Flesh-colored, eight?-legged creature

[accidental_reefer]

This creature looking like no other hitchhiker in my tank appeared for the first time last night, eight months after I stocked tank with TBS live rock and sand. Anybody know what this is and, if so, whether I should kick it out of my tank?

 

[TX_REEF]

it looks like a hermit crab without a shell to me, but I could be wrong! @ISpeakForTheSeas any thoughts?

 

[kevgib67]

It looks like a hermit crab without a shell.

 

[kevgib67]

it looks like a hermit crab without a shell to me, but I could be wrong! @ISpeakForTheSeas any thoughts?

Jinx

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

it looks like a hermit crab without a shell to me, but I could be wrong! @ISpeakForTheSeas any thoughts?

Definitely a shell-less hermit crab.

OP, does it have any shells large enough for it to change into in the tank for it?

 

[accidental_reefer]

Huh. Do hermit crabs breed in tanks? I suppose it’ll find an appropriately sized shell by itself?

 

[TX_REEF]

it could be that it outgrew its old shell and is needing a new one that's properly sized

 

[accidental_reefer]

Definitely a shell-less hermit crab.

OP, does it have any shells large enough for it to change into in the tank for it?

Yeah there are shells ranging from tiny to large. The other hermits have also murdered a variety of snails as they upgraded shell size.

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

Do hermit crabs breed in tanks? I suppose it’ll find an appropriately sized shell by itself?

They breed, but the pelagic larvae don't survive, and our tanks don't typically have shells small enough for them to settle into once they're ready either.

If it has an appropriately sized shell available in the tank for it, it should be able to find it - if it doesn't have one available, then you'll need to add some for it choose from.

 

[accidental_reefer]

Thank you all. I’m going to account for my hermits after work but shedding skin and shell makes sense since it was out and about this morning in a different part of tank so it’s definitely not shy. I’ll try to stack a bunch of shells nearby it so it doesn’t have to search all over (although there are victims’ shells littered all over).