Blue-legged Hermits

[dedwards]

My 20g tank has been up for close to 2 months now. I have had 2 blue-legged hermits in there since the begining (these are the only crabs that have been in my tank). Over the past couple of weeks I haven't really seen my hermits out and about like I usually do. The other day I found a molt on the right side of the tank and a few days later I found either the same one or another molt on the other side. Yesterday they both finally came out after one of my snails commited suicide from the top of my tank (I assume he fell down and couldn't turn back over). While they were out feeding I noticed that one of the hermits is no longer blue but instead it was a greenish brown color. Can these guys change color somehow or is it a sign of something is wrong?

 

[bigarn]

Could this one be a hitch hiker you never noticed?

 

[dedwards]

I don't think so. I haven't added anything lately besides a tongue coral and it was by itself when I got it. Plus this hermit is using the same shell as one of the original hermit the last time that I saw him.

 

[dacia]

I've never seen hermits just change color. My thought was this hermit came on some LR (possibly with the coral, but you just didn't see it) and he decided he liked the shell of your blueleg better...it happened to me when a blueleg hitchhiker that came in with some live sand met my scarlet reef hermit.

I don't have a scarlet reef hermit anymore thanks to the blueleg.