dropped onto concrete and broken shell

[jeepnchik365]

My daughter accidently dropped one of her crabs onto a concrete driveway from approx. 5 1/2 feet! It broke a large part of the shell off. The crab seems to be ok but doesn't seem interested in changing his shell. Should we try to remove him and place him in another shell or leave him be?

1. What kind of substrate is used in your tank and how deep is it? soil type substrate, 2 inches deep

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

3. Is a heat source used in the tank? If so, what? no

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)? fresh, purchased beta pro water.

5. What kinds of food do you feed and how often is it replaced? zoomed hermit crab food 3 times a week.

6. How long have you had the crab and what species is it, if known? 3 months

7. What type of housing are the crabs kept in, what size is it and what kind of lid is on the housing? 10 gallon aquarium type with a screen lid.

8. How many crabs are in the tank and about how large are they? 2 crabs in tank 1 med. and 1 small.

9. How many extra shells are usually kept in the tank, if any? 2

10. Have there been any fumes or chemicals near the crabitat recently? no

11. How often do you clean the tank and how? twice a month by washing it with water really good

12. Are sponges used in the water dish? If so, how are they cleaned? yes the aren't cleaned

13. Has anything new been added to your crabitat recently? no

14. 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.)?I take them out of the cage and put them in tunnels that have holes in the top and they climb through them. they are toilet paper roles.

15. Please describe the emergency situation in detail. I have dropped one of my hermit crabs onto the concrete driveway from about 5ft 5in in the air and it broke a very large part of the shell off. it wont climb into another shell and I am worried that it is going to die if we don't do something fast. the crab has never changed shells before so we think it is just not ready but we don't know what we should do. should we just leave it alone and let it figure it out or make it go into another shell. the part of the shell that is remaining is very sharp end to it. I am worried it will cut itself climbing around.

[hermitcrabdc]

Do not try to remove him from his shell, that could result in more stress after the drop. They would rather be torn in half than let themselves be pulled out of a shell. I would keep an eye on him and just let him change on his own. How many extra shells do you have and what kinds are they? He'll change on his own time if you have shells that he is interested in.

[jeepnchik365]

ok thank you so much for the info. he is in a non painted shell but the only other shells we have are painted. we have 2 of them. we don't have a pet store near where we live.

[hermitcrabdc]

You may want to try and order some non painted shells, painted shells are toxic to hermit crabs. 2 shells is not very many shells like I said you may want to order some online. There's Naples, deltona ect. there is a list on the shopping resources good luck to you and your crabs

[aldebaron0626]

Hobby stores, Walmart (artificial flower/craft section) and dollar stores often have shells that are cheaper than the pet store.

You may also want to check out the crab care guides on this forum.


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[jeepnchik365]

Thank you so much for all your help. this is so helpful and we will order some shells online. I just cant thank you enough. I was so stressed out with my exam finals on my shoulders and studying so thank you. that is one less thing on my shoulders.

[Snickers]

Hey, all the advice being given is great!
~
I do, although have quite a few things to point out about your set up...
1. You need at least 6 Inches of Substrate, also could you be more specific on 'soil type sub', is it like, Eco Earth?
2. You need Humidity Gauges and Thermometer to make sure the Heat and Humidity are at the proper %.
3. Your really going to need a heating pad for the back of the tank.
4. Hermit crabs need Salt water and fresh, both chlorinated.
5. ZooMed, actually had Eythotoxin (Or something like that) and Copper sulfate. Both break down the hermit crabs skeleton as they molt.
6. Each crab, should have at least 3 per crab, so I would advise 6, in the tank. Painted shells are toxic to the crabs and can/will kill them.

[singlemomwithcrab]

Hey, all the advice being given is great!
~
I do, although have quite a few things to point out about your set up...
1. You need at least 6 Inches of Substrate, also could you be more specific on 'soil type sub', is it like, Eco Earth?
2. You need Humidity Gauges and Thermometer to make sure the Heat and Humidity are at the proper %.
3. Your really going to need a heating pad for the back of the tank.
4. Hermit crabs need Salt water and fresh, both chlorinated.
5. ZooMed, actually had Eythotoxin (Or something like that) and Copper sulfate. Both break down the hermit crabs skeleton as they molt.
6. Each crab, should have at least 3 per crab, so I would advise 6, in the tank. Painted shells are toxic to the crabs and can/will kill them.

I'm sure Snickers meant to say, both fresh and saltwater need DEchlorinated water. The fridge may take out some of the chlorine but isn't reliable. You will need a water conditioner like Api that also deals with heavy metals.

[Snickers]

I'm sure Snickers meant to say, both fresh and saltwater need DEchlorinated water. The fridge may take out some of the chlorine but isn't reliable. You will need a water conditioner like Api that also deals with heavy metals.

Yes, I meant dechlorinated. Haha.

[hermitcrab24]

Hey,
I don't know if you have ordered the shells yet, but they have some good deals on amazon. That's where I got mine.

[kornchaser]

Also crabs need salt water. I don't think you knew what you were getting into when buying a crab. They need
1.) A salt water dish and fresh water dish (dechlorinated and with sw use instant ocean. And sponges actually just cause bacteria to grow faster in an already misty tank. My advice is to take those out.
2.) each crab should have 3 un-painted shells it can change into. They like it all natural and the paint is harmful.
3.) they like to climb and burrow. Look in your tank, is there hiding spots? Is the Eco earth wet enough to make a soggy sandcastle? It should.
4.) The hygrometer and thermometer should say 75-80 degrees and percent, if you don't have those yet then please do. It's imperative to your new pet.
5.) as a crabber I am against the commercial food for crabs as the chemicals are potentially harmful to my crabs and yours. If you want to feed your new friend right then try Alaska hermit it's online. Also check out the safe and unsafe food lists here at the HCA and the helpful guides



Hermie mommy of 10 PP babies: Octavius Flemming, Poseidon, Bruiser, Junior, Matty Pumpkin, Turbo, Kaylee Frye, Pepper, Flower and Adrian Shephard.