Who is eating my crabs =(

[fantomkoala]

I recently added one of the clean up crews from this site to my 55g FOWLR. Its been about a month now, and half of my scarlet hermits have passed away. Could something be eating/killing them?
I have a brittle star, electric scallop, Maroon Clown, Cleaner Wrasse, Small Freckled Hawk and about 100 or so crabs. (70+ blue legged, ~20 scarlet, 1 sally light foot, couple emerald crabs.) I have never seen anyone pick on the crabs, and their are plenty of shells for them to change into.
Any thoughts?
Fantom+K

 

[fantomkoala]

Another quick ?
Do crabs molt? I've found what appear to be 2 dead sallylightfoots in my tank over the last few months, but I've only ever put 1 in. He isn't dead yet either. Did he shed his skin, or did I get a couple of hitchikers I never noticed.
Thanks again!
Fantom+K

 

[fender]

Yes they do molt, as well as the red and blue legged hermits. The bodies may be their sheds. I had six crabs and found several 'bodies' in my tank and thought they had perished. Then I counted and still had six..........
The old exoskeletons look remarkably like the real deal.
Shrimp do this too, is there is sufficient iodine. HTH

 

[totalxtreme1]

I have the same question. What is eating my hermit crabs? I have a yellow tang, powder blue, coral beauty,And 2 damsels fowlr. I find legs here and there every once in awhile. Can one of the tangs be eating them?

 

[azzala]

I also have a cleaner crew from this site. Talk about a clean tank. I thought the same thing. Until I finally found a web site on hermits. They are molting -the exoskeleton falls from the shell as if the crab has died. Crabs are vulnerable until their outer shells hardens.

 

[goofieones]

I don't know about the Small Freckled Hawk, but most hawks like to eat small inverts. Could it be possible he is eating the crabs?

 

[perps]

you complain about your crabs.. yet i had 6 turbo snails in my tank and then i added about 7 hermit crabs.. and i didnt noticed that the crabs were eating my snails.. now my glass has brown alage all over it!!! This goes in the who know cartigorie

 

[fantomkoala]

The freckled hawk was the one animal I thought might be doing the damage. But I've yet to see him go after any of the inverts. I tend to watch my fish a lot, even at night and I have still not seen anyone going after the little crabs.
Fantom+K

 

[rglenn828]

I actually saw a snail (that came in on a piece of LR) kill one of my little blue hermits. The hermit was in a piece of decorative coral and could not get out fast enough.
Regards,