Hermit moulting or dismembered?

I've searched around for an answer to this but would appreciate any input:

I have a fairly new tank, only about 1 month old, 26gal tank w/ about 30 lbs of live rock. The only inhabitants are a cleanup crew consisting of: 6x hermits (some blue some red), 3x nassarius snails (one jumped out), 2x small mexican turbo snails, 1 sally lightfoot crab, and 1 cleaner shrimp.

The problem is that several weeks ago, right after putting the hermits in I found what looked like a red hermit crab body laying in the sand. It looked very fleshy but was fairly clear / colorless except for claws which were hard and bright red. I assumed that the crabs had had a fight and one was killed. I did not however find an empty shell...

Eventually I realized that they mould and did find ths missing crab.

Here's the problem: he looks pretty sad: his claws are white-ish and he can barely walk yet he manages to climb around and find hiding spots. I almost thought it was an empty shell until I realized there were little eyes poking around in there. The bottom line is that he doesn't look right, but if someone really did pull his body apart how the heck would he even be alive? (note that this was before introducing the sally lightfoot crab).

Two weeks later I also have a sally lightfoot crab and the same thing happens to another hermit crab. Now I am wondering if the sally crab dismembered the hermit as this hermit also looks in really bad shape, is very pale, and doesn't appear to have the large claws.

Is this normal? These crabs don't do much any more other than hide. It has been weeks and the 1st crab looks the same. I actually put some rod's food in there and physically placed the two crabs on it and they did munch down.

I'd appreciate any info on how a hermit crab moult actually occurs. I have read that they can lose a limb or two, but watching this happen on two of them makes it look like I'll be out of hermits pretty soon. Or is it more likely that something is dismembering them?

My LFS told me that the sally lightfoot was a great and harmless addition, and I've never seen it become aggressive, but now I'm a bit spooked.

thanks!
Frank

 

Well it could be a few things. all crabs/shrimp molt. And it is normal for them to not be active and hide for up to a few days before and after the molt, as they are soft and vulnerable.
My first question would be: what are you feeding everything? The only things in the tank that can survive solely on algae are the turbo's.
The third would be the sally light foot. Yes, they can be fairly aggressive, specially with that many other inverts with a possible food shortage.

 

That's right fruitya $ $ ... my vote is the Sally crab.

 

Thanks for the replies!

I put in some frozen "Rod's food" a couple times a week (don't want to overfeed or that bristleworm that hides in my live rock will get even bigger). Everyone seems to love it. The cleaner shrimp will climb onto my finger to get it.

I was about to evict the Sally lightfoot crab until I realized that the first hermit had this happen before I even put Sally in there. It doesn't seem to do much other than run around and pick at all the rocks, I have never seen it bother anyone. I also wonder if I could even get it out of there if I wanted to (short of pulling all the rock out).

Oh well, it's true that they are a dime a dozen, I would just prefer to setup a nano reef in which the creatures I buy don't end up as food.

thanks again

 

I found yet another crab part tonight and managed to snag it out and inspect it. It looks meaty but upon closer inspection is hollow. I'm attempting to attach a pic:

I suppose I've become concerned without cause, but these crabs seem to take a very long time to get red again.

 

I think your original guess that it was molting is probably the most likely. Althougth red hermit crabs may be quite common, I have a pretty large one who is quite interesting to watch.

 

The first critters I ever bought were some hermits! They're as interesting to watch as anything else...and in full view of the risk of a severe drop in testosterone, I will declare that blue legged hermits are really cute.

Along with my Nassarius snails that run around in the sand bed with their periscopes scoping away. Cute little U-boats.

 

I can see where you are concerned about your livestock and that is commendable, but mission is right. Once you get your population of fish/corals/cleanup crew in there, it is going to be hard to keep track of everything and some things are going to have to be left to nature. Some people don't keep hermits at all. There are pros and cons to having them in a reef tank. So Sally (or whoever) may be doing you a favor in the longrun. It sucks to watch death in your tank, I know.......but this one might be for the best. I am going to steer clear of hermits myself from here on out except for my one big one. He is pretty cute. But don't tell anyone I thought so. They already know I watch Little House on the Prairie and I wouldn't want my manlihood questioned any further!!!!!