I have a homicidal Hermit!

I've had my first death, and I'm not happy about it. I just got home from the LFS, armed with 4 Cerith snails, 2 Starfish (Not sure what kind. They are orange on the bottom and black with goldish orange bumps on the top. About 1 to 1.5 inches star tip to startip.) and one feather duster worm. I acclimated all in the drip method for 2 hours. Released the snails and stars cause they came together. Then took the worm and burried the soft end in the sand next to a whole in my live rock. very good shelter or so I thought. It's not 15 minutes later and one of my 2 thin legged hermit's (The smaller one no less) has ripped the worm out of the substrate and has a death grip on the soft part. I immediately grab the hermit and try to delicatley remove him from the duster worm, but he has a death grip on it. So I raise him out of the water and he kind of let's go. By now the worm is not looking so hot. I rebury it better I thought, until homicidal hermit comes back and finishes the job. Does he eat it? No he just killed it, then moved on. Very frustrating, I was foolishly hoping for a no death zone, and now it has been less than one hour since the last on site incident. Agggh!

 

Are you sure the worm is dead? sometimes, they can retract in their tube when they're threatened and don't some out till next day (sometimes). I would lightly squeeze the tube to be sure there is no movement inside.

 

I'm pretty sure it's dead. The crab tore it apart and eating it. A white ooze was released. Also, the crab has since returned and dined some more. Is it common for hermits to act this way or can I return him and try again. My large thin legged hermit shows no interest in the now dead worm. Also should it be removed or should i let them dine for a little bit?

 

It isn't common for them to attack living inhabitants at all. Though I may be wrong.
You should remove it right away. You don't want your ammonia and nitrites to spike.
I'd remove that particular crab abd try again. Also, when you put the worm in the tank, did it come out of it's tube? I ask because usually when the sales rep at the LFS is taking out the worm from the selling tank, they often damage it. So there is also a chance that it may have died on the way home.

 

He's out and not in the same shape as he went in. booo hissss!

 

Oh so he was alive when he went in?
Remove the dead/dying worm before it releases too much toxins into your tank.

 

My bad, I meant I had removed him per your advice.

 

What type of hermit crab was it?

Also, are you sure your starfish are safe with everything else in your tank? Not knowing what they are is risky, both for them eating something else or something else eating them.

I would ID everything before you buy it so you have less of a chance of this type of thing happening.