Halloween hermit crab

Slatkid96

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I have had one Halloween hermit in my 65 gallon tank for about 3 weeks. I just got another one yesterday and added him into the tank. I checked on the tank last night before bed and the 2 crabs where together and my oldest hermit was trying to get into the shell of the new hermit.

I separated them, I put one on a tall rock and one on the opposite end of the tank on another rock. woke up this morning to the same thing as last night, the oldest hermit was trying to get into the shell of the new hermit.
I took the new hermit and put him into my quarantine tank for now.

can any one describe or tell me what this behavior means. I’m looking into putting some other empty shells in there.
 

Bars

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He won’t kill the other hermit tho will he? That’s what I’m afraid of
He probably could if there's no other shells for him to move into. Hermits grow, they need larger shells every now and then. Just dump a bunch of different sized shells in your tank and they'll be fine.
 

Spieg

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It may kill the other hermit to get it's shell. Best option is to get a few empty shells that are a little larger for the older hermit to move into.
 

ying yang

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And get the correct shells as i reading only conch shells or one other shell they want/ prefer/ actually use.
I just bought a halloween hermit today and tried getting spare conch shells but lfs struggling to get them.well they struggling get any shells tbh as asked few weeks ago also for spare shells for my other hermits.
I never had Halloween hermits before but when doing my research i read just keep one per tank unless very large tank.my tank 80 gallons so i will only be having the one halloween hermit.
I reading also they semi aggressive or can be ( like any crab i suppose) but it helps to target feed them 1-2 times a week so thats what i will be doing as want cut chances to as low as possible that hermit will kill my conchs snails or any snail or my red legged scarlet or mini hermits etc as halloweens grow much larger than most the other hermits we keep
 

MaxTremors

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And get the correct shells as i reading only conch shells or one other shell they want/ prefer/ actually use.
I just bought a halloween hermit today and tried getting spare conch shells but lfs struggling to get them.well they struggling get any shells tbh as asked few weeks ago also for spare shells for my other hermits.
I never had Halloween hermits before but when doing my research i read just keep one per tank unless very large tank.my tank 80 gallons so i will only be having the one halloween hermit.
I reading also they semi aggressive or can be ( like any crab i suppose) but it helps to target feed them 1-2 times a week so thats what i will be doing as want cut chances to as low as possible that hermit will kill my conchs snails or any snail or my red legged scarlet or mini hermits etc as halloweens grow much larger than most the other hermits we keep
Yes they need to be conch shells or shells that have wide and flat opening.
 

blaxsun

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I had 2-3 halloween hermits in a 25-gallon, no problem. I’ve got 7-8 now in a 160-gallon, and they all get along fine. They do occasionally like to “swap” shells, so I usually have an extra conch one kicking around in the tank.
 

ying yang

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First day having mine so he stayed hidden in rockwork for first few hours but then came out so used coral feeder and hand fed him a small frozen shrimp out of end of it.took it then shortly went back in rocks but my gold streaked blennie who was targetting a newly aquired bi colour blennie has changed his agression to the halloween hermit literally trying bite his shell looked like and throwing a right hissy fit as he thinks both large rock structures are all his,basically all tank lol.
Got a coral beauty today also that the gold streaked blennie charging him but the coral beauty just carries on as normal and doesnt flinch .so funny to watch all the interactions of them all and halloween hermit absolutely beautiful.
Good news that you had 2- 3 in a small tank.as i would like more halloweens but will see how i get on with just one for now as mixed reviews in what im reading but if see any agression he be a sump crab and possibly go back to lfs always a option i guess
 

Julchen

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reefcleaners.org carries the appropriate, empty shells for them to possibly move in to. Very inexpensive. Ordered some today for mine.
Here’s the link if anyone is interested and in the need to purchase them.

 
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