Newbie, hermits going cannibal.

[Coxey81]

Hi, I acquired a 40 gallon breeder already stocked with 20 gallon sump last weekend.

I'm not really sure how much to feed, but Im trying to give the right amounts and keep Nitrates low.

Nitrates look good and all the fish, shrimp and snails seem fine....
But the last two days I have found a small hermit that has been eaten by the other hermits.

I think the guy may have fed them alot and overstocked his cleanup crew. He had 12 small hermits, 4 medium hermits, and 1 halloween crab. From my understanding that's alot for a 40 gallon.

Should I try to find some of them a new home, try to target feed them more???

I want to keep a algae free and healthy tank, but I don't want the hermits to die either.

 

[blaxsun]

Try some nori (seaweed) rubber-banded to some small, flat rocks. A shell or two for them to swap-out never hurts as well (sometimes they kill for the shell and not hunger).

 

[MNFish]

I have less hermits than that in a 75 and I still target feed them because for some reason I don't trust them.

 

[Coxey81]

K, I've got some nori on a feeder clip. I'll try putting some at the bottom for them. I've got extra shells in there that seem like they would be the right size for them to move up to.

 

[brmreefer]

It is unfortunate if they did go rogue on you, but they are opportunistic by nature. Something to consider too. Crabs will molt and the husk that is left floating around can sometimes be witnessed being fed on. I once thought my Scarlett Skunk Cleaner shrimp died because the husk was being chewed on by a hermit, only to find the shrimp hanging out on the other side of the tank.

 

[Coxey81]

It is unfortunate if they did go rogue on you, but they are opportunistic by nature. Something to consider too. Crabs will molt and the husk that is left floating around can sometimes be witnessed being fed on. I once thought my Scarlett Skunk Cleaner shrimp died because the husk was being chewed on by a hermit, only to find the shrimp hanging out on the other side of the tank.

No, this was definitely attack. But I could see how that someone could make that mistake.

 

[SlugSnorter]

Hi, I acquired a 40 gallon breeder already stocked with 20 gallon sump last weekend.

I'm not really sure how much to feed, but Im trying to give the right amounts and keep Nitrates low.

Nitrates look good and all the fish, shrimp and snails seem fine....
But the last two days I have found a small hermit that has been eaten by the other hermits.

I think the guy may have fed them alot and overstocked his cleanup crew. He had 12 small hermits, 4 medium hermits, and 1 halloween crab. From my understanding that's alot for a 40 gallon.

Should I try to find some of them a new home, try to target feed them more???

I want to keep a algae free and healthy tank, but I don't want the hermits to die either.

did you make sure theres shells for them, and that they had enough to eat? you can feed them with nori clips or sinking pellets

 

[Coxey81]

did you make sure theres shells for them, and that they had enough to eat? you can feed them with nori clips or sinking pellets

Yes and yes, I discovered the ones I was having trouble with where thin striped hermits which are apparently know to be aggressive. I rehomed them

 

[Coxey81]

did you make sure theres shells for them, and that they had enough to eat? you can feed them with nori clips or sinking pellets

Have only blue and red leg now and haven't had any more issues.

 

[SlugSnorter]

Have only blue and red leg now and haven't had any more issues.

Hermit on hermit agression can happen between species, but I think those two are fine together. Remember to have some spare shells in there though

 

[Coxey81]

Hermit on hermit agression can happen between species, but I think those two are fine together. Remember to have some spare shells in there though

Got several shells, thanks