I don't know what to do!

[beastyhylian]

Hey all, I'm a new member here. I'm doing some crab-sitting for my girlfriend, who has had three hermit crabs for a few weeks now. I have them at my house since she's at the beach for a week. One of the little guys, named Crusty, is the problem. He has been, since last Wednesday, (I've had him since Saturday) been losing legs and his claws. I have been extremely worried about the poor little guy, and I'm fairly certain he's done for. He has lost all of his legs now, and has been totally unresponsive to anything as of yesterday evening when he had two legs. Before the evening yesterday I was hoping I could save him and i was helping him walk around and get to food and water as he would still drink and eat. Since then, he hasn't even moved his feelers or other antennae at all. I currently have him in a little iso tank (like the ones from the beach) with 3 inches of sand in it. He has not moved at all today or yesterday, since I think he was too weak to hold himself. I am not sure whether he is dead or if there is such a thing as like a panic life saving molt or not. He's about a half inch out of his shell with his eyes all the way up like he would be normally, he just isn't moving. I don't want the other two crabs, who are fine, to contract any symptoms or stress if possible. Does anyone out there think Crusty can be helped? I'm super worried about the little guy, but I think it's probably his time to go to the great crabitat in the sky. Any advice or suggestions on what I should do in this situation? He doesn't really smell bad or anything, which is part of the confusion I'm having. Thanks for the help, everyone!

[MamaKelly]

Dropping legs is never a good thing and dropping all does not look good at all for him. But, let's make sure that the conditions the crabs are living in are good for the health and well-being of the other crabs. I'll see if I can get it on my phone, but there's a form in the stickied post with questions about care and conditions. That will help is figure out what has gone wrong.

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[MamaKelly]

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 by coping and pasting this list into a New Topic. 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. Thanks!

1. What kind of substrate is used in your tank and how deep is it?

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?

3. Is a heat source used in the tank? If so, what?

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)?

5. What kinds of food do you feed and how often is it replaced?

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

7. Has your crab molted, and how long ago did it happen?

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

9. How many crabs are in the tank and about how large are they?

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

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

12. How often do you clean the tank and how?

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

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

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.)?

16. Please describe the emergency situation in detail.

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