Will damsels attack hermit crabs?

[kirklt]

I keep finding crab legs and other misc parts scattered around the tank and my hermit crab population slowly decreasing.

Are damsels known to attack blue and red leg hermit crabs?

 

[Neogenocide]

They there isn't enough food for them in the tank...I've seen them eat other crabs for nourishment.

Scott

 

[thegrun]

What you are most likely seeing is the molt from the crabs (they shed their external skeleton as they grow). If the numbers are decreasing, the crabs themselves are the likely perpetrators, they will fight for shells, it is a good idea to keep a few extra slightly larger sea shells for them to grow into.

 

[PSU21Reef]

I had a damsel that I had to get rid of because it would attack anything that moved in it's tank including fish, shrimp, crabs, and even snails.

 

[kirklt]

With molting you usually find just legs - but I have found full bodies. Almost like the fish pulled them out and then did not know what to do with them.

 

[Aquarist007]

I've never seen a damsel go after a crab
I agree that the hermits are probably the culprits themselves

What other fish and invertebrates do you have in your tank?

 

[kirklt]

I only have a few margarita and turbo snails.

Actually - I only had smaller blue leg crabs in the tank for some time. The mayhem seems to start after I added some larger red leg crabs to the tank.

 

[thebkramer]

+1 on hermit murdering hermits. I have had a damsel in past. He loved to pick up hermits and drop them somewhere else, but never saw him kill any. How could he get them out??

 

[Aquarist007]

I only have a few margarita and turbo snails.

Actually - I only had smaller blue leg crabs in the tank for some time. The mayhem seems to start after I added some larger red leg crabs to the tank.

no other fish then the damsel? then it would be hermits bullying hermits

 

[patsfan1130]

Considering hermits are the equivalent of the antichrist. I can pretty much guarantee the crabs themselves are the culprits.