Molting hermit crab?

[Eduardo]

Got home from work today and checked out my 1 month old tank (got used live rock that helped the tank cycle within 10 days). Have a few snails, 2 emerald crabs and one blue legged hermit crab. Just got a couple of clown fish last friday. Everyone is happy and accounted for, particularly the hermit crab. I then notice a dead blue legged hermit crab on the bottom of the tank and frantically look for the shell of the hermit crab. Oddly enough, the shell is being occupied by a blue legged hermit crab. From what I have read, hermit crabs don't molt or do they? The "dead" crab certainly had substance within it (not just shell). If they don't molt, I'm assuming I had a hitchhiker blue-leg hermit (without shell), and one of them lost the battle for the shell.

I'm sure as time goes on I will continue to be amazed by the mysteries of the live rock.

So, did the crab molt?

Thanks folks.

[Mik_101]

Ya same thing happend to exept with scarlet hermits.

[fkshiu]

It's a moult.

[MikeP]

Yes they molt, and as they molt they grow which means they need bigger homes. If there is not a bigger shell in there they will kill a snail that has a bigger one. I'm not sure what happens when they have no shell to move into at all (maybe someone else can answer that).

PS this is the type of post that should go in the reef section.

Cheers :)
Mike

[Eduardo]

Thanks for the info.

I'll get some bigger shells.