Normal Behavior for Hermit Crab?

[Stormvillefish]

Hi folks ... so check this out ... saw an empty shell in the sand so I assumed one of my hermit crabs had died ... then I couldn't find one of my snails last night and then all of a sudden I see him on a rock ... next thing I know he grew a pair of blue legs and scurried across the rock! Seems like one of my blue legged hermit crabs gave up his shell and took the snail shell ... now I don't know if he killed the snail or if it just died and he decided to take the shell ... but the shell is much bigger than his previous shell and it looks like it takes a bit of labor for him to start moving ... but once he does he is fast! This shell so last him a long time! Not sure if this is normal or not ... but will hermit crabs kill snails for their shells? Should I get some empty shells for the hermit crabs in my tank ... currently I only have five hermit crabs ... 3 blue-legged ones and 2 maroon.

Also, have a quick question about emerald crabs ... will they eat left over flake food in the tank or are they strictly algae eaters ... I have very little if any algae in my tank and not sure if the emerald crab I have is getting enough to eat.

Thanks!

[VacavilleFC3S]

yes hermit crabs kill snails for there shell. where do you think they get there shell from in the first place?? they don't grow snail shells lol.

[mckostya]

i think if your tank is established emerald crab will find food for sure.
but i wouldnt feed him flake food

[cdness]

yeah they will kill snails for their shells. The also in my tank will kill other hermits if they like the other shell better... I saw two fighting over a shell and separated them, only for them to find the exact same crabs and fight again...lol It's survival of the fittest I guess.

[spw4949]

I keep xtra shells in my tank for my hermits, doesn't mean there won't be the occasional snail killing but I like to think it'll cut down on snail casualties...

[shuguley]

In my short amount of experience I haven't had one crab kill a snail for sport. I have about 18 hermits and over 20 snails. I have had one snail death, but it was a large turbo snail that kept falling over and couldn't correct itself. I must have have set him back on his foot 5 or 6 times, I figured he was doomed, then the other day I noticed his empty shell behind my rocks. I'm sure he fell over and became a tasty snack for my hermits.

I have seen my crabs crawling on snail shells, but the healthy snails have always closed themselves up where the crab couldn't get it. So it seems to me that if you have a healthy snail that is not lying on its side all exposed, the hermits will have a hard time getting to it.

Now, I did just recently get a bunch of empty shells for my aquarium, but it was really because my scarlet reef hermits and my orange claw hermits kept fighting over each others shells. I have a rather large scarlet reef hermit that was kicked out of his shell and had to move into a tiny shell, I knew he had to be uncomfortable. Within 8 hours of me adding the new shells, he found one he liked and seems much happier, so yes, extra shells are a good idea, but I don't think most hermits are as bad about killing snails as some people tend to think, my hermits largely ignore my snails..... so far anyway.

[crvz]

sounds pretty normal to me... hermits are pretty opportunistic and will take over a snail if they want its shell.