Ignored Hermit Crabs

Please post here if you are having a crab care emergency! Use a real subject and not just "HELP!"
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EmmaBatGirl
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Joined: Mon Oct 19, 2015 7:13 pm

Ignored Hermit Crabs

Post by EmmaBatGirl » Sun Feb 19, 2017 12:30 pm

Hey everybody.

Long story short, I was gone for about 2 months and left a "friend" in charge of my two purple pinchers... one medium, one small. She had several lessons on how to care for them and such and I thought she was going to take care of them. Now I'm home for good and I find out they haven't been cared for. like at all. She threw in pellets every once and a while, but never sprayed down the tank or refilled water or cleaned. :/

I'm really ticked off of course but the next step is getting them back to health. They are both alive and in their shells, thank god... but they are basically comatose. I put them next the water bowl or anything and they run back to where they were hiding. I put a camera up at night and no activity at all. Just in the one spot.

How do I go about bringing them back to health? They are in a ten gallon with 8 inches of playsand and ecoearth, when they were under my care they were getting fresh fruits and meats, but with her they got pellets once a week or so. They have salt and fresh water as well.

Thanks so much. This is certainly the last time I'm leaving them alone.. thought they'd be well taken care of. Our house had some issues so we were living in our travel trailer and the crabbies were living at the friend's house. I feel so bad. >.<

Again, TIA!

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Hermiearth
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Location: Los Angeles, CA

Re: Ignored Hermit Crabs

Post by Hermiearth » Sun Feb 19, 2017 1:05 pm

Please fill out the emergency template so we can help you as much as possible.
http://www.hermitcrabassociation.com/ph ... 27&t=46102

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GotButterflies
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Re: Ignored Hermit Crabs

Post by GotButterflies » Sun Feb 19, 2017 1:43 pm

Please fill out emergency template as Hermiearth suggested. In the meantime, do not handle them, as this adds stress to them. They are prey animals. Make sure temp & humidity are a minimum of 80/80. Use dechlorinated fw & dechlorinated marine saltwater. Provide calcium, protein & organic raw honey to them. Hope to hear from you soon.


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soilentgringa
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Joined: Sun Jul 20, 2014 5:18 pm
Location: Dallas, TX

Re: Ignored Hermit Crabs

Post by soilentgringa » Sun Feb 19, 2017 10:30 pm

The best thing that you can do is to leave them alone, provide them with good tank conditions, proper water, and nutritious food. Raw honey, bee pollen, eggshells, protein sources like dried mealworms, crickets, shrimp, bloodworms, etc.

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