naked hermit crab found in water bowl

[waffleman11799]

i came home to find one of my hermit crabs shell less in the water bowl. the shell was next to him. i put the water bowl in a iso tank and he moved out of the water but is still naked. havent seen movement in a day. no fishy smell. plz help i dont know what to do

[AutumnHermie]

The most important thing to do is get him in a shell. The easiest thing to do is to put him in a Tupperware container with no substrate and put all different kinds of shells in there. If he doesn't switch in 20 mins, you'll have to reshell him yourself.

[waffleman11799]

ok thank you i put him in a container with shells but hes not moving its been 20 mins i reshelled him as best i could but he didn't twich or move at all. he wasnt limp but kind of stiff idk if thats normal i think hes dead. what do i do?

[AutumnHermie]

Don't throw him out or presume he's dead until you get the fish smell. Trust me, you'll know if he's dead. He very well could be surface molting, and if this is the case, you will need to Iso him in a different tank.

[waffleman11799]

ok hes in a critter carrier (all i have)
with food,water and shells. i moved some stuff in my tank and placed the critter carrier in the main tank to have the right temps and humidy. do i just wait? i appreciate all your help thank you.

[soilentgringa]

Usually crabs leave their shells because something is irritating them, they're panicking (E's do this often!), or they are dying and just don't have the energy to carry the shell with it.
If you have not gently rinsed the crab and shell in the freshwater, do so. You also need to manually reshell the crab. Find a slightly too large shell and gently place the crab's abdomen into the shell.

When you can, please respond to the questions so we can help address any issues:

http://www.hermitcrabassociation.com/ph ... hp?t=46102

[waffleman11799]

1. What kind of substrate is used in your tank and how deep is it?
play sand 3inchs
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? temp 70 humidity 80-85

3. Is a heat source used in the tank? If so, what?
two under tank heaters and a heat lamp using Fluker's Hermit Crab Habitat Daytime Bulb, 60-watt
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 olny have fresh i orderd the hermit crab salt mix stuff
5. What kinds of food do you feed and how often is it replaced?
hermit crab food, fruits and vegetables
6. How long have you had the crab and what species is it, if known?
pp and three months
7. Has your crab molted, and how long ago did it happen?
no molts
8. What type of housing are the crabs kept in, what size is it and what kind of lid is on the housing?
50 gallon glass tank with plexiglass lid
9. How many crabs are in the tank and about how large are they?
three about the size of a quarter
10. How many extra shells are usually kept in the tank, if any?
12 or so
11. Have there been any fumes or chemicals near the crabitat recently?
no
12. How often do you clean the tank and how?
i just got so i haven't cleaned it yet when i do i will .new substrate and boil all toys
13. Are sponges used in the water dish? If so, how are they cleaned?
no sponges
14. Has anything new been added to your crabitat recently?
no
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.)?
all my outher crabs are playing and active i just came home one day and found him naked in the water dish with his shell next to him.
16. Please describe the emergency situation in detail.
im afraid he might die iv olny had him for a little while. iv had hermit crabs before and never had this problem so i need help from more experienced people.