death in my tank?

[apycat]

yesterday i got a blue leg hermit(big) this morning is been eaten by somthing
all i have in my tank is 2x domino damsels and 1x mandarin dragonet. so its a mystery as to what has eaten it. can anyone help :thinking:

 

[earlybird]

You sure the crab didn't just molt?

 

[huskerreefer]

Check to make sure it isn't a molt. I thought a couple of my hermits had croaked until I actually saw a hermit out of his shell. If there is not a snail-like soft body attached to back of the hermit than it is just a molt.

 

[apycat]

the back of body looked like it had been chewed up thats why i thought it had been eaten

but can it malt in 1 night? and why is it not back in its shell or do i need to provide a new shell

 

[jimmy 4]

he will probably use the same shell, but haveing a bunch of shells around that are larger isnt a bad idea. Also it is fun watching them change shells.
good luck with your hermit.
He may be in a different shell.

 

[nick76]

Originally Posted by apycat
the back of body looked like it had been chewed up thats why i thought it had been eaten

but can it malt in 1 night? and why is it not back in its shell or do i need to provide a new shell

Yes.
Once a hermit molts it also grows larger and may not be able to fit back into the shell it was in before.

 

[apycat]

you are all correct

he has malted

and has gone back in his old shell, i will buy large shells for him to live in. how fantastic is that first time i am over the moon

 

[cymbal67]

i thought i had lost crabs before, but then after a closer look....it was just the shell. my cleaner shrimp, too. both my emerald crabs, and my sally light foot, all have given me the, "oh crap......oh wait, sweet, just a shell"