Do hermit crabs kill snails just for their shells?

[Tbg299]

I have a couple of large Turbo snails in my tank. This morning I woke up, and saw that a hermit crab in my tank had killed and taken my largest Turbo snail's shell. I've honestly never seen this happen before. I give them big shells but I guess this crab really wanted this snail's shell.

 

[James M]

Yep they’ll kill the snails just for the shells

 

[ying yang]

I read lots threads before i started my tank that hermits can kill snails for their shells,because hungry,or just for fun,or just opportunity.
Soneone started a thread yesterday thinking there large hermit maybe may of tried something with their conch and spooked it and freaked it out then only a few hours ago i caught my largeish hermit in the act wrestling with my conch then videod it jumping away like in op thread.so just opportunity with mine as defo not hungry as lots algae in tank and over feed fish and target feed hermits few times per week.

 

[Lost in the Sauce]

Not only crabs. I introduced 3 small conches into the tank. Next morning, two hermits have new shells...

A holes

 

[Pistondog]

Someone had a 2 inch fighting conch that was literally dancing. He attributed it to hermit interested in the shell.

 

[ying yang]

EMERGENCY - Need advice ASAP

I have a fighting conch. I have had 2 of them in my tank for 1 year and tonight one is missing (probably buried itself) and the other is doing laps around the tank but you need to watch the video to see my concern. I turned the lights on there default setting when I heard the noise hence why...

www.reef2reef.com

Here thread im on about and op video in post 1 then my video in post 30 not even 22 hours later.
I think soon my sump going be full of naughty hermits all killing each other lol

 

[Tbg299]

I read lots threads before i started my tank that hermits can kill snails for their shells,because hungry,or just for fun,or just opportunity.
Soneone started a thread yesterday thinking there large hermit maybe may of tried something with their conch and spooked it and freaked it out then only a few hours ago i caught my largeish hermit in the act wrestling with my conch then videod it jumping away like in op thread.so just opportunity with mine as defo not hungry as lots algae in tank and over feed fish and target feed hermits few times per week.

I feed my nassarius snails and hermits 2x a week with. They are getting more than enough food so I don't know why the crabs are getting so aggressive.

 

[Ocelaris]

Oh, they absolutely will steal shells. That's why I will never have crabs or shrimp of any kind anymore. Gastropods only for me.

 

[ying yang]

I feed my nassarius snails and hermits 2x a week with. They are getting more than enough food so I don't know why the crabs are getting so aggressive.

Idk other than its just natural in the wild to kill whatever opportunities they can kill to feed and live so even though we feed them,they had millions years of evolution built into them so guess it about that ^_^ but yeah im same i feed my hermits clams/ oysters/ scallops few times a week and over feed fish so some ends up inbetween empty clam shells in tank so my hermits definately cant be hungry i wouldnt of guessed.look post 30 in thread i post above and can see my hermit full of all the snail gunk straight after i seperated them ^_^

 

[Tbg299]

Only one time ive witnessed one of my crabs killing the other and then proceeded to take its shell. Again, they have plenty or large shells to move into and they get plenty of food so I'm not sure why they do this.

 

[ying yang]

Oh, they absolutely will steal shells. That's why I will never have crabs or shrimp of any kind anymore. Gastropods only for me.

Yeah my 2 cleaner shrimp jerks also.i target feed them when feed fish yet still they steal food from my corals lol.
They cool but they annoy me and i usey coral feeder and blow water at them when they jump on my torch coral and steal food.
Well i should say i did use coral feeder as you will hear and see in video in thread i posted ( post 30) after seperate hermit and snail i sat on coral feeder lol

 

[ying yang]

Only one time ive witnessed one of my crabs killing the other and then proceeded to take its shell. Again, they have plenty or large shells to move into and they get plenty of food so I'm not sure why they do this.

Cats do it when kill mice and rats and the like even though owners feed them.
How true it is i do not know but what i got told is they just dont domesticate as good as dogs and still got more of that animal instinct

 

[Calm Blue Ocean]

Possibly depends on the combination of hermits and snails. Different varieties of hermits have different shell shape preferences. Blue and red legs seem to prefer shells with round openings and Halloween hermits seem to prefer the long narrow openings of conch shells. Maybe you have a lot of shells but not the right shape for your guys?

 

[shakacuz]

i’ve have hermit crabs go for each other for their shells. i started my 40b with 4 red legged and 4 blue legged hermits and now i can’t even tell you how many of each i have. i can definitely tell i have more red legged than blue though.

i over feed my tank due to my chaeto not being harvested so i know it’s not hunger.

 

[jt8791]

I gave up on hermit crabs a while ago, if they aren’t going after snails it’s each other. Just simpler to buy more snails and forget hermits. I got tired of all the clutter from the extra shells and made more sense to go with a bigger variety of snails. They always seemed to go after each other or snails no matter how many extra shells I offered.

I don’t bother with cleaner shrimp anymore either, only have a pair of peppermints in case of aptasia. Also have four emerald crabs and they don’t bother anything. I ended up cutting my sandbed down to an inch so I probably have too many nassarius now.

 

[G Santana]

Shell, what shell

 

[Wyvern]

Hermit crabs are dirtbags.

 

[James_O]

Yes, for sure. They killed two of my snails and are now wearing their shells. I would assume they would only kill a snail the size of them, so larger snails shouldn't be an issue.

 

[blaxsun]

Thou shell covet thy neighbour’s shell...

 

[LiveFreeAndReef]

My hermits only steal eachother's shells, I always end up with 2-3 bully hermits that have killed off all their buddies. I don't buy them anymore haha