about them, thus why they must molt them once they get bigger, and the reason why they seek out a bigger shell because the soft nasty smelling abdomen grows also. Trust me once you smell a real dead hermit you will know if it is a molt or a dead one.

 

[NewJerseyreef]

me once you smell a real dead hermit you will know if it is a molt or a dead one.

oh yes

 

[jonathansruelas]

Here is a good way to find out if it is a molt or the actual dead hermit. I learned the hard way and you will once you find a dead one. If when you pick it out of the tank and (I know this sounds gross) smell it. If it has no smell but a salt water smell like a piece of prefilter foam smells after its been in the tank for a week then its a molt. If it has a nasty god awful run for your life smell and there is something greasy and slimey hanging from its abdomen area then it is a dead hermit. The reason they keep their abdomens covered with a shell is because it is soft, almost mucus like. Their legs, and head are the only shelled parts about them, thus why they must molt them once they get bigger, and the reason why they seek out a bigger shell because the soft nasty smelling abdomen grows also. Trust me once you smell a real dead hermit you will know if it is a molt or a dead one.

ok cool thanks :thumbsup:
really helpful, i think they are molts because i did pick them up and i didnt smell an awful smell that made me want to run away lol..

so why/what causes molts?

 

[NewJerseyreef]

they just grow... our skin stretches to our needs theirs do not. they need to break out of their old skin and the soft skin under will expand alittle and harden back up. its like with hard and soft shell crabs.... the soft shell crabs are just crabs that have molted and were caught within 24 hours of their molt so ithey dont harden as much

 

[jonathansruelas]

they just grow... our skin stretches to our needs theirs do not. they need to break out of their old skin and the soft skin under will expand alittle and harden back up. its like with hard and soft shell crabs.... the soft shell crabs are just crabs that have molted and were caught within 24 hours of their molt so ithey dont harden as much

ok cool thanks.. good to learn something new