Dead Hermit Crab

[flapuffer]

I woke up this morning and I noticed in my small 10 gallon tank (which I have 3 very small damsels, a horseshoe crab and 2 hermit crabs) I have tried to take one of the damsels out and put into my 55 gallon tank but I couldn't get him out they were too quick. Well I can't figure out what could have killed this hermit crab because he was the bigger of the 2. Any ideas which one killed him?
Thanks,
FLAPuffer

 

[ocellaris_keeper]

FLAPuffer,
a couple of possibilities:
Mr. Hermit was stressed when he went into the tank
The other hermit wanted his shell (they killeach other all the time for their shells - make sure you get extra shells for their growth)
the damsels will snag the antenna and flip them over - sometimes removing them from the shell - then they'll attack and kill them. This happens when the hermits are in the damsels sleeping area of the rock. (I have to keep my hermits from my blue damsels private territory or he attacks them.

 

[flapuffer]

Well there is no chance that he got stressed because he has been in the tank for a while. I recently got 2 of the damsels and the horseshoe crab. I think I am going to try and catch one or both of the new damsels and put in my 55 which has a Porcupine puffer, tomato clown and a red hogfish. I did notice the other hermit (smaller one) checking out the empty shell that the dead one left behind. There are alot of other empty shells laying in the tank also. Thanks for your help. I wasn't sure if the damsels could be capable of killing the hermit.