HCA: Hermit Crab Association

The crab that I think attacked and stole another hermit crabs shell, looks like it's turning into a bully. It refuses to let anyone near the shell it stole, but it hasn't changed into it.

I just watched it stalk a crab, and then lunge itself at it. I've never seen a hermit crab move so quickly nor so violently.

I don't get it

I'm not sure what the best thing to do in this situation is. On one hand, removing the problem shell may help but on the other hand...it may stress out the crab who is defending it, and even if he is a bully, it's still not too good to stress him.

Perhaps next time you see him do it, put him in a time out in the corner of the tank, or iso him for a few hours, and hopefully he will learn his lesson. I'd temporarily remove the shell during an iso time out just to be sure another crab doesn't choose it as his home and then get beaten up when your."bully" goes back into the tank.

Wait for few more decent opinions before acting though. If a serious fight occurs, then put the iso plan into immediate action.

You might want to ISo the bully and put shells of appropriate size in with him. Once he switches into a shells he's happy with, the aggression should end. I had a similar situation myself and it's been resolved this way.


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