Mysterious red legs!

Yash

Yash

Trance Addict
Nov 2, 2006
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Knoxville, TN
Hey everyone,

Just the other day I noticed a couple of tufts of white flesh and red claws that seemed to be claws from a red leg hermit. I assumed that one of hermits had gone under and the legs were from it. This afternoon though, I found all my hermits alive and well ... I even moved them from where I found them to the front of the tank so I could observe them. They all seem to have all their legs intact and are moving along just fine.

Does anyone know what this could be from? In the 2 1/2 months that I have had my tank up and running, I have not seen any more than the above 4 crabs that I added .... so the question of there possibly being a hitchhiker is really small.

Surely the crabs don't shed appendages and grow new ones?!?! LOL!

Cheers!
Yash
 
I've seen this too, and assumed they molted. Not really sure though.
 
yeah, just like all arthropods, your red legged hermits will molt.
 
Cool!! Phew! ... I really didn't know what all molting involved ... glad to know its not due to death :) I guess the fact that they're molting is a good sign correct?

Regards,
Yash
 
good sign means they are growing. Be sure they have larger shells to swap out with or they will end up dumping their shell and dieing or killing a snail or other crab for one.
 
Yeah, I have plenty of empty shells lying around for them to take over if need be :)

Talking about the shells, I was curious ... my LFS doesn't really have any shells shaped like the typical hermit crab shells ... they carry only empty shells that look like Astraea shells ... is that okay or do they have to be just like the typical hermit shells?

Thanks again!
Yash
 
any snail shell is fine. or any spiral shell for that matter. hermits dont make their own shells so they usualy are not picky
 
pink lobster does it alot too, I find shells of my crabs, only to find they've done somthing too and I find them well
 
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