Molting Hermits?

[acrylic300]

Iv'e been finding the front legs and heads of my Hermits. I don't see the shells anywhere> is this normal or is something eating them?

 

[bronco300]

shells? the actualy shells dont molt do they?? just their bodies i thought

 

[mn1467]

only the bodies molt not the shells but the hermit one day will be to big for the shell he is in you can buy empty hermit crab shells for them

 

[acrylic300]

yes, the shells dont molt. Im trying to decide if they have molted or been removed from their shell and killed. So I thought it might be relevant that I can't find the shells.

 

[bronco300]

well if they would be taken out and killed, surely youd be able to find some empty shells unless you have something that eats shells?

 

[mn1467]

They most likely molted and are now hiding in your LR until their exoskelton hardens again. After they molt this is when they are vurnable to predators (I know I cant spell)

 

[acrylic300]

Thx, I was just a little worried because Iv'e found 2 in the last 2 days and havn't noticed any prior to this.

 

[danedodger]

They definitely molt and like MN1467 said, they hide for awhile because right after a molt they're soft and vulnerable till their "skin" hardens. What do these "heads and legs" look like? The ones I've found were always kinda translucent, hollow looking, drifted around on the bottom with the lightest current so I knew they were molts.

 

[smoney]

You should have some extra shells that are slightly bigger than the ones they have, and put them in the back of your tank, because if the hermits cant find a bigger shell they will die.

 

[danedodger]

SMoney: Yeah or you have hermies that do like one of mine...they move into the biggest darn shell they can find and look ridiculous trying to haul it around!!!!!! ROFL He's our only blue leg with a name since the rest are too hard to tell apart. We named him Ambitious!

 

[acrylic300]

I don't know I might be in trouble. The ones that I am finding still have color. They do float around on the bottom though.

 

[littlebuck]

not sure how true this is but a question on hurmits but i was tols buy a LFS that if a hermit dosent have another shell to go in to it will not grow due to the fact that it has no where to go is this true?

 

[mn1467]

QUOTE]not sure how true this is but a question on hurmits but i was tols buy a LFS that if a hermit dosent have another shell to go in to it will not grow due to the fact that it has no where to go is this true?
your LFS is wrong They will most likely die if they can not find a bigger shell

 

[mn1467]

Originally Posted by Littlebuck
not sure how true this is but a question on hurmits but i was tols buy a LFS that if a hermit dosent have another shell to go in to it will not grow due to the fact that it has no where to go is this true?
they will most likely die if they do not find a shell they will keep growing your LFS misinformewd you

 

[littlebuck]

ya i figured that he didnt know to much but i wanted to just have hear what someone else knew because i really didnt know about that. but thank you learn something new everyday

 

[acrylic300]

I have large empty shells. Those snails that can't right themselves when flipped over. I have a few of those that got lost between the rocks.

 

[danedodger]

I don't know for a fact but I'd say MN1467 is probably dead on correct. It sounds like the old wives tale that a fish will only grow to the size of it's tank which I know is fooey. No matter what you do a living thing will grow to the size it's intended to be (give or take a little for the variety found in genetics of course) or it will die. So if we assume hermies are the same way they WILL outgrow their shells at some point and won't make it without a larger one to move into.