2days and hermit crab s dead

Latoshia · Post by **Latoshia** » Wed Jan 11, 2017 7:41 am

First off let me start by saying i got a hermit crab on a whim on Sunday. I brought him home after finding our pet atore was out of a lot of his needs. So he had a small travel looking tank, and rocks for the bottom and his 3 s
Dishes of his salt water, declorinated water, and food dish. I ran a heater next to him to keep the tenp up with a thermometer inside and wet a rag that set on top to try and make humidity. Yesterday i was able to get all tge things he needed. Sun and mon he was very active and would walk around in my hand etc. Yesterday he wouldnt. Last night i was really worried because he wouldnt so id pick him up and he remained tightly in his shell except for one claw that would hang out but hed still pinch my nail if i put it in his big claw. This morning when i checked he was still in the same spot in the middle of the tank. I picked him up and he lifelessly came out. Almost all his claws fell off of him and he is dead. What did u do. I feel absoloutely awful.

Tnguo · Post by **Tnguo** » Wed Jan 11, 2017 9:23 am

Latoshia wrote:First off let me start by saying i got a hermit crab on a whim on Sunday. I brought him home after finding our pet atore was out of a lot of his needs. So he had a small travel looking tank, and rocks for the bottom and his 3 s
Dishes of his salt water, declorinated water, and food dish. I ran a heater next to him to keep the tenp up with a thermometer inside and wet a rag that set on top to try and make humidity. Yesterday i was able to get all tge things he needed. Sun and mon he was very active and would walk around in my hand etc. Yesterday he wouldnt. Last night i was really worried because he wouldnt so id pick him up and he remained tightly in his shell except for one claw that would hang out but hed still pinch my nail if i put it in his big claw. This morning when i checked he was still in the same spot in the middle of the tank. I picked him up and he lifelessly came out. Almost all his claws fell off of him and he is dead. What did u do. I feel absoloutely awful.

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Tnguo · Post by **Tnguo** » Wed Jan 11, 2017 9:27 am

Is it possible he pulled a surface molt and that was his exo? Check inside the shell to see if he's in there. Mine have never surface molted, usually they do that when they are stressed or cannot dig down deep enough to molt below ground. If that's the case, I think the protocol is to leave him with his exo so he can eat it, maybe put a plastic Tupperware or something over him so he feels secure, and sneak in a shell of powdered calcium supplement for him. Others can please chime in if I'm forgetting something else!

Edit: I'll add that post-purchase syndrome (PPS) happens, and it's possible that's what happened here, too. Just too much stress with being captured in the wild and transported to the pet store under harsh conditions. It's not your fault!

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Latoshia · Post by **Latoshia** » Wed Jan 11, 2017 11:57 am

No. Hes definitely dead. He came out and the fleshy part of his body is still there. Just all his limbs fell off over night . He was alive when i went to bed and in pieces by morning.

YouTube · Post by **GotButterflies** » Wed Jan 11, 2017 4:29 pm

Sounds like PPS. Post Purchase Syndrome. Hermit crabs go through a lot to get here. They are taken from the wild, forced into painted shells, and then shipped to pet stores. All of this is done in deplorable conditions. Sometimes they just don't make it. I'm really sorry for your loss.

kieagcarm · Post by **kieagcarm** » Wed Jan 11, 2017 9:02 pm

Latoshia wrote:No. Hes definitely dead. He came out and the fleshy part of his body is still there. Just all his limbs fell off over night . He was alive when i went to bed and in pieces by morning.

You said his fleshy part is still there? Inside the shell? If his abdomen is still in the shell then he pulled a surface molt

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Latoshia · Post by **Latoshia** » Wed Jan 11, 2017 11:36 pm

kieagcarm wrote:
Latoshia wrote:No. Hes definitely dead. He came out and the fleshy part of his body is still there. Just all his limbs fell off over night . He was alive when i went to bed and in pieces by morning.
You said his fleshy part is still there? Inside the shell? If his abdomen is still in the shell then he pulled a surface molt

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No that part feel out as well. Everybody fell out and in pieces. No movement. Nothing. Def dead

ElektraSparkle · Post by **ElektraSparkle** » Wed Jan 11, 2017 11:41 pm

I'm so sorry for your loss. This definitely sounds like a case of PPS, so it's not your fault.

HCA: Hermit Crab Association