HCA: Hermit Crab Association

Yay! That's a fabulous update!! So glad it wasn't a dead crab!!

You got a snail without knowing how to properly care for it? This is not setting yourself up for success. When your crabs died, I recommended doing research and preparing for any new pet, prior to actually getting it. And now you are on a crab forum trying to learn how to care for your new snail. Th...

1. What kind of substrate is used in your tank and how deep is it? Sand + coconut fiber Curly - Is it moistened so that it holds it's shape (ie- sand castle consistency)? It should be at least three times as deep as your largest crab. 2. Do you have gauges in the tank to measure temperature and humi...

When a crab has eaten his exo, and is moving around normally and probably eating some other foods, they can go back into general population LOL. There is no harm in leaving them in a little longer, better to err on the side of caution. Consider giving everyone a dip in the fresh water when you put h...

Crabs like to dig to de-stress, to molt, or just for fun LOL. You won't know which one they are doing until they maybe stay down for a while, and even then not for sure. Be sure to add more substrate when you can - they dig and stay underground when molting because they are vulnerable to other crabs...

You absolutely can use all eco earth for the substrate!! And you don't need to replace it all if you used regular tap water to moisten it. The chlorine will not be in a big enough concentration to harm them at all. Play sand and eco earth mixed is commonly used because it is a bit easier to maintain...

Yeah, I would totally just give it a rinse and put things back in.

A bacterial bloom will smell terrible, and the sub would be discolored, like black or grey. If it has just been wet, you can totally use it again.

The photo shows up quite small on my screen, but it works and i can see it!

Many of us vent our tanks a bit, not totally sealed, to allow some air flow.

Treating tap water with a dechlorinator is a better plan than boiling it, to use for crabs.

Here is the HCA guide to the number of crabs per tank, depending on the size of the tank: https://www.hermitcrabassociation.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?f=26&t=92541 When you add another crab(s), consider giving both old and new a quick dip in the fresh water - that way nobody smells like a newbie/ inter...

I wouldn't feed cereal as a staple, but a little now and then would be fine I would imagine. They also like Cheerios as a treat.

Crabs will back-fill the tunnels that they dig - this protects them from a predator (or another crab) following them down the tunnel. You generally will not know where they are underground - they often move around once they are under. And you won't know if they are molting, or de-stressing, or just ...

Welcome to crabbing! Sounds like you are doing great so far!
If you haven't had a chance to look through the care sheets, start with the 'basics' then look to others on specific topics for more details.

I am still not totally convinced that he is for sure deceased. Can you post a picture of where you can see him through the glass? Could it be his exo next to the shell that you can see, and not him actually out of their shell?

I think being shell-less underground is considered an emergency. I believe that's what Wodes mentioned somewhere on here before. If it were me, I'd probably gently dig him up, try to re-shell him, and iso him (if he's still alive). Sent from my Moto G (5) Plus using Tapatalk If a crab is truly nake...