HCA: Hermit Crab Association

posters.mp3 wrote: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 as best you can. 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. The things in the [ brackets ] are there to make this post easier to read once submitted. Thanks!


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

i don’t remember the brand but it’s the brown soil ish type that you soak in water. it’s three inches deep

CL77- It's probably coconut fiber, aka Eco Earth (EE). Using all EE is fine, but usually a 5:1 mix of play sand and EE is easier to maintain (mixed with dechlor fresh or salt water). The substrate should be at least 6" deep, or 3x the depth of your biggest crabby.

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?

my gauge is for both temp and humidity and they usually read about 73 in temp and 75-80 in humidity

CL77- The temps and humidity aren't bad, but see if you can boost the temp to 75 and humidity to 80% to make it a bit more comfortable.

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

i have a heat lamp but it’s more elevated and used for lighting, i use a heating pad for temp

CL77- Heat lamps will zap humidity. You're better off using multiple uth if necessary. Make sure yours is placed on the side or back above the substrate line. You want to heat the air not the substrate.

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 is available and i use zoo med brand conditioner

CL77- The ZM conditioner won't work for the crabbies. You can use tap water mixed with a dechlorinator/heavy metal neutralizer like Prime. The salt water should be made using a marine salt like Instant Ocean.

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

i normally feed them dried veggies, dried shrimp, the zoo med fruit salad occasionally, and when i’m away for a week, i give them plenty of food pellets along with dried shrimp.

CL77- Many of the pellets marketed for hermits have a lot of preservatives and aren't safe for hermies. Hermits can eat pretty much what we eat, minus seasonings/butter/salt/oil (plain). There should always be a protein and calcium source available. There are a lot of online stores (like The Hermit Crab Patch) that sell dried/powdered foods good for hermits. Check out the safe food list here on the HCA.

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

two purple pinchers and i’ve had them for about two years

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

they’ve both molted before (i’ve lost count) but one just came up from the molt (names mungdaal) and the other is just now molting( named dwight)

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

they live in a ten gallon tank and they have a mesh lid covered in plastic wrap with a few holes in for airflow

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

two and they’re normal size i guess. not big and not tiny

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

about 5 but i haven’t swapped them out

CL77- The HCA recommends 3-5 shells per crab. PP tend to prefer shells with round openings like turbos.

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

no

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

i normally try and deep clean about once every couple of months and clean out things like food bowl and water bowls around once a month

CL77- You don't need to deep clean the substrate unless there is a bacterial bloom or a flood. Water dishes should be changed weekly, and more often if they are dirty.

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?

nope

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.

i go to my dads every other week and everything goes normal in my crabitat while i’m gone. crabs would only normally and such. i clean out the food bowl when i get home as well as the water bowls. tonight i came home and i noticed that mungdaal came up from a molt and seems fine n dandy, but dwight is no where to be seen. i figures hes now molting. i go to clean out the fresh water bowl but notice there’s a LOT of dirt in there. normally there isn’t this much in there. i go and take out some of the shells that are used as a way to climb out (not used for them to wear, just to give them something to climb on to get out in case they want to go in deeper and submerge) and as i take them out and scoop up some of the excess dirt, i see something strange, like a piece of exoskeleton. i lift up the bowl and see what appears to be dwights legs at the bottom of the clear bowl. i freaked out and put the bowl back in the tank. i haven’t touched it yet and i don’t know what to do. i feel like an awful hermie mother and i probably am but i feel terrible for them. sorry for all the typos i’m just really nervous. i don’t have access to and iso tank and i don’t know if there’s a way to relocate him without stressing him to the point he dies.

CL77- If he's naked in the water bowl you need to get him out and re-shell him right away. He will need to be isolated. You don't have to have another tank to do this. A small plastic food container will do the same thing. Here is the link to the guide of how to isolate and/or re-shell a naked crab:

https://www.hermitcrabassociation.com/p ... 7&t=122302

Try to fix the issues with your tank asap to make sure the other crab isn't affected.

.

posters.mp3 wrote:UPDATE!!!!

after some of the “mud” poured out of the container, it turned out to be a sea shell and not my crab!!!! it was one of those typical flat shells that’s ribbed, so it looked like crab legs from underneath. i feel like such an idiot but also so relieved that he’s ok. thank you all so much for your feedback. i’m sure that dwight is molting somewhere so i don’t really want to disturb him. thanks again everyone

Hermielover121 wrote:Lol I am sure I would think that too. One time I thought that some how there was a third hermit crab in my tank since it looked like another one in a spare shell and I totally freaked out, turns out it was old food and eco earth haha


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