How Often Do Snails Eat Crabs?

[Tobigara]

I'm a bit confused. i have 4 nassarius snails and they are swarming a red-legged hermit. one of them is trying to get into the shell and the rest are trying to push the first one out. Are they eating it? isn't it usually the other way around?

 

[Colin_T]

crabs normally eat snails so unless the crab is dieing, there should be no reason for the snails to try and eat it. The other option is the snails are crawling over an old shell the crab has just moulted. Then the snails will be eating that.

 

[chrissaysyes]

Yup theyre either eating a dead crab or a molt.

 

[Tobigara]

if it's dead should i just leave it in there or should i get rid of it? will it be eaten completely? it won't cause an ammonia spike will it?

 

[Colin_T]

if the crab has died then remove it to prevent it messing up the water quality (ammonia spike).

 

[chrissaysyes]

One dead hermit probably wont mess up your water parameters.

 

[SkiFletch]

Agreed, let the nassarius snails eat it, they're good at munching on dead things

 

[ox5477]

Thats why they are in there, to clean up the waste