Sexy time or eating each other... Hermits

[Rick's Reviews]

my wife sent this video this morning so i apologies as for some reason I can not share unless via other platforms..

Are these guys just looking to mate? I introduced 5 of over a month ago and only had 1 loss, just recently they have been acting differently, I understand these hermits grow shells like snails,
My aquarium has 2 clowns, high fin goby, pistol shrimp (paired) cleaner shrimp, strawberry nosed conch. Big haiwian legged crab that's moved shell again but happy grazing so far, snails and various hermits.

Just these guys seem to be chasing each other down, they skip over smaller of same species to wrestle? Sexy time or hungry,
Thanks

 

[Lyss]

My vote is for fighting. Hermit crabs can't grow their own shells like true crabs, they live in borrowed shells. One will sometimes pick on another to try to steal its shell. Mine always seem to often want the shells that are already occupied, no matter how many empty choices they have.

 

[Rick's Reviews]

These hermits I have grow Thier own shell, they still very small but the black shell is growing along with these guys, I have other hermits that enjoy swapping shells but these in video definitely grow and do not steal shells

 

[Rick's Reviews]

 

[Rick's Reviews]

Unfortunately for some reason I can not upload my hermit crab inhabitants, only pics of various houses

 

[Lyss]

These hermits I have grow Thier own shell, they still very small but the black shell is growing along with these guys, I have other hermits that enjoy swapping shells but these in video definitely grow and do not steal shells

What species are they? I have never heard of hermit crabs that grow their own shells but am interested to learn the species...

 

[Rick's Reviews]

What species are they? I have never heard of hermit crabs that grow their own shells but am interested to learn the species...

Video is Just now, little terrors.
I'm unsure of spieces but came with my first cuc

 

[Lyss]

Video is Just now, little terrors.
I'm unsure of spieces but came with my first cuc

I can't see the video on my Mac. In the other video they looked very red, sort of like scarlet hermits. Either way, I can find no literature about any known species of hermit crabs that can grow their own shells.

 

[FEED ME ZOAS]

A hermit crab able to grow its own shell likely wouldn't even be classified as a hermit crab anymore. I really think this is two hermits fighting over shells. Are there any other shells available in the tank?

 

[Rick's Reviews]

I also was in same mind, I have plenty of shells for my cuc to move into but these little guys was very tiny, all in same current black shell... I have not added any small shells

 

[jeffchapok]

Probably just a downsized version of this.

 

[Rick's Reviews]

From video you can see 1 is substantially bigger then other, left corner climber is tiny , shells are definitely growing with crabs inside , what do you feed your clean up crew? As I have an 'unknown spieces' would love to hear thoughts for cuc food

 

[Rick's Reviews]

These little guys grow shells

 

[FEED ME ZOAS]

These little guys grow shells

Do you have any evidence for this other than your own observation? Curious where you got these guys.

If you don't have shells available in sizes between these and the larger ones in your tank it's likely they've grown in these shells and are now fighting because they've outgrown them and don't have other options available.

 

[Lyss]

These little guys grow shells

There is literally no known species of hermit crab that grows their own shells. This is not possible.