Lethargic Hermit Crab

[Alex R]

Hey guys! Newbie here! I've been preparing several months to own Hermit Crabs and I just got them yesterday! Currently there are 5 of them in a 50 gallon tank, with damp play sand mixed with sterilized beach sand acting as a substrate. The Temperature is almost always perfect in the tank, hovering at around 75 due to my UTH. Humidity I find is a bit harder to manage; at times it goes well into the lower 90's, at which point I air it out.

Thus far, 4 out of the 5 do not concern me. 2 of them which I've elected to name Hermione and Harry are doing splendid, and are relatively active even during the day. They're also both willing to be held, and have changed shells. 2 others, Hermes and Hippo are doing fairly okay: I see them move around, though they rairly will allow themselves to be held and if I get too close they retreat to their shells.

Now to the one which concerns me: Horatio. Horatio is by far the most anti-social: I've hardly see him move, though he does end up at different parts of the tank. My worry is that Horatio might be overly stressed or even sick! While the other Hermit Crabs seem to be doing good, he seemingly is more lethargic. I would be inclined to think he's getting ready to molt, perhaps due to his vibrant colors and inactivity, but I just got him yesterday, and I don't think he's going to molt after being introduced to a new enviroment.

Any suggestions?

[LadyJinglyJones]

Hiya!

When hermies first come home an array of behaviors might manifest, from inactivity to hyperactivity. Different crabs have different personalities - like all animals. Some are more bold, some more timid, some dominant, etc. Also, physical adaptation to new and initially stressfull situations can affect behaviour in most animals.

The humidity being in the low 90's won't be a problem for the crabs, but of course may result in mould growth, which you may not love. Heat in the low to mid 80s is considered ideal. ... and my result in more active crabs, as their metabolisms are tied to temperature.

Vibrant colours actually aren't associated with moulting. The crabs tend to come up brighter & dull over time with scuffs and such.

Finally, are you familiar with post purchase syndrome? (PPS on forums.)

Many crabs do succumb after arriving home, the result of a taxing & damaging transport from the wild. The pet industry is pretty brutal.

If your crab is ill, there isn't much you can do beyond leaving it alone (holding new hermits is discouraged - they are prey animals in the wild and this is thought to stress them), offering a well-rounded, diverse diet (protein, calcium, veg & fruits, leaf litter & wood), ideal conditions, and providing hiding places. Then, the waiting.

It sounds like you're on the right track... I hope your crew pull through! Good luck - and keep us updated!

[Alex R]

Snip

Okay. So good news. Horatio seems to be a bit more active, as he climbed ontop of a Choya log, I think he even munched on some Pillow moss I planted up there.

Slow day, as expected-- I'm sure their all resting after a long 24 hours of exploration.

Hopefully going to get some Sardines today; I've heard that they love fish. Plus, I want to give them some protein, because the food I've been giving them so far are carrots, lettuce and a few commercial pellets. I also added plenty of clam and snail shells for them to munch on for calcium.

My only concern is this; I heard that Hermit crabs like to dig, but I havn't seen much of it. Infact, the majority of them try to elevate themselves or nestle in corners. I know I'm probaly worrying about stuff too soon, but I want to give these little guys the good life.

[LadyJinglyJones]

Sardines would probably go over well! Just check the label for preservatives... that stuff isn't good for 'em. You can read about it here:

http://hermitcrabassociation.com/phpBB/ ... 25&t=92555

You may have read this already, but pellets reeeally aren't recommended. Nearly all of them contain sketchy additives. Instead, offer egg (cooked or raw, with shell), frozen or fresh seafood (check frozen for preservatives, of course), fowl (cooked or raw but with no seasoning/butter/etc.), dried or frozen bloodworms/daphnia/mysis shrimp/krill/clam (available in the fish section at most pet shops), and dried insects are great - and easy to feed, like pellets.

With digging, it can take quite a while - or they may disappear immediately for months & months. There's just no telling with crabs. Initial activity levels probably won't really indicate the health of your animals. Truthfully, their systems can crash pretty fast because their immune functions have been stressed for extended periods. Keep an eye out for crabs hanging out of their shells, ugly black patches on their shells, & losing limbs - most of the time only the more advanced signs of illness are recognisable.

How deep is your sub out of curiosity?

I'd tell you to stop worrying but having been there, I know it's impossible not to.

[Alex R]

snip

The substrate? Tank is about 3 feet long and I sloped the sand I had so my little decapod pals would get a choice of elevation. At its deepest its 7 inches, decreasing to about 2.5 inches or so, give or take a few centimeters. I would like to increase the elevation by two inches across the board, but I'm worried it'll stress them out if I change their enviroment.

