"Tristan" wrote in message ...
Thhis may be true but when yu get a bunch of hermits on a single snail
in time it takes its toll. I do not think its a matter of the snail
being weak or sick as much as it is strength in numbers and survival
of the fittest. I have a puffer that I watch very close, just for the
heck of observing its habits. It will flit around and pay everything
in its sight a lot of attention...... but from time to time snails and
hermits all slip up and that puffer never fails to take advantage of
that situation. All it takes is a nip or pinch here and there over
time and soon the victim is weaked and consumed.

Well, having about 100 florida blue legged, 4 scarlet and about two
dozen hawaii "halooween" hermit crabs in my 58 reef tank I should
see all my snails dead.... right ? Opposite is true - I have about two
dozen astrea and about a dozen of ceriths there with a death rate
similar to the rate in the tank with no hermits... So I would not make
a big hunters out of the hermits - they do not deserve the title... :-)
They are rather scavengers, or I would not have a single snail there.

Sure, if I snail falls into the sand with a foot not able grab anything
hard and stays is such position for couple of days unnoticed by
you, the tank keeper, it will be too weak and hungry to fight crabs
or simply starve to death and starts smelling tastefully for crab
to rise interest in it :-)