Hermit Crabs Molt?

[snhabitat]

I know that crabs molt and that hermits are crabs and therefore molt but I have never found a crab carapace in the tank before.
Shrimp, yes. Crab, no. Now I find what is either dead hermit or carapace. Anyone with like experience?

 

[aresgod]

dead crab, they get bigger but just switch shells, sometimes they will die if there are not enough shells of aproporiate size in the tank

 

[S.Reef]

Or while they are changing shells they get preyed on by the fish.

 

[dbacksrat]

i have found two hermit crab carapi (carapace plural?) in my tank...i've noticed that the dominant hermit crabs grow quickly and are aggressive towards the little ones...i had one take over a snail shell (after eating the contents)

 

[S.Reef]

Yes, many a snail has been eaten by a hermit crab in my tank.

 

[snhabitat]

Well, after reading and watching...

1. Hermit crabs do molt. They have to get rid of the too small exoskeleton in order to get larger. If they did not do this they would not need new shells.

2. Two days ago I noticed one of my little blue leg hermits sitting in between the plates of the Capricornus, right at the top of the tank. Normally the hermits clean around the corals but don't hang out too long on top. This morning when I check the tank there is the carapace right next to the shell. So, being curious, I poke the shell. Sure enough there he is inside the shell.

After they molt the new shell is soft and will expand. He will stay hidden for a bit and then my guess is that he will go looking for a new shell. At this time, if I had not been aware of all the other stuff, I may have mistaken him for a bigger hermit. I have so many in the tank that that would be very possible.

The things you learn by just watching.