Killer hermit crab??

[jobu28]

I recently posted a thread asking if i can mix lionfish. Well as of last night i no longer need an answer to that question. I recently(a few days ago) purchased a hermit crab about 2" long. I was in the store with my daughter and she wanted a crab like sebastion from little mermaid. Not sure of the type, just looks like a normal grey/brown hermit about 2" long shell length. Everything was fine. Last night i noticed the my dwarf Miles lion about 4" resting on some rock as the lights were out. i also noticed the crab climbing that rock. This morning the lion that i have had for months with no problem was dead in the tank and the crab eating him. Eating doesnt bother me as it obviously is a scavenger, but could he actually have killed the lion in his sleep? Sorry for the long post but if the crab is a killer he needs to go as i have other fish in there which are either bottom fish or rest on the bottom at night.
75g
temp 78
am 0
nit 0
nitrate 60
sal 1.018

 

[james2042]

Originally Posted by jobu28
http:///forum/post/2966147
I recently posted a thread asking if i can mix lionfish. Well as of last night i no longer need an answer to that question. I recently(a few days ago) purchased a hermit crab about 2" long. I was in the store with my daughter and she wanted a crab like sebastion from little mermaid. Not sure of the type, just looks like a normal grey/brown hermit about 2" long shell length. Everything was fine. Last night i noticed the my dwarf Miles lion about 4" resting on some rock as the lights were out. i also noticed the crab climbing that rock. This morning the lion that i have had for months with no problem was dead in the tank and the crab eating him. Eating doesnt bother me as it obviously is a scavenger, but could he actually have killed the lion in his sleep? Sorry for the long post but if the crab is a killer he needs to go as i have other fish in there which are either bottom fish or rest on the bottom at night.
75g
temp 78
am 0
nit 0
nitrate 60
sal 1.018
My lfs tried giving me a big hermit crab for free because he would eat any fish in the tank

 

[jackri]

Just seems odd that a hermit could take down a fish like that.... your nitrates seem pretty high to me. Hard to rule anything out at this point though.

 

[devil dog]

Its the hermit! when they get big they will kill and eat just about anything as long as they can get it... and a dwarf lionfish would be easy for him to get... I would get it out ASAP!!!

 

[evanjah]

i had a red hermit crab that was like 3 inches long. He took down a 5 inch blond naso tang.(made me sick)I would get rid of him asap, Stick to the smaller ones trust me he could have and did kill your lion.

 

[jobu28]

Ok, thanks guys. He is gone. Picked up a few of the smaller hermit crabs. The LFS called them reef safe, red leg, blue leg, etc. My daughter was upset but i told her they were baby Sebastions. These shouldnt attack anything should they? How many are good?

 

[devil dog]

Originally Posted by jobu28
http:///forum/post/2966490
Ok, thanks guys. He is gone. Picked up a few of the smaller hermit crabs. The LFS called them reef safe, red leg, blue leg, etc. My daughter was upset but i told her they were baby Sebastions. These shouldnt attack anything should they? How many are good?
The blue legs will stay small but the red legs will get bigger... just dont add any new bigger shells and they will die when they get too big...
Good luck

 

[nycbob]

as long as u get the dwarf varieties that dont grow bigger than 1 inch, u will be fine.

 

[girlina4x4]

I feel your pain. I had a tuxedo hermit that killed all the other hermits, the snails, a peppermint shrimp, cleaner shrimp, a firefish, and a lawnmower blenny.