Green at the Tip of my HCs Leg!?

[KittyKatN]

My HC has a green part on the end of it's leg... At first I thought it was the green shell reflecting onto it's leg, but under closer examination I found out the leg itself is actually green! I don't know what to do... All of the crabs barely move even though i've only seen it on one crab. When they do move, it's slower than when I first got them... I also can't get my mom to go to the store right now.... She doesn't think the crabs are that important. She is going to the store tomorrow.... Is there any bath I can give them? Ive already seen the one on crab street journal but I don't think I can get those ingredients at a local store and I need the ingredients now before something baad happens so I can't wait five days ordering them online.... Help!

[wodesorel]

Can you post a photo? I would not be worried if it's on the lower part of the limb. Did they come from a place with colored calcium sand, by any chance? The dyes in the sand can stain their exoskeleton until they're able to molt again.

As far as their movement, that's not a good sign. It could be Post Purchase Syndrome and due to the conditions of wherever they were before you got them. There could also be something off with their current conditions that isn't allowing them to adjust properly. If you have the time, the questions located here are what we need to know to be able to make an educated guess as to what might be wrong: viewtopic.php?f=27&t=46102

[KittyKatN]

Ok....
1. What kind of substrate is used in your tank and how deep is it?
Some green calcium sand and a lot of natural reptile sand.

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?
Yes, but I took it out because it kept falling, but I mist them regularly and keep the 75 watt lamp on.
3. Is a heat source used in the tank? If so, what?
A lamp
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)?
both fresh and salt/ all living things dechlorinator and salt/ 7 drops per spray bottle
5. What kinds of food do you feed and how often is it replaced?
fruit/vegetables/meat every day
6. How long have you had the crab and what species is it, if known?
about two years/ PP
7. Has your crab molted, and how long ago did it happen?
yes, last week
8. What type of housing are the crabs kept in, what size is it and what kind of lid is on the housing?
40 gal/ kinda like metal mesh
9. How many crabs are in the tank and about how large are they?
7/ medium about 1-2 inches
10. How many extra shells are usually kept in the tank, if any?
nine
11. Have there been any fumes or chemicals near the crabitat recently?
no
12. How often do you clean the tank and how?
every four months/ removing everything and adding new substrate
13. Are sponges used in the water dish? If so, how are they cleaned?
no
14. Has anything new been added to your crabitat recently?
yes, boiled shells
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.)?
none

[KittyKatN]

You can't really see it in a picture.... And I used green calcium sand, so that makes sense.... But Im still worried about them being active. Also, the calcium sand is covered by the reptile sand

[pearl29mi]

I recommend taking out the calcium sand and the reptile sand (as they don't allow crabs to molt as well and can cause other problems) and replace it with moist Playsand or Eco earth (or mix both.) Playsand is only $5 for a 50 pound bag, you can get Eco earth at the pet store. Make sure to have 6+ inches of it.

[fantasybookworm]

In addition the above recommendation, I would really suggest getting another set of gauges or even better, a digital thermometer/hygrometer. It's really important to know what the temperature & humidity is - PPs are less picky with their requirements, but you still want the temperature to stay above 70, preferably close to 80, and the humidity needs to stay above 70%. Most people shoot for 80/80 because it's easy to remember & it seems to be where PPs are most active. It sounds like you've had your crabs for a while, but they can survive in non-ideal conditions for a surprisingly long time. Low humidity damages their gills & makes it very difficult for them to breath, though, so it's really important to keep track of it & make sure it's staying high enough.

To help with humidity as well, since you have a heat lamp & a mesh lid, you can cover the lid in tin foil or plastic wrap to help keep the humidity from rising straight out. Lamps tend to dry the tank out more than heat mats, so heat mats are more recommended. The website ReptileBasics sells awesome ones, Ultratherm heat pads, that are removable (you just tape them on & can take the tape off to move them to a new tank or position) and can be insulated if needed to raise the tank temp. It works best to get a mat that is long enough to cover the length of the tank, and wide enough to cover the back down to the substrate line.

I can't recall for certain, but I'm pretty sure the All Living Things salt isn't appropriate. It won't hurt them, but it's not going to provide the proper saltwater that they need. You need a mix that provides the same conditions that ocean water does. Most people use Instant Ocean salt & it's pretty cheap to get a small box that lasts FOREVER - I got a small box when I got my first crabs last May & I still have at least 1/3 of it left. I'm likewise not sure about the dechlorinator, but there's a list of safe ones here - http://www.hermitcrabassociation.com/ph ... 25&t=92553 You want to make sure it at least removes chlorine & chloramine. For dechlorinator, a lot of people use Prime and again, it'll last you a very long time, even with a small bottle!

And while this isn't essential right now like the other things (temperature, humidity, substrate, and water), one last note for future reference - you don't need to totally replace the substrate every 4 months. For the most part, you don't really need to replace it at all unless you have a flood or bacterial bloom (gray area that will smell like rotten eggs). There are some crabbers that have the same substrate they've been using for 3-5 years with no issues.

I hope that helps and please let us know how your little ones are doing & if you have any more questions!