Hello! New crab mom here. I have had my 2 crabs for a week and everything is going well, I have a full tank setup with all the things recommended in the HCA care guide. They are doing well and are looking like they will be molting soon (one is already completely underground). My question is about the surprise 3rd crab I got from a neighbor. She had 3 originally but 2 died and she didnt want to keep Poseidon alone so I offered to take him in because I already have a 20 gallon tank with plenty of room for a 3rd.
I have him quarantined in a separate tank but I am wondering how long I should keep him separate, what problems i should be looking out for, and if it's safe to introduce him if my original crabs are still molting after the quarantine period. Also any tips are greatly appreciated, I want to learn as much as possible. Thank you!
How do I acclimate a rescue crab?
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curlysister
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- Location: Manitoba, Canada
Re: How do I acclimate a rescue crab?
No quarantine needed. Give everyone who is above ground a quick dip in the fresh water, so they all smell the same, then put him in the tank!
"If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went." -Will Rogers
Re: How do I acclimate a rescue crab?
But I am worried about the new crab having whatever his old tank mates had. All I know is they both suddenly died within a couple weeks of each other. Are there any mites or anything that could be passed on?
Re: How do I acclimate a rescue crab?
There are a few parasitic mites, but in my experience they are pretty rare. I've been keeping crabs since 2008 and have rescued hundreds if not thousand of hermit crabs, and I've never come across parasitic mites.
Most crabs die of PPS (post purchase syndrome) from being yanked out of their natural habitat, forced into a painted shell, and shipped around the world to land in store tanks with conditions that aren't conducive for survival. By the time the crabs land into a person's home set up, they've been through a lot and many die. They die faster if their owner's home tank isn't set up properly. Oftentimes they still die when home tanks are set up perfectly.
You are not likely to pass a disease to your crabs from the newbie. Since all are relatively new, any or all of them could still succumb to PPS. I breathe easier if my newly acquired crabs make it past their molt. Their chances seem to go way up after that, but PPS could still take them after a successful molt. Crabs do best in the wild not captivity.
I do exactly as curlysister described--I plunk the existing crabs and the newbie into the fresh water bowl and let them all climb out smelling the same. I watch to make sure everyone can get out before I walk off.
Most crabs die of PPS (post purchase syndrome) from being yanked out of their natural habitat, forced into a painted shell, and shipped around the world to land in store tanks with conditions that aren't conducive for survival. By the time the crabs land into a person's home set up, they've been through a lot and many die. They die faster if their owner's home tank isn't set up properly. Oftentimes they still die when home tanks are set up perfectly.
You are not likely to pass a disease to your crabs from the newbie. Since all are relatively new, any or all of them could still succumb to PPS. I breathe easier if my newly acquired crabs make it past their molt. Their chances seem to go way up after that, but PPS could still take them after a successful molt. Crabs do best in the wild not captivity.
I do exactly as curlysister described--I plunk the existing crabs and the newbie into the fresh water bowl and let them all climb out smelling the same. I watch to make sure everyone can get out before I walk off.