hermit/ snail question

hey everyone i was just wondering if you can help me out here. i know hermits use the snails shells but will they really hunt them down and kill them for their shells or only take the ones that the snail had died... i am about to purchase another 20 snails but because most of mine had died already... just wondering if they are small if they will survive

 

Hermits will kill for shells. I know that keeping extra empty shells laying around helps keep them from attacking snails......

 

I just found 4 or 5 blue hermits all over one of my x-nassaruis snails up on the liverock. I'm assuming that one of the hermits killed it to eat and for it's shell, then a few more were on the pile trying to join in on the feast. This was right after feeding the wrasse with some frozen Hikari stuff that the snails love. My guess is the snail came up to eat, and the hermit crab got it. I'll get more later, I guess.

 

That hermit is proudly wearing the X-Nassarius Snail's shell today. It's having a little trouble climbing the LR with the added weight, LOL.