hermit crab virtually immobile, listless

[devulbugs]

Since you've come to the emergency forum, we know you want a fast answer to your question. In order for us to figure out the problem as quickly as possible, we ask that you answer the following questions as best you can. Some of them may seem odd, but they're all designed to give us the information we need to give you a good solution for your problem. The things in the [ brackets ] are there to make this post easier to read once submitted. Thanks!


1. What kind of substrate is used in your tank and how deep is it?
5-7 inches, mix of eco brick and playsand

2. Do you have gauges in the tank to measure temperature and humidity? If so, where are they located and what temperature and humidity do they usually read?
no i dont, everytime i got a new one itd break/fall off. tank has a heater as well as humidifier. always around 80%-100% humidity as it’s on a timer for half an hour around 4 times a day. heat is around 75-80, my room is a consistent 69 and the tank has a heater and a space blanket to help insulation around the back.

3. Is a heat source used in the tank? If so, what?
the tank has a heater (uth? i can’t remember the acronym. the pad one) and a space blanket to help insulation around the back.

4. What types of water are available (fresh or salt) and how is the water treated (what brands of dechlorinator or salt mix and what ratio is used to mix it)?
i use seachemprime/tetra petsmart brand for the fresh, and instant ocean for the salt. i cant remember the ratios but i read them off every time i mix new water.

5. What kinds of food do you feed and how often is it replaced?
they’re fed fresh food 2-5 times a week (im in college with divorced parents and am unable to be home all of the time.) they get dried veggies, fruits, oats, oyster shell supplement, dried mealworms, crickets, and shrimp. sometimes seaweed or other food i have lying around. all is organic/pet safe food.

6. How long have you had the crab and what species is it, if known?
ive had her for probably 4 years, she’s an eucadorian.

7. Has your crab molted, and how long ago did it happen?
no clue

8. What type of housing are the crabs kept in, what size is it and what kind of lid is on the housing?
75 gallon with a glass lid

9. How many crabs are in the tank and about how large are they?
i havent done a head count in god knows how long. anywhere from 9-14. probably 10? i havent seen a few in awhile. theyre the largest is about the size of a golf ball, the smallest maybe a bit larger than a bottle cap

10. How many extra shells are usually kept in the tank, if any?
around 5-7. not ideal. i used to have 50+ but theyve been outgrown in the past few years. if anyone has a good site to find big, cheap shells on id be ever so gracious. i went out to two seperate pet stores the other day and there’s no way im paying 6 dollars for a singular shell.

11. Have there been any fumes or chemicals near the crabitat recently?
nope

12. How often do you clean the tank and how?
ive never done a deep clean, the tank was set up about 2 years ago. i pick up any food scraps i find and the overabundunce of isopods do the rest. i dont get mold anywhere but the food dish, i dont have bugs, and the tank is relatively clean at all times.

13. Are sponges used in the water dish? If so, how are they cleaned?
nope

14. Has anything new been added to your crabitat recently?
nope

15. Is there any other information you would like to share that might be helpful (anything that is regularly part of your crab care, playtime, bathing, etc.)?
nope

16. Please describe the emergency situation in detail.
my hermit crab, louise, is virtually immobile. what started from a sluggishness and a seemingly broken/disjointed leg gradually led into full on listlessness. she’s also currently missing a leg. she’s alive. a thousand percent. she just doesnt move, and sits out of her shell, not tucked in whatsoever. she has no drive to find a hiding spot, or rest, or dig under anything. ive popped her in a cocohut or partially covered with moss and she scooches off and just hangs out in the wide open tank. a few days ago i lost track of her, and saw a hole and i believed she burrowed under. yesterday i saw her, standing on the bridge to my water dish, completely shell-less. i thought she had sat there and died. i grabbed a couple shells, because i figured the one she was in mustve been heavy, left them in front of her, pumped the humidity (a tried and true trick, has always worked when convincing hermits to get back into shells), and then had to leave to go pick up my little sister from school. i came back and she was in a new shell, thank god. but again, just sitting there, only slightly tucked in when i come around but never fully. the shell isnt too small, its the perfect size, and she’s and E, so if it was small it wouldn’t have been too abnormal to begin with. so i decidedly set up a minuscule quarantine tank within my main tank. (to maintain proper heat and humidity.) it’s equipped with clean, brand new substrate deep enough to bury herself, a small water dish she can fully submerge in, a few pieces of moss for extra humidity in case it gets dry, a food dish with extra powdery food and tons of calcium supplement sprinkled on, and to top it all off it’s located in a prime spot right next to the heater and humidifier. im still trying to figure out a good way to make it dark in her spot and shield her from everyone else. my best guess as to what happened is that another crab may have picked on her, or maybe she fell from a climbing spot. all of my other crabs are absolutely fine. im so worried about her. even as i look at her while typing this she’s just… glaring at me. alive and not-so-well.

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[curlysister]

Your conditions sound good, there really isn't much I can suggest, other than investing in another thermometer/ hygrometer. The digital ones are more accurate than the analogue, and really aren't that expensive. E's are, from my understanding, a bit harder to care for and picky about their surroundings, and it's hard to guess what the temp/ humidity are in a tank without a gauge.
You really do need to get more shells. Unfortunately, 'big' and 'cheap' are impossible to find. I have two jumbo crabs and have spent $20US on a single shell for them. HCA recommends 3 to 5 extra shells per crab, and E's do prefer different types that PPs.
I think you are right to isolate her from the other crabs, as she is definitely in a weakened state. Hopefully someone who is experienced keeping E's will chime in with more advice that might be helpful.