Hermits Embrace

[skh]

I found two scarlet hermits locked in an intimate embrace this morning.

 

 

Is this love? Or murder most foul?

[reefone]

crab fight!

[gee_eddy]

crab fight!

 

Lol!

 

How are they today? Just one left? Looks like they could be mating though :/

[skh]

I think it was an attempt to steal a shell after all. This hermit is way too big after molting. He's just sitting in the corner of the tank, half hanging out of his shell, and looking unhappy.

 

 

I'll have to go somewhere to pick up some replacement shells for him. Any suggestions on where to go? I've seen Walmart suggested.

[gee_eddy]

ebay?

[this1fish]

that is definitely fighting over the shell. the bigger one will kick the smaller one out of it's shell and take it while the loser gets the old shell.

[Lalani]

Interesting, I noticed mine doing the same thing all yesterday.... After they were finished, the smaller of the two reached out of its shell to right itself and it had a small bundle of tiny red/brown eggs on its rump.

[skh]

I just went out and bought this bag of craft shells from Walmart for $4.97. I boiled the shells for a few minutes before dropping them in. But I'm skeptical of whether the hermits will like these. They're very thin and a little on the large side.

 

[c est ma]

I doubt very much if your hc's will use those shells.

 

Have you tried your lfs?

 

Also, most pet stores now sell extra shells for land hermit crabs. Perhaps you could find some small enough for your guys.

 

--Diane

[skh]

That's exactly what I thought. But this morning I checked and the unhappy hermit is now using one of the new shells. I'll try to get a picture when he comes out from behind the rockwork.

 

On a less happy note, I can't find the skunk cleaner shrimp I added to the tank yesterday afternoon. When I went to bed he was hanging out upside down in a cave. I acclimated him for 1 hour by floating the bag and adding ~1/3 cup tank water every 5 minutes. The SG of the bag water was 1.024 and my SG is 1.025, so not a big difference there. He also seemed to be fine last night. The only other inhabitants are the hermits, a small emerald crab, and 2 small false percs.

 

Any thoughts?

 

I doubt very much if your hc's will use those shells.

 

Have you tried your lfs?

 

Also, most pet stores now sell extra shells for land hermit crabs. Perhaps you could find some small enough for your guys.

 

--Diane

[c est ma]

Good news about the hermit! I hope you do get a pic.

 

About the shrimp, only this: arthropods are very good at hiding when molting, even if you think you've checked every nook & cranny. Perhaps your shrimp is molting.

 

--Diane

[skh]

I found the remains of the skunk cleaner behind the live rock this morning. Very sad.

 

I really wonder what happened to him. He was acting very normal the entire afternoon when I added him. Perhaps I didn't take long enough to acclimate him? But it was only a 20-minute drive from the LFS and the SG difference was only 0.001.

 

 

Good news about the hermit! I hope you do get a pic.

 

About the shrimp, only this: arthropods are very good at hiding when molting, even if you think you've checked every nook & cranny. Perhaps your shrimp is molting.

 

--Diane

[henrlee]

IMO, you acclimated too long. I use the drip method for maybe 10-15 minutes with zero causalities.

 

On a lighter note. My hermit crab are friendlier to each other. They give each other a free ride

[skh]

As promised here's the hermit in his new shell.

[c est ma]

LOL! Most becoming. Now ALL hc's will want shells like that...

[nanu-nanu]

Aww, it worked!

I bet you must be so happy

[skh]

Definitely a stylish shell. Hermit haute couture.

[Pacifique]

lol. My hermits are riding in shells that I brought back from a beach in South Africa.