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maybe a Mantis?
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mfrance View Drop Down
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Joined: October 09 2003
Location: France
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    Posted: December 05 2003 at 11:39pm

I was looking in my tank tonight with a flashlight and I noticed a dead hermit. This kind of concerned me because I've had a steady decline in hermit crabs lately. I had 8 a month and a half ago and now I have 3 maybe 4...now that I think about it I'm missing 2 astrea snails too. the hermit was half way in a hole in my LR. But then it moved. It slid backwards and upside down back into the hole. Unfortunetly the hole is back in a small cave at a terrible angle and I could only see the side of hermit and nothing more. I was lucky I saw the hermit in the first place. The hole cant be bigger around than a pencil. Anyway I watched as this hermit was moving up and down and would occasionally turn. It looked like something was chewing on it. I watched as the hermit moved slowly back and bounced slightly. Then one by one the legs were taken in until there was nothing left.


I'm sure I looked really stupid with my pajamas on in the dark with my nose 1/2 an inch away from the glass. It gave me a bad headache because the angle was really bad and the glass was warping my vision. Such is the life of a reefer.

I haven't noticed any clicking or tapping but my pumps and stuff are loud and maybe I miss it when it clicks. I know that hermits fight and will kill each other for their shells but after watching one get eaten...I have my suspisions.

Any ideas?
--Mike France, Southern Utah
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peregrinus View Drop Down
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Points: 645 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote peregrinus Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 06 2003 at 7:51am
Same thing happened to me. I would look at my tank and one by one the snails and hermits were gone. it was a mantis shrimp. I start by looking at the hole in the rock, ever once in a while i would see eyes and a face sticking out of a hole then he would tuck back in.
I finally got him out of my tank and gave him to someone on here..
Brian
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Ryan Willden View Drop Down
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Joined: July 12 2002
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I've heard that the clicking sound of a mantis is very obvious, and you will notice it even over the sound of pumps... Just a thought, but I've never had one, so I can't say for sure.
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Mark Peterson View Drop Down
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Joined: June 19 2002
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Points: 21436 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Mark Peterson Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 06 2003 at 11:57am
Ryan is correct. Even 1" mantis shrimp can make a sound load enough to be heard in the next room. A mantis is not the only organism that could devour snails and hermits. There are some pretty "mean" crabs in the ocean that come in on LR.

But, the life span of hermits is short. Snails do die and unless you have heard the sharp tink - tink - tink of a mantis, don't automatically assume you have one.

Keep watching and tell us if you spot something, especially if you see a small shadow race across the sand from one rock to the next.

Also realize that what you saw could be another hermit sizing up a new home.

And typically what looks like a dead hermit is just the shed exoskeleton. The hermit crab has shed the old tight "suit" and grown a new exoskeleton.

I hope this helps provide you with other possibilities to be aware of.
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