Hermit ID assistance

[exnisstech]

Need help with an ID on this hermit. Ive never bought anything but blue legs but I have some of these and I think they are killing my blue leg hermits that I add. For years I've never been able to keep a population of blue legs. Now that I'm running a smaller tank where I can aee things better I'm seeing these and I think they are killing the blue legs I add. The small ones are the first to go. Within a few weeks I'm seeing all of my little hermit shells empty but they don't seem to be moving into larger shells. I'm just seeing empty small shells. Are these killers of blue legs?

 

[Elira_6301]

Need help with an ID on this hermit. Ive never bought anything but blue legs but I have some of these and I think they are killing my blue leg hermits that I add. For years I've never been able to keep a population of blue legs. Now that I'm running a smaller tank where I can aee things better I'm seeing these and I think they are killing the blue legs I add. The small ones are the first to go. Within a few weeks I'm seeing all of my little hermit shells empty but they don't seem to be moving into larger shells. I'm just seeing empty small shells. Are these killers of blue legs?

What color are his legs?

 

[exnisstech]

What color are his legs?

Brownish? Not blue or red.

 

[Elira_6301]

It definitely looks like a Mexican red legged hermit crab. Where did you get it?

 

[Elira_6301]

 

[Elira_6301]

All hermit crabs are known for competing for shells and sometimes will yank each other out for the shell. Have you found bodies?

 

[vetteguy53081]

Need help with an ID on this hermit. Ive never bought anything but blue legs but I have some of these and I think they are killing my blue leg hermits that I add. For years I've never been able to keep a population of blue legs. Now that I'm running a smaller tank where I can aee things better I'm seeing these and I think they are killing the blue legs I add. The small ones are the first to go. Within a few weeks I'm seeing all of my little hermit shells empty but they don't seem to be moving into larger shells. I'm just seeing empty small shells. Are these killers of blue legs?

Looks like the dwarf blue leg hermit crab which is a great algae and cyano eater and likes to live in abandoned shells, and can be a threat to snails in your tank unless you give it lots of empty shells.

 

[exnisstech]

All hermit crabs are known for competing for shells and sometimes will yank each other out for the shell. Have you found bodies?

It definitely looks like the image you posted. I'm not sure where it came from as I've only purchased blue legs so it must have come in with some of them. I've never been a fan of hermits because of them killing snails and they lay around in a pile all day and look like they are trying to kill each other. I decided to add some to a new tank. I bought a bunch of blue legs and added them but I also brought a couple of these over from another tank not aware they are not blue kegs. Now a couple of weeks later all of the small blue legs are just empty shells, no bodies found. These Mexican hermits are much larger than most of the blue legs I added.
I was thinking these guys might be killing the blue legs but maybe it's just coincidence.
I know hermits will steal shells and kill snails I just thought it strange that the smaller ones all appear to be dead by the presence of the empty shells. Ive only added hermits and nassarius snails to this tank and I have not seen any hermits bother the
nassarius snails.

 

[Elira_6301]

It definitely looks like the image you posted. I'm not sure where it came from as I've only purchased blue legs so it must have come in with some of them. I've never been a fan of hermits because of them killing snails and they lay around in a pile all day and look like they are trying to kill each other. I decided to add some to a new tank. I bought a bunch of blue legs and added them but I also brought a couple of these over from another tank not aware they are not blue kegs. Now a couple of weeks later all of the small blue legs are just empty shells, no bodies found. These Mexican hermits are much larger than most of the blue legs I added.
I was thinking these guys might be killing the blue legs but maybe it's just coincidence.
I know hermits will steal shells and kill snails I just thought it strange that the smaller ones all appear to be dead by the presence of the empty shells. Ive only added hermits and nassarius snails to this tank and I have not seen any hermits bother the
nassarius snails.

Did you give them bigger shells to grow into?

 

[exnisstech]

Did you give them bigger shells to grow into?

I did add a bowl of shells for them and a couple of them were used. The Mexicans are in astrea shells from the other tank. The blue legs in what look like cirith shells.

EDIT; From what I'm reading they shouldn't be killing other hermits so maybe some are just dying and I'm noticing it in the smaller tank when I wouldn't have noticed it in my larger tanks.

 

[Elira_6301]

Guess the others got hungry yummy!

I get my cuc's from reefcleaners. They are super cheap.

 

[reefcleaners]

Antillean Hermit Crab (Clibanarius antillensis )