Crab can't get down after climbing on ceiling

Where we discuss the behavior of our hermit crabs, as in fights, pecking orders, shell swaps, etc. Please post all naked-crab posts in the Emergency forum.
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arosenbaum
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Crab can't get down after climbing on ceiling

Post by arosenbaum » Thu Sep 26, 2019 11:42 pm

So my crab (I've had him and his buddy for about 6 weeks now) LOVES to climb which is super cool to watch, but three times now, I believe, I wake up in the middle of the night to frantic "tapping" of my crabs legs/claws on the glass lid of my tank. Somehow (I have no idea how) he gets up there, and then can't get down, so I have to gently take the lid off and set him back on the substrate (I'm still new to crabs and not comfortable with handling them for fear I would get pinched and drop them....so I just try to gently "dump" him off into the sand). I don't know how he gets up there nor do I really care, but he can't seem to get down on his own so I keep getting woken up in the middle of the night to have to get him down which is a little annoying....any tips??
RIP Holmes and Watson: in hermie heaven since 10/2019.

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Hermiesguardian
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Re: Crab can't get down after climbing on ceiling

Post by Hermiesguardian » Fri Sep 27, 2019 2:18 am

He probably climbs up the corner on the silicone. And don't worry about him getting down. Leave him be since handling him will just stress him out. Even if he falls it's ok. That's what his shell is for. They're also called tree climbers. Do you have other things they can climb on?
raising son's dog, Dante. Husky/hound.
Raising daughter's hermit crabs, Shelder, Paras and Derek. Added 2 more of my own (of course) Pete and Stryper. Former mommy to 2 guinea pigs and beloved cat, Nissi

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Overmountain1
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Crab can't get down after climbing on ceiling

Post by Overmountain1 » Fri Sep 27, 2019 4:21 pm

Nah, they go where they want to, and will plop themselves down on sand or even water to break the fall (sometimes.) Others they just let fly, but they really can’t get high enough in most tanks to sustain that type of injury.
Point is, crabs are climbers, stubborn and relentless if they want to be in a certain place, and the best thing I would suggest trying is more things to climb and hide in/on, and if you don’t have them yet, I feel like the leaves make mine all feel more secure in general. (Vine strung around top of 29) Distraction and options. Oh and crabs are pretty noisy buggars, if they’re already waking you often you may need another suitable option for their location long term. They only get louder as the bigger shells smack the glass harder too! Crazy crabbies. But this is also what makes them so darn fun.


Dave the Wondercrab~Pat~Maggie~ Billy~Pop~Corn~Ten~Sam~MissTeri~Tim~Gene~ Barry~Mr S~Princess + 5 Es + Mr EnDoh =my crabby clan!

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JoeHermits
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Re: Crab can't get down after climbing on ceiling

Post by JoeHermits » Fri Sep 27, 2019 10:18 pm

I’ve had crabs climb up onto screen covers. I normally try to leave them be, but if one is up there for more than a few days I always break down and pry it off.


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