Snail genocide

So recently I started cutting back on feedings since I had a fish die and he was a royal pig. So naturally my serpent star is getting any or not that much food now. Is there a chance he is targeting my snails and hermits? Over the past month I have noticed my snails and hermits dead. Nothing else I can think of killing them off since I have only three fish: Leopard wrasse, coral beauty, sleeper goby.

 

Bump, anybody?? This is a tragedy!

 

what kind of hermits? they would be my first suspect.

 

Red leg.

 

yeah, do you have any extra, larger shells in the tank for them to move into as they grow? If not they will kill anything that looks like they might enjoy living in it

 

I actually got some when I bought the little fellers.

 

Hermits will still kill snails even a plethora of extra shells are offered, IME.

Are all the dead snail shells in one piece? I'm not sure if serpents go snail killing, but I believe stars that do consume live snails start by crushing the shells. Also broken shells could be an indication of a mantis shrimp, but I don't like to jump to conclusions (especially that one).

 

yeah red hermits are very aggressive and will kill other hermits and snails for their shells even if they have other shells to go to that are bigger.

How big is your tank? Your star will eat things if he is hungry but I think he would grab your fish first

 

What about your algae? Did you have enough in the tank to sustain the amount of snails you had?

 

The shells are totally intact and a lot of the times the snails are just tipped over, but the occurrence is more frequency lately. In the past two weeks I have found snail shells empty. My star doesn't go out ever and he barely gets food when I feed. Maybe that's it?