Blue Leg Hermit Crabs

[reice05]

Are my Hermit crabs trying to kill my Nassarius Snails? I just bought 12 small hermit crabs and there's like 5 hermit crabs crawling all over one the the Nassarius. The Nassarius Snails are twice the size of the snails.

 

[nycbob]

most likely yes. blue hermits tend to be aggressive. they r probably fighting to get the shell.

 

[blenny]

Most Likely, They like there Shells and want to steel them.

 

[mr&mrs.o]

I definitely agree. The blue hermits we have tend to be mean to the snails. Once they decide they want a shell, there's no chance. We used to have a fairly even amount, now we have one small snail. They all got attacked by our blue hermits and jades.

 

[reice05]

Dang...im madd the lfs's closed at 6....i guess ima go and buy some medium size empty shells and see if that'll help

 

[bulldog123]

I bought my blue leg more and bigger shells. It didnt work. So I took out the bigger crabs and replaced them with really little one and the problem has slowed, not stopped.

 

[crypt keeper]

They are crabs. They will kill and eat snails for their shells. It just happens.

 

[reice05]

So whats good to mix with hermit crabs? i got 2 emaerald crabs in there also.

 

[katsafados]

You can keep snails with them...
I have 3 with a bunch of snails plus holloween hermits and a green emerald, nothing has gone missing yet! the tank has been up for 6 months now.
The key in protecting your snails is buying loads of different sized shells for the hermits to move into.. My sand bed is scattered with different sizes of shells and I always see my hermits switching ever so often. I've even seen my snails hitching(usually cleanning the shell) on my hermits shells acouple of times without getting hurt.

 

[xcali1985]

Originally Posted by Reice05
http:///forum/post/3112950
So whats good to mix with hermit crabs? i got 2 emaerald crabs in there also.
Its just the circle of life, they will eat snails, I have emeralds and they ate 2 snails also, and didn't even take the shells. Their food source may be low also that will cause them to eat inverts. My tank has pretty much balanced itself out for now. My suggestion is to get snails that are WAY bigger than your hermits. I have 3 Mexican Turbos each about 2.5 inches and I don't see them anywhere near them. The suggested amount for MTs are 1 for every 20gals.

 

[ifirefight]

I have both..blue legged hermits and nassarius..and have not noticed any agression towards the nass snails...however...I do have an assortment of shells for the hermits to chose from.I continually add hermits that we collect locally to the tank...so I believe they prey on the other hermits for their shells if necessary...

 

[vince-1961]

My Blue legs are much larger than my nasarius snails, but they attack anyway. Must be for food instead of the shell. It does not bother me, b/c I can go out on my beach at low tide and collect nasarius snails by the hundreds .... for free.

 

[flower]

Originally Posted by nycbob
http:///forum/post/3112858
most likely yes. blue hermits tend to be aggressive. they r probably fighting to get the shell.
+1
Buy some shells…if they have plenty, they would rather find them and get them that way, than fight for one.

 

[stoss]

there was one time I saw my snail drag a small hermit crab in the sand bed. The hermit crab left its shell before it was submerged under the sand. I had to put an empty shell next to the crab so he can have shelter.

 

[crypt keeper]

They can also be hungry. Hermits will hunt down slow moving prey.