Question about blue legged hermit crabs

[Solace87]

Well, I wanted to add some little critters to my tank because I love how much goes on in salt water tanks and how interesting to watch it is.

Well I asked for two but the girl at the pet store gave me six and it was on purpose because she still gave them to me when I corrected her.
Well since then they pretty much fight all the time. My girlfriend thinks its mating but Im pretty positive its just fighting.

They get on top of each other and kinda just slap each other with their legs and wrestle.

Is this normal?
My 37 gallon is certainly large enough for them to keep away from each other and hide.

 

[Solace87]

Also, I have plenty of shells for them lying around so I dont think it is that.
The one that fights the most is in the most unfortunate shell, its disk shaped with spikes protruding out and he comes out the side, its so top heavy he is can barely use it. I put a nice hershey kiss shaped shell in their just for him but he ignores it other than to try and fight the crab he thinks is inside.

 

[Solace87]

WOW, right as I look up from writing that post I see the crab I was talking about taking the kiss shaped shell. Good now maybe he wont be so cranky now that he can move.

 

[Micromussa]

1 question, why would you pay for the 4 extra hermis you did not want?. But that aside, if the hermit crabs are differant colored ones they will fight until only 1 group of the same colored hermits wins

 

[chort55]

Its normal really IMO. All my crabs "fight". I have even seen them climbing my snails and doing the same, but they don't hurt them or eachother. Been like this for about 7 months now. Only time my crabs take my snails shells is when the snails are already tipped over and I don't care anyways just get more

 

[Solace87]

1 question, why would you pay for the 4 extra hermis you did not want?. But that aside, if the hermit crabs are differant colored ones they will fight until only 1 group of the same colored hermits wins

No she gave me four more, I didnt pay for six, I paid for two.

Yeah they are quite brave, they will walk right up to my puffer fish who could annihilate them and not be scared. Lucky for them I think the puffers enjoy watching them and as long as they are not hungry they leave them alone.

About the color thing, the crabs themselves are all similar color and the shells are too, except for the one in the metallic pink kiss shaped shell

 

[coralreefer80]

It's hard to tell with hermit crabs - they die, fight, etc. all the time. That is why they are so cheap and she doesn't mind giving you 6 for the price of two. I had two fighting last night, one out of its shell, one not. There were plenty of shells around, I guess it just wanted that one more!

 

[malnurs]

yeah it is normal behavior

yeah it is normal behavior

all hermits do it. they usually want a more comfortable shell imo. they will take snails and other crabs if there is not enough shells for them to pick from. as htey grow they need/get new shells or they die. so just be sure to keep enough shells for them to grow into.
Chris

 

[mesamech]

My hermits go at it all the time. They are also trying out new shells constantly. It's all about the shells man, all about the shells! I think you can call it shell envy.

 

[coralreefer80]

It's definitely all about the shells! Just ask your LFS or pet store for a bunch of extra shells when you buy them - most have tons left over from livestock die off.

 

[akcastueras]

What about red vs. blue ... think these tend to fight more with the same or opposite types?

 

[coralreefer80]

I've had both in a tank and the blues won out, but I never really noticed the blues fighting more with the reds than fighting with other blues. Guess the reds just had the more attractive shells. That being said, I have both in my tank right now and there isn't an epic battle going on. I even have one blue running around without a shell and he doesn't have a care in the world! I hope he settles into one of the extra shells soon though because my fish are starting to eye him....

 

[joejoe1055]

've a;ways seem to have better luck with the blue ones

 

[coralreefer80]

I've also had more luck with blues - reds always seem to die off more quickly (even when they weren't battling blues), but I don't have a reason why for you...

 

[Frogmanx82]

I've heard the blues were more a threat to snails than the red legs. Any experience with that?

 

[Solace87]

My blue ones have demolished my snail population. Empty snail shells everywhere. And then once the snails are dead the puffers take care of the rest.

They seem to have settled down. I have a few extra shells in there. Enough that they could each have a few but not to the point where it looks tacky.

The strangest thing is my puffers seem to have accepted them. I put two dozen snails the size of the hermits in the tank (puffers need them to file down their teeth) and within ten minutes they were all eaten, yet they leave hermits the same size and smaller alone for the most part.