HCA: Hermit Crab Association

Oh no! Sorry for your loss.

He looks like he is in bad need of a molt,you can tell by the broken leg tips. It's just so crazy that he's there! But bless you guys for trying to take care of this little guy! Try to give him some eggshell, or unpasturized honey if possible. Honey is a healing food with natural antibodies, and egg...

Gah. The joys of adulting. If it's not one thing then it's another right? I hope you get it sorted though. I can be patient! lol

I just wanted to say I'm sorry for what's been going on. :/ Perhaps try looking in really late? I have had ones that only come out in the dead of night. Or perhaps they molted, came back up when you didn't see and went right back down? I know you do right by your crabs. I'm happy to see a familiar f...

Try looking in the middle of the night, around 2-3. Sometimes they dig down to sleep for the day.

If you haven't already bought a tank I suggest calling your local petsmart and asking them when their next dollar per gallon sale is. I really suggest getting as large of a tank as possible, simply because it can save you money from potential upgrades in the future. However, I do think they would be...

Is there any way you can get pics of this crack? It's hard to say without visually seeing it. :/ But that doesn't sound normal. Hoping he stays shelled for you.

One thing I haven't read about in this thread is the importance of using check valves on your air lines if you're using a bubbler. Check valves prevent water from siphoning back through the air line into the pump in the event of a power outage or shutoff. As long as your air pump is above the level...

Hi! Welcome to the HCA, go ahead and check out our care guides when you have a chance. :) http://hermitcrabassociation.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?f=51&t=92457 Most likely the crab is fine and is just digging down to de-stress as Joe said. He has already stated the necessities for substrate so I won't g...

Sometimes they just dig to dig. Or perhaps he was destressing. I would take advantage of him being up to add up to your six inches/ 3x depth as stated above:) If you haven't had a chance to yet you should check out our care guides! http://hermitcrabassociation.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?f=51&t=92457 Ma...

I would check with Reptile basics if it is insulation safe, but since heat tape is meant to be used on snake racks under the between the bin and shelves and shelf I can imagine that it would be safe to insulate.

That's one cute alien!

I agree with the above, I have had most of my crabs for 2 years or more and most of them still tuck away when I'm in or around the tank. They may learn to associate you with food, but they aren't emotional creatures; crustaceans don't have complex brains like humans. There is even scientific debate ...

Is there any way you can try insulating the sides and around the heat mat? Purple pinchers shoudn't be at risk for death in the 70s while buried, though it is not ideal. Even though your current mat is not rated for insulation since you are just needing a temporary fix until they can be moved to you...

When crabs are molting the emit a smell that smells "delicious" to other crabs because the exo contains vital nutrients. Since crabs are scavengers, and thus opportunistic feeders if they come across a molting crab they most certainly will take advantage. Crabs are their most vulnerable when they ar...