Question about hermits?

[lisa g]

I have two small red hermits that have been in the tank for 10 days. I noticed yesterday that one of the hermits has left his shell. I put other shells in there for him. I think he may have been out of the shell for a day or so before I noticed it. WIll he hide in the rocks or is he a gonner if I don't see him in one of the new shells? Just curious.

 

[speg]

He might have just molted.. give him time.

 

[lisa g]

thanks hate to lose the guy. My shrimp have all molted. So I guess things are going well in the tank.

 

[newbercube]

not to steal your thread but i have a question.
The LFS guy told me that with hermit crabs you don't necessarily have to give them new shells because they are so cheap (about a dollar per hermit crab where i live) that if they die you can just fish em out and throw a new one in there. This sounds cruel but does anyone else do this?
After reading the damsel thread I fear this might press a few buttons. Trust me i'd rather keep the little guys and throw them a new home everyonce in a while rather than just wait for them to die because they outgrew their shell.

 

[jacksdad]

newbercube:
Add shells as needed, they grow quickly and without a new place to call home they will die. I rotate the old shells out as I add new bigger ones. If hermits are that cheap at your LFS then the shells should be free.
Lisa:
Maybe his shell got hi-jacked by another hermit! It happens all the time in my tank. The loser usually find a new home pretty quickly or doesn't make it through the night.
Bob

 

[lisa g]

Well it looks as if he didn't make it. I put new shells in the tank but he never moved in. I have not seen the little guy. They were not cheap almost $5 a piece. Well lessons learned. Next time I will have shells on hand to add before they move out.