Uhhh.... molting. Do scarlett hermits do it?

hairtrigger

Active Member
I know shrimp and similar inverst molt and often the skin they shed can be mistaken for a dead body.
I have spotted two different scarlett hermit bodies, but they both resemble the bottom half, legs. So, I am thinking, since I have noticed some in new shells, that they molted.
Do scarlett hermits molt?
 

clamps

Member
im allmost sure that all animals with a hard shell type bodys have to molt,because there bodys wont expand to allow for growth,they molt shed there old shell swell out with water and then get hard and shrink back in to give growing room i could be wrong of course and im sure if i am ill hear about it on here:)
 

striker

Member
I had a bunch of scarlet hermits and when I saw their remains hanging around I thought they had molted. Recently I've searched around my tank and can't find any. It seems as if all my blue legs devoured my scarlets. If you have blue leg hermits this might be the case. Those guys are extremely aggressive towards eachother.
 

cap'n pete

Member
Yes hermits molt. I've been fooled several times thinking that it was a dead hermit to find it was a shedded exoskeleton. They even had eye stalks on them!
 

jonthefb

Active Member
the only way to tell for sure is to look at teh "shed" if the leg compartments are hollow then your lucky and its only a shed, if not, a porcelain burial is in order. i love scarlets, hate blue legs. im in the process right now of riddign my tnak of all hermits other than scarlets., cause the scarlets are just better cleaners all around!
good luck
jon
 

hairtrigger

Active Member
Yeah, I am pretty sure it is just molting then. Because I dont have any predators, that I have noticed anyways. I have had a couple of em switch shells. So, that is a good indicator that they're growing, and probably molting. Im with you on the scarlett thing Jon. I have heard blue legs are just downright mean. So, I am not putting any in. Just scarletts and snails. Thanks yall.
 
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