As for Commercial Pellets, really? I'll probaly save them for vacations then, so they can have something that won't spoil as quickly as wet food or veggies. Are cherries okay? Sorry, random quesion. I think I will boil up an egg for their next serving tonight. Though lettuce seems to be their favorite-- they drag it around and munch on it. Quite adorable!

[LadyJinglyJones]

I'd maintain less of a slope - they tunnel all over the tank when underground & can be very active. You don't want an active crab to stumble across a moulter, as crabs have been known to take advantage of a soft crab in mid moult. Hence more sand is better. Give them lots of climbing options to create multiple levels in the tank and they'll be peachy.

About the pellets - yeah, unfortunately the majority of hermit-branded products are worse than useless. It drives everyone in the crabbing community nuts. Brand doesn't even matter. They're more or less all the same. Some of the packaged shells I've seen sold for crabs are physically impossible for land hermits to get into. Its ridiculous.

With cherries, berries, and the other fruits you can't peel, higher pesticide loads are often used. I stick to organic for that stuff. I'm less picky about root veggies and things I can peel.

Variety is key for land hermits. They're scavengers in the wild, eating everything from dried leaves & wood, to birds eggs (they climb trees & have little difficulty getting into nests), to fruits, to carrion, and poop. We need to try to mimic this in captivity for their health (well, not the carrion per se, but meats).

Below are the safe food list & a page about their food pyramid, to give you ideas for meals!

Safe foods:
http://hermitcrabassociation.com/phpBB/ ... 25&t=92557

Food pyramid (a great read!):
http://hermitcrabassociation.com/phpBB/ ... 25&t=92554

[GotButterflies]

snip

The substrate? Tank is about 3 feet long and I sloped the sand I had so my little decapod pals would get a choice of elevation. At its deepest its 7 inches, decreasing to about 2.5 inches or so, give or take a few centimeters. I would like to increase the elevation by two inches across the board, but I'm worried it'll stress them out if I change their enviroment.

As for Commercial Pellets, really? I'll probaly save them for vacations then, so they can have something that won't spoil as quickly as wet food or veggies. Are cherries okay? Sorry, random quesion. I think I will boil up an egg for their next serving tonight. Though lettuce seems to be their favorite-- they drag it around and munch on it. Quite adorable!

Substrate should be 6 inches or 3 times the height of your largest crab (whichever is deeper). It should also be mixed with dechlorinated marine saltwater or dechlorinated freshwater to make the substrate sandcastle consistency.

Commercial food info: http://hermitcrabassociation.com/phpBB/ ... 25&t=92555

Food from safe list is better Stay to organic when possible.

[Alex R]

snip

The substrate? Tank is about 3 feet long and I sloped the sand I had so my little decapod pals would get a choice of elevation. At its deepest its 7 inches, decreasing to about 2.5 inches or so, give or take a few centimeters. I would like to increase the elevation by two inches across the board, but I'm worried it'll stress them out if I change their enviroment.

As for Commercial Pellets, really? I'll probaly save them for vacations then, so they can have something that won't spoil as quickly as wet food or veggies. Are cherries okay? Sorry, random quesion. I think I will boil up an egg for their next serving tonight. Though lettuce seems to be their favorite-- they drag it around and munch on it. Quite adorable!

Substrate should be 6 inches or 3 times the height of your largest crab (whichever is deeper). It should also be mixed with dechlorinated marine saltwater or dechlorinated freshwater to make the substrate sandcastle consistency.

Commercial food info: http://hermitcrabassociation.com/phpBB/ ... 25&t=92555

Food from safe list is better Stay to organic when possible.

I'd maintain less of a slope - they tunnel all over the tank when underground & can be very active. You don't want an active crab to stumble across a moulter, as crabs have been known to take advantage of a soft crab in mid moult. Hence more sand is better. Give them lots of climbing options to create multiple levels in the tank and they'll be peachy.

About the pellets - yeah, unfortunately the majority of hermit-branded products are worse than useless. It drives everyone in the crabbing community nuts. Brand doesn't even matter. They're more or less all the same. Some of the packaged shells I've seen sold for crabs are physically impossible for land hermits to get into. Its ridiculous.

With cherries, berries, and the other fruits you can't peel, higher pesticide loads are often used. I stick to organic for that stuff. I'm less picky about root veggies and things I can peel.

Variety is key for land hermits. They're scavengers in the wild, eating everything from dried leaves & wood, to birds eggs (they climb trees & have little difficulty getting into nests), to fruits, to carrion, and poop. We need to try to mimic this in captivity for their health (well, not the carrion per se, but meats).

Below are the safe food list & a page about their food pyramid, to give you ideas for meals!

Safe foods:
http://hermitcrabassociation.com/phpBB/ ... 25&t=92557

Food pyramid (a great read!):
http://hermitcrabassociation.com/phpBB/ ... 25&t=92554

Woa. Thanks for all the feedback guys! Anyway, where to start. . .

For the substrate I am using water conditioned with Top Fin salt conditioner. The sand is very damp; certainly enough to build a sandcastle in.

As for the slope, hmm. As of now they're all on one side of the tank, so I think I'll try to increase the elevation on the far side so that they can (hopefully) dig to their fullest desire! As of this instant, 4 of the 5 are enjoying a nice little Choya log propped up against the corner. They love the pillow moss and the logs, though I'm tempted to remove the moss before it starts wilting. I hope its not the heater thats keeping them overthere, though I've turned it down just to see if they would migrate over to the other side.

As for food, interestingly enough it seems I made a good choice! All Living Things pellet food wasn't on the harmful list, and its powdered variant was on the healthy side! It was recommended to me by a friend. If anyone can confirm that there is nothing overly harmful in it, that would save me a lot of grief! The only ingredients that strikes me as possibly detrimental is "Mixed Tocopherols" which I think is a kind of preservative. Though either way, I'm going to do my best to give these guys a good and varied diet, afterall I wouldn't want to eat Kibble my whole life!

Also, thanks for the food pyramid

[GotButterflies]

The last time I checked the pellets for that brand they included 1 or 2 of the harmful ingredients.

For the saltwater- I personally wouldn't use the Top Fin Saltwater conditioner. For the same amount of money you can get a box of instant ocean and make 50 gallons instead of just 9.

I personally would recommend a more variety of proteins for your Es especially. I offer mine at least 2 proteins a day.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[LadyJinglyJones]

Tocopherols are used as a 'natural' anti-oxidant food preservative. They're vitamin E, essentially, though not all tocopherols are created equal. Ascorbic acid, vitamin C, is used the same way.

Anyhow, as far as I know, crabbers don't get too worried by tocopherols specifically, but bear in mind that being an 'anti-oxidant' doesn't make it good for them - BHT is also an antioxidant, albeit an artificial one.

We probably dont know what the effect of these really is on crustaceans. Stuff going on at the cellular level, where toxins get their toxicity on, can be complex if you aren't a chemistry ace (and I am not).

I'd use anything with preservatives sparingly, regardress of the list its on.

[wodesorel]

Their lifespans are also part of the problem when it comes to preservatives and other harmful things. Some stuff can take years or decades before levels build up and become a problem, and these guys can live for 40 years. Exposure over time can have a serious effect on how long they will live.

[Alex R]

First off, I want to thank you all for such incredible feedback! Really, I'm suprised at how helpful this community is. Mini-update: all 5 of my crabs are doing well! I prepared a banana slice aswell as a hard boiled egg. And let me tell you-- they love it. One, the largest, seems to have an affinity for bananas, and has almost eaten the whole slice! He seems to have monopolized control over the Banana slice, though his friends all seem content to munch away at the egg.

snip

Here are the ingredients I found on the tin, which can also be found online

Fish Meal, Ground Corn, Squid Meal, Dried Whole Egg, Krill Meal, Soybean Oil, Shrimp Meal, Fructooligosaccharides, Yeast, Yeast Extract, Artifical Flavors, Rosemary Extract, Mixed Tocopherols, L-Ascorbyl -2-Polyphosphate (stabilized source of Vitamin C), Calcium Carbonate, Choline Chloride, Ferrous Sulfate, Bitoin, Zinc Sulfate, Ascorbic Acid, Manganese Sulfate, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Vitamin E Supplement, Niacinamide, Calcium Pantothenate, Sodium Selenite, Calcium Iodate, Folica Acid, Vitamin A Acetate, Riboflavin, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Cobalt Sulfate, Canthaxanthinm, Inositol

Anything particuarly jarring? Also, I headed your word and bought some instant ocean and indeed it is much cheaper! I'm still going to finish my Top Fin though, before I switch over.

Also by Es, do you mean Ecudorians? Mine are Purple Pinchers I think. Though I'm sure the care is similar, no?

Snip Electric Boogaloo

I've headed your advice, and they certainly love a more varied diet. Sadly I could not get a hold of Sardines that I trusted, on my to do list though! Just to be safe, I removed most of the pellets from the enclosure. I plan to use it sparingly!

Snip 2

Hm. Good point. Especially since one of the reasons I picked these guys was because of their longevity, along with my studying of Marine Biology and the fact that I find the way these poor creatures are treated to be deplorable! A shame that the consumer isn't often informed of the intricate needs of these curious crustaceans.