Another dead Hermit Crab with pics

[I'm Batman]

This is three in two weeks... wtf 

 

missing the back of his abdomen...

 

are the starving to death?

 

[nanoreefer20]

It could be a molt but not too sure. Someone else can help me on this one. Molts usually have a more white to translucent back while yours look more fleshy. Have all of the hermit grabs you have looked like this? 

 

What is your tank like?

[BustytheSnowMaam]

Looks like a molt to me.

[I'm Batman]

The molt is usually translucent.... this is what my tank is like... 

 

 

20 minutes ago, tashayar said:

Looks like a molt to me.

Unless they molt outside of their shell then crawl back to a random shell (which I've never seen them do) this doesn't look like a molt...

[I'm Batman]

In the pic in this post you can see the eye ball on the eye stalks....

 

 

So here's the microscope image of the eye...

 

 

[BustytheSnowMaam]

Hmm, I guess I thought maybe it was because the abdominal part looked translucent.  Is the Hawaiian hermit the murderer?

[I'm Batman]

Here's a pic of this one from tonight under the scope... it appears to either have had its eyes eaten off the stalks, or it is in fact a molt...

 

I'm thinking this time it is a molt... I'm sure you can understand the panic after it happened once you're always on the lookout lol.

[REEFreefLJS85]

I know this is a silly question but what are you topping your tank off with? My crabs use to do the same thing when I first got in the hobby. I didnt know what I was doing. Comes to find out I was topping off with saltwater instead of fresh. When that change my crabs stop dying. 

[Tautoo]

Looks a lot like a molt to me.  I thought both of my scarlets had died when i was basting off the rocks and had 2 what i thought bodies float to the front of the tank.  Was happy to see them scurry out at feeding time the next day.

[cfaye@Delaware]

I just started looking at this, not sure of what else you have in the tank. You might want to post your water parameters so members can take a look if you have not done so. I also have not read the other threads yet, I'm sorry.

Do you have extra shells in tank, if they out grow their shells they will die.

Do you feed them, I find that they need extra food, like algae wafers. Please forgive me, just started reading and I'm also a newbie ( noob ).

[I'm Batman]

Plenty of extra shells... been running saltwater for 4 years now... topping off with RO

 

Salinty 1.0255

Calcium 420

PH 8.2

dkh 9

Mag 1440

Ammonia 0

Nitrite 0

Nitrate 5

 

I've had hermits molting for years now... 

 

The other day I had my zebra hermit munching on a red tip hermit, and this was the second one I found so it alarmed me. 

 

Im pretty sure based off the microscope investigation that this was a molt. The first one was definitely murdered!!

[Tautoo]

Those dang hermits man,  they get a little wild.  Im surprised both of mine live nicely.  They are Scarlets though

[I'm Batman]

I have 25 in a 20 gallon so they be starving

[cju84]

Params look ok.  I'm thinking it's a molt.  They are pretty hard to kill.

[cfaye@Delaware]

I use Hikari Tropical Algae Wafers the sinking type. Any algae food is ok, I can get this at my LFS, also Petco has some saltwater crab food that looks ok, have not ordered yet. It is online, my store does not carry it.  Wow that's a lot of crabs.....yep try feeding some extra food.....but then you have to watch your water chemistry ????

[I'm Batman]

I have crabs and snails battling algae and keeping it from building up, so they should have plenty to eat!!

[I'm Batman]

Full tank shot!!