Crabs wont bury, but climb high

[seechelle68]

Hi, I am a crab mom of three. My problem is my crabs no longer bury in the substrate. My daughter brought them home from a beach trip with her dad 3.5 years ago. There were 4, but one died fast. I am not a perfect crab mom, I will admit, but I have tried hard and have a decent set up for them. They mostly eat hermit crab food and some fresh food (meat and fruit) a few times a week. They have a salt water bowl and a fresh water bowl, places to climb and a heat pad under their cage. The heat pad doesn't work the greatest but it does remain "not in the red" on the temperature in their cage. But its on the cooler end of normal. We have used the same bedding since the beginning (for 3 years) but last month when I changed it I noticed they rarely would bury themselves. Then they just seemed to stop totally. Pet store said maybe it was too wet, so I dried it out some but finally changed it out to a new batch of substrate. I use the coconut fiber kind and have used the same brand from petsmart since the beginning. I thought maybe they changed it, so I went to a different store and got a different brand of the coconut fiber stuff. But the crabs acted the same. They are all climbing up the bridge to the highest point in a corner and climbing on each other. They will not bury themselves at all, but they will come down to eat and drink at night. Then will quickly run back to the highest point. this is very unusual behavior for them and they have never done this before. they usually will bury during the day and play and climb some at night. They do not play during day now, they simply crawl to top of bridge and crawl on each other and stay still. Is anything wrong? What do you think I should do? I don't notice bugs in tank or anything wrong with crabs themselves. No idea what is different in their lives. Thanks for any suggestions!

[curlysister]

Hi and welcome to the forum!
A few pointers and questions for you.
Most commercial crab pellets aren't considered safe long term because they usually contain additives and preservatives. Crabs do require a varied diet, including protein and calcium daily.

Do you use a dechlorinator for the fresh water, and add a marine salt for the salt water?

The UTH must go on the back or side of the tank, never underneath becaust it is a fire hazard.
What are your current temp and humidity in the tank? (Different thermometers/ hygrometers will have different red or green zones. Also, the digital guages are generally more accurate than the digital ones.) I am wondering if they are trying to get to a place in the tank where the humidity and/ or temp are appropriate?

[seechelle68]

Hi. Thanks for replying. For the waters, I buy the commercial prepared bottled salt and freshwater stuff, so I assume it is dechlorinated and it also says it has calcium. You mentioned not using pellets. I don't think I am but I am not sure of the substrate I should be using. I have purchased the cubes of Eco Earth coconut fiber stuff from the beginning. Am happy to change but have read many people saying that their sand dried in the crabs shells and then they died. I have no idea what I should be using instead.
I have had trouble since the beginning with heating the 10 gallon cage. Lights seem to dry it out too much and mats don't warm enough. So my temp stays near 68--72 most of the time. I know this is cool for them but it has always been that for 3 years. And where should I be putting the thermometer? Top of cage or near bottom? Thanks for any replies

[crabbycasey]

Hi. Thanks for replying. For the waters, I buy the commercial prepared bottled salt and freshwater stuff, so I assume it is dechlorinated and it also says it has calcium. You mentioned not using pellets. I don't think I am but I am not sure of the substrate I should be using. I have purchased the cubes of Eco Earth coconut fiber stuff from the beginning. Am happy to change but have read many people saying that their sand dried in the crabs shells and then they died. I have no idea what I should be using instead.
I have had trouble since the beginning with heating the 10 gallon cage. Lights seem to dry it out too much and mats don't warm enough. So my temp stays near 68--72 most of the time. I know this is cool for them but it has always been that for 3 years. And where should I be putting the thermometer? Top of cage or near bottom? Thanks for any replies

I used to buy those commercial bottles of fresh and salt water too...until I found out (here on HCA) that they aren’t the best for them. Crazy that companies can sell this stuff and make it specifically for Hermies, but it’s not good for them. It’s much more cost effective to make your own! Instant Ocean for salt water and Prime for freshwater have been suggested many times.

I believe most people like to do a combo of playsand (I get big bag cheap at Lowe’s) and the Eco Earth coconut fiber, at a 5:1 ratio. 5 playsand and 1 coco fiber, mixed with dechlorinated water to create sandcastle-like consistency. **If you’ve already added substrate and it’s not moist enough, Curly taught me that I can spray a little water into the substrate each day and it will absorb it and help with consistency over time...and it worked (this was the case in my old tank)! Much better to do it layer by layer when starting fresh though (able to do with new tank).

I also used a heat lamp, but when I realized it zapped my humidity, I replaced it with a uth on the back of the tank and ended up adding 2 more small ones (to back and side away from water dishes) to get it warmer and have flexibility to unplug one if it gets too warm. I did notice they got more active once it was warmer! Note: I then wrapped my mesh lid in Saran Wrap to hold in the heat and humidity.

I’m no expert so let Curly (or another pro) answer your specific questions...just wanted to comment on a few things that I’ve all learned from everyone here as I was in similar situation to you not long ago!

Good luck with everything


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[seechelle68]

Thanks for the substrate tips. I will head to get that sand soon. Had read that the pet store kinds were too fine so I never got them. Never thought to mix sand with what I had. Have just ordered your suggestion of prime and instant ocean from Amazon. Will start with these things and work on getting the tank warmer. Truly thanks so much!

[crabbycasey]

Thanks for the substrate tips. I will head to get that sand soon. Had read that the pet store kinds were too fine so I never got them. Never thought to mix sand with what I had. Have just ordered your suggestion of prime and instant ocean from Amazon. Will start with these things and work on getting the tank warmer. Truly thanks so much!

You are so welcome!!


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[aussieJJDude]

Was the coconut fibre (EE) moistened with tap water? If so, it may have dissolved chemicals that the crabs don't enjoy being next to. (For example, chlorine contains an amine group (nitrogen, often in the form of ammonia which can damage the gills).


While the 5:1 ratio for substrate is common, if you like using straight EE that is also fine, and you're certainly entitled to do so (many members throughout the years have used solely EE with great success)

[crabbycasey]

Was the coconut fibre (EE) moistened with tap water? If so, it may have dissolved chemicals that the crabs don't enjoy being next to. (For example, chlorine contains an amine group (nitrogen, often in the form of ammonia which can damage the gills).


While the 5:1 ratio for substrate is common, if you like using straight EE that is also fine, and you're certainly entitled to do so (many members throughout the years have used solely EE with great success)

If you meant that question for me, AussieJJDude, I used my same dechlorinated water that I use for their freshwater pool, never tap water! Learned that here .


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[aussieJJDude]

If you meant that question for me, AussieJJDude, I used my same dechlorinated water that I use for their freshwater pool, never tap water! Learned that here .

All good, it was mainly aimed at the OP, however its good to hear that dechlorinated water had been used.