Hermit crabs are dying off for no known reason
Posted: Mon Sep 28, 2020 1:15 pm
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? cocofiber and “play” sand, sand at the top fiber at the bottom
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?
I have an acurite, it sits towards the middle on a rock. They usually sit around the upper 70’s to upper 80’s
3. Is a heat source used in the tank? If so, what? i live in texas so i try to balance it with the natural heat and fans
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 use seachem and at the time the only salt ive used is salinity reef salt, never been able to find instant ocean and have been told this was fine
5. What kinds of food do you feed and how often is it replaced? i feed them a random safe fruit once or twice a week with dried food mixes off hermies kitchen
6. How long have you had the crab and what species is it, if known? ive had all 5 my crabs for close to a year, the last two (possibly three) i have are purple pincers, i believe
7. Has your crab molted, and how long ago did it happen? they have all molted a few months ago, and the ones that died did also
8. What type of housing are the crabs kept in, what size is it and what kind of lid is on the housing?
I have a 50 gal plastic container, holes drilled on all sides, and plexi glass top
9. How many crabs are in the tank and about how large are they? theres one thats been buried for about two months, assuming he isnt dead, hes about medium, i have another medium thats on the surface and a very big one also
10. How many extra shells are usually kept in the tank, if any? theres about 10/11, i have not been able to find adequate sizes or decent prices for more shells lately
11. Have there been any fumes or chemicals near the crabitat recently? i dont think so
12. How often do you clean the tank and how? i mix the top of the sub and any waste or food i may find when i change their water every other day
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? recently added more driftwood
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.)? i handle them as little as possible and do not bathe them
16. Please describe the emergency situation in detail.
Starting with my smallest crab, they have one by one been spontaneously dying. My smallest crab made obvious signs but i wasnt sure at that time if they were sick or if they were just slowing down to molt or something, i found them out of their shell dying and put them in iso where they died a day later.
My second smallest was acting similarly shortly after but began to perk up and was highly active, then just died at complete random by a waterbowl, he was absolutely not molting. Im starting to suspect my last two are getting sick, my biggest is usually highly active and reactive but hes started acting somewhat off, my medium one has not changed much- i could just be paranoid but i am not sure. The other ones had no signs of mites or anything else, the one that spontaneously died was simply very lethargic for about a week or two before perking up