will blue hermits kill each other for their shells?

[corally]

:thinking:

 

[crazyaqua]

yeah but if there are extra shells in the tank they will look for those first

 

[mudplayerx]

Any hermit crab will kill other hermit crabs if it needs a new shell and spare ones are not available. Odds are if you have no spare shells, the hermit will kill a snail 1st though. Hermit crabs are community-based critters, much like birds, so killing one another is really a last ditch effort. This only applies to cleaner hermit crabs.

 

[jerthunter]

I find that my blue legged hermits will kill anything it can for their shells even though I have plenty of spare shells around. My hermits seem to like killing my Nassarius snails for their shells but they do fight each other quite regularily..

 

[mudplayerx]

If you are referring to your hermit crabs flipping each other over and sticking their claws into each other's shells, thats not battle, that is lovemaking lol.

 

[fishsta]

yep they sure will

 

[corally]

I can't seem to find shells. I have never seen them at any lfs, and the ones I got on this site were way to small (with the exception of maybe 10).

 

[mikeyjer]

My blue legged killed my cerith & nassarius snails for their shells. I provide plenty of shells for them but they want fresh ones from the snails, little buggers.... :happyfish

 

[krazyk]

Originally Posted by mudplayerx
If you are referring to your hermit crabs flipping each other over and sticking their claws into each other's shells, thats not battle, that is lovemaking lol.
really?
this is how they mate ?
mine do this ALOT ???
no babies though

 

[leafer]

I had 3 hermits, 2 snails and 3 extra shells in my 20 gal. One morning I awoke to find that the smallest of my 3 hermits was no longer in it's shell. It was not in one of the spare shells either. Either the little one killed one of the bigger ons for it's shell or one of the big ones killed the little one for sport.