Blue legged hermit crabs

I just saw a blue legged hermit crab switch shells! I did a water change today and was sitting here staring at the tank with the actinics on. I have some extra shells in the tank that I've collected over the years, mostly from Sanibel Island, FL. I've seen the blue legged hermits appear in a different shell, but I've never seen one actually switch!

The hermit crab picked up the empty shell and did a 360 with it, like he was really checking it over. Then, he pulled his butt out of one shell and stuck in the other shell, and off he went!

This leads me to a question - has anybody known of these things to reproduce in the tank? I haven't added any hermit crabs in a few months, but I've had several appear in some of my really tiny shells. All the ones I bought were pretty much the same size. I guess they could be hitchhikers?

Anyway, the shell switch was pretty neat.

 

I don't know anything about them reproducing but I saw two of ours switch shells. They did it really quick though and if I didn't happen to be standing there at that exact moment I would have missed it. One of them is in a shell that I think is too big because it just wobbles around the tank lol

 

My blue legged like to dine on my cerith snails.

I have seen them switch shells, as well as eat the occupant of their soon to be home. Not sure about reproducing though.

 

I know what your saying, we bought ours at about the same sizes but now some are huge and others dont seem to be growing.