Hermit Crab Found Dead

[trevorhiller]

So I was doing my nightly feeding of my tank and saw something weird lying on the sandbed. Realized it was a shell-less red leg hermit crab. I had 3 of them in my tank, this guy is obviously dead. The weird thing is I can't find his shell anywhere in the tank and I can't seem to identify a cause for the death. I'm suspecting one of the other tank mates killed him for it, although it's strange because they are all the same size and there are some larger empty shells lying on the sand bed that I added.

Does that sound plausible or should I be hunting for another explanation. Everything else appears "normal" right now.

Parameters right now:
pH 8.4
Calcium 420
Nitrate 0.0
Phosphate 0.00
Alk 6.9
Temp 79.3
Salinity 35 ppt

 

[trevorhiller]

Picture of the poor little dude:

 

[NowGlazeIT]

I think your right about another crab taking his shell. Sorry for your loss. Never know how tankmates will get along sometimes

 

[GHOSTLY]

For crabs and snails its really kill or be killed. Mine haven't done that yet because I give them quite literally hundreds of shells