Alex R wrote:Guys. Poor Hermes passed away today, likely not too long before I arrived home.
By the time I had checked on him, he had lost the entirety of his walking legs. My tank also had begun to smell. By this point I knew he had passed, and my suspicion was confirmed when I had smelled the Hermit Crab himself.
It was a heart wrenching experience to coax its cadaver out. . . the way it slumps out. As childish as it sounds, I did indeed cry for the loss of my friend. I feel somewhat responsible.
In total, I counted 4 legs and 1 pincher detached from the crab. The only remaining limb, minus its cleaners and what not, was its small pincher.
In a way, it makes me happy. I was worried that he would suffer for several days, as I tried desperately to keep him alive. I have not the slightest clue what encouraged him to shed so many of his legs: the other crabs seem active.
Will I purchase another? No. Not yet-- I'm going to focus my efforts on the remaining 4 and once they seem to be in a stable state of affairs, I will consider adding new friends for them.
What I plan to do, thus far:
Increase the overall depth of the substrate
Buy a new thermometer, likely from Walmart as suggested.
I've already tossed the first sponge. Though I have several more in reserve.
Make the switch to instant ocean once Top Fin runs out. Instant Ocean is apparently cheaper and highly praised by all of you.
As for the corpse of the Hermit crab, I did moniter it for several hours praying for any signs of life. After which I attempted to coax a response with a spray of salt water. Its body has been disposed of and its shell boiled. I'm unsure if I plan to add it back to the tank. . . on one hand, perhaps the other crabs might be able to use its shell. On the other, its a solemn reminder of my deceased Hermit crab.
To make matters worse, I'm going to West Virginia for a wedding and I have to leave my decapod pals unattended for several days. This experience makes me scared, and I'm contemplating not going. Can they handle a few days?
Thank you so much for all the support and advice. Any more advice would be greatly appreciated.
I left my crabs for two weeks when i went to Mexico and they were fine. Just add bubblers to your pools. Spread around some chia seeds leave a cuttlebone in there and put some dry foods that won't rot as quickly. Also make sure you put fresh water before you leave.
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