Blue leg murderers

[Dummyforclownfi]

I have 5 blue leg hermits who have proved to be serial killers. I had two scarlet red hermits who disappeared and reappeared but in fragments. I went to the lfs and got myself 3 red leg hermits. Well today I saw two blue legs gang up on a red leg. They pulled him outof his shell. They didnt even keep his shell! They then began to shred him to pieces. Poor guy got away due to the powerhead blowing him away and managed to hide under a rock. Its almost as if they could smell him. They went exactly to where he was at and finished him off. I tried scaring them off with a net but they were like hungry dogs and really wanted that guy. I thought these guys were supposed to be passive? I have about 20 empty shells for them to swap into. Why are they acting like this? Will they only get along with blue legs? Is there a way to put them on time out? ok maybe not the last one but should I not put anymore in there?

[KeepNitReel]

should I not put anymore in there?
If I was the LFS, I would say absolutely!!!! LOL!!!

[Dummyforclownfi]

Kinda makes me wanna get rid of them. I would rather keep scarlet reds.

[FTDelta]

Trade the blue hermits for the red ones. A win-win situation here.

[justthewife]

Oh my....I have not seen any blue crab I have had do that. I have seen a Zebra crab do that though. I would take the blue ones back to the store and trade them for the red ones.

[jorda9095]

ive had the same problem but my crabs will kill my snails to take their shells. in my experience i honestly think hermit crabs either inherently enjoy or it is intuitive for them to kill for the shell they take. its ridiculous, i spend hours trying to find appropriate shells for them in the surf and then they never even want to use them. i've had ones that choose to die over going into a newer empty shell and i used to siphon their little bodies out frequently.
long story short..... just get snails and other CUC and avoid these stupid murderers altogether. snails will reproduce to match the food in your tank.

[Saltliquid]

The only passive hermit is a dead one!
But if you need the clean up aspect of them, then the yellow claw is the best I have found and if you get them very small and do not provide shells to upgrade, then you just replace them each four or five months.
The yellow claw eats cyano.

[tthnow]

crips vs bloods~!!!

[Dummyforclownfi]

crips vs bloods~!!!

If you only knew how much I despise that comment.

[Crna]

I've had blue legs do that in one of my tanks! They have been really well behaved in the other. But after all of the carnage, if I am going to get any more, they will be Scarlett's!

[imsalty]

Crabless for me. Only in the fuge

[fishgate]

These are the best crabs. They tend to hide though.

http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=497+501+1963&pcatid=1963

[noy]

I don't think its so much the blue legged ones being any more aggressive. In my tank the red legged ones are larger and much more aggressive. I even had one develop a taste for LPS (earned a quick trip to the sump). Can't say i'm a bit fan of hermits generally - they kill all my snails and don't even use the shells.

[mbcolangelo]

That's crazy! I've got about a dozen or more blue legs and maybe 4 red legs. Never had an issue with them killing each other. Killing snails, yes, always the red leg ones too. Had a red leg feed on a jasmine polyp once too (at least it sure appeared that way)

Is there enough food for them?

Lol, you could always take a couple blues and a couple reds. Stick them in a tank by themselves with only food and watch there reaction. See if they choose consuming the other crab over eating the food.... I also have way too much time on my hands!



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[BOSLawGuy]

I've actually had reds kill other reds for their shells ... It's crazy.
I was up late (around 3 AM) one night, and witnessed one red leg literally grab another by the shell and start bashing their shells together to try and force the other out.
I notice hermits gone one day, and then see a different colored one in the same shell a day later.

Evil little creatures if you ask me - I will not be purchasing any more!

[Dummyforclownfi]

Well it seems like these guys are all evil little bastards. I think that is the only way to put it. Sad thing though that every website that sells them claims they are peaceful inhabitants and don't harm others.
To a question above, yes they get enough food. I make sure to even allow some pellets drop to the SB to have extra for them if they want. Since my tank is less than 6 month old, I keep lights on a little longer to promote a bit of algae growth for them.

[Saltliquid]

Personally I don’t see any reason, not for many years now, to have any kind of hermit anywhere or any crabs other then acro crabs or any pistol shrimps, if you look after your water that is.
Its not the snails that are my concern I use limpets and small species of sea urchins, they are far better then snails, it’s their potential to kill so many other life forms.
I do like anemone crabs but usually the clowns shove them into the anemone when they shed, eventually!
Crabs are only useful for cyano and up taking a very slight amount of the phosphorus from the tissue/detritus they consume to make their new tissue, and we shouldn’t have cyano in the display tank!
What they consume they excrete in another form as do most life and what are excreted equate to additional nitrite cycle activities and crustaceans pee a lot as well.
The nitrite cycle would have broken down what they eat any way and release iodine and amino acids as just some of what oxidation makes available, so what is achieved by having them, not enough in my opinion!
Phos is so easily accounted for, so that’s not an issue.
Peps and brittle sea stars, the smooth arm varieties only are the only things a part from the reef life we like that are larger then 4 millimetres as adults and not much else is in my tanks and it all goes well.
Hermits are future problems, not usually straight away and usually once they attain above a certain size!