So obviously, these must have been hitchhikers. Is there a kind of crab/filter feeder about the same size as a red legged hermit crab that resembles their dead bodies almost exactly, or am I in posession of a magic hat of a biocube?
So confused.
Full Version: Presto Chango Dead Hermit Crab?
Okay, so I'm on number 3 now. I first noticed a dead hermit crab (sans shell) at about week 2. I thought one of my 3 CUC hermits had died. Low and behold, I see all three crawling around the next day. Noticed dead hermit number 2 about 3 weeks ago. Strangely enough... I still counted 3 hermits the next week. Here we are at week 8 and I pull another dead hermit out of the tank. Can you guess how many hermits I count today? 3.
So obviously, these must have been hitchhikers. Is there a kind of crab/filter feeder about the same size as a red legged hermit crab that resembles their dead bodies almost exactly, or am I in posession of a magic hat of a biocube?
So confused.
So obviously, these must have been hitchhikers. Is there a kind of crab/filter feeder about the same size as a red legged hermit crab that resembles their dead bodies almost exactly, or am I in posession of a magic hat of a biocube?
So confused.
QUOTE (DRAllison @ Nov 11 2009, 09:34 PM) 
Okay, so I'm on number 3 now. I first noticed a dead hermit crab (sans shell) at about week 2. I thought one of my 3 CUC hermits had died. Low and behold, I see all three crawling around the next day. Noticed dead hermit number 2 about 3 weeks ago. Strangely enough... I still counted 3 hermits the next week. Here we are at week 8 and I pull another dead hermit out of the tank. Can you guess how many hermits I count today? 3.
So obviously, these must have been hitchhikers. Is there a kind of crab/filter feeder about the same size as a red legged hermit crab that resembles their dead bodies almost exactly, or am I in posession of a magic hat of a biocube?
So confused.
So obviously, these must have been hitchhikers. Is there a kind of crab/filter feeder about the same size as a red legged hermit crab that resembles their dead bodies almost exactly, or am I in posession of a magic hat of a biocube?
So confused.
r u sure their not molting?
Hermit crabs molt their outer skin quite often. That's what you're seeing.
QUOTE (papajohn40 @ Nov 11 2009, 07:39 PM)
r u sure their not molting?
They've definitely had fleshy white substance coming off of the back. I hadn't really considered it molt because of that. I feed the leftovers to my freshwater fish.
you can leave the molt in the tank. the hermits will eat it.
QUOTE (DHaut @ Nov 11 2009, 07:41 PM)
you can leave the molt in the tank. the hermits will eat it.
I always try to keep my little 8 gallon paradise cleaner than that. It's not a lot of volume and I don't want to chance adding too many additional nutrients, but if it's really just molt I guess there's not a lot to it but calcium.
right, and the hermits will eat their own molts to recover those nutrients.
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