blue legged hermit eating other hermits

[hart.thomas]

i bought blue legged hermits at the lfs to use as my cleaning crew iver had them for awhile i always buy a couple new ones every month. and lately i noticed why. the larger of the hermit crabs is always eating the smaller ones. its not for a lack of shells. i dont know what to do. i dont want to have to buy new ones just to give him a snack is there any way to avoid this?

 

[Bifferwine]

Nope. Hermit crabs commonly attack and kill each other, and snails. It's up to you if you want to keep buying them. Or just take the big one back to the store.

 

[hart.thomas]

im not gonna lie i like the big one i think its kinda cool having a big one will he get to big to keep eventually keep? and can i have any snails with him?

 

[Bifferwine]

He won't get too big to keep. He will probably kill snails too. Most hermits do. People that have hermits just get used to buying new snails. Keeping a good supply of empty shells helps cut down on it, but it's not guaranteed to keep them from killing.

 

[wontonflip]

+1 biff...once a crab gets a taste for snails, they will always get at them.