Hermit Crab eaten during molt?

[Breadbox]

So, recently my electric blue hermit crab died after 3 weeks of introduction and his replacement literally died within 3 days.
My Blenny has a suspiciously full stomach when the first crab died( I hadn't fed yet) and my fire shrimp is eating some meaty hermit legs when the second one died.

Everyone else is doing great so I doubt it is the water, this led to my conclusion that they were attacked and consumed during molting.

I've also released that I don't remember seeing hermit crab molt or in the process of molting ever. I've seem shrimp and crab molts dozens of times but not hermit crabs.

So how do hermit crab behave when they molt? Do they fall out of their shell and lay limply on the sand for hours?
My cleaner shrimp molt almost once a week without any issue, how is it that hermits always seem to die on their first molt (assuming my hypothesis is right)?

 

[vetteguy53081]

Can happen as their ektoskeleton is soft first several hours

 

[Greg P]

What does your rockscape have for hiding places for the hermits to use during a molt?
I've had stupid hermits molt right on the sandbed ... not the best plan for evolution

 

[Unitylover]

you could put them in a container with tank water if the problem persists.

 

[GARRIGA]

My snowflake ate my red legged hermit when it had molted or was trying to change shells. They co-existed without issue for months. Plenty of hiding places but likely few the eel couldn't traverse.

 

[Seabiscuit & Friends]

My cone shell hermit just crawled out of his shell yesterday and I saw the molt floating around with all my shrimp on top of it, thought they killed him but I also saw him walking around in his shell earlier in the day while at the same time a shrimp was walking around with the hermit's arm... the shell is wedged inside the rock and hasnt moved for a while so unsure if he survived that one

 

[Unitylover]

My cone shell hermit just crawled out of his shell yesterday and I saw the molt floating around with all my shrimp on top of it, thought they killed him but I also saw him walking around in his shell earlier in the day while at the same time a shrimp was walking around with the hermit's arm... the shell is wedged inside the rock and hasnt moved for a while so unsure if he survived that one

something similar happened lol, I found my molted-hermit's body, I thought he was dead, until I saw him in the tank. he just molted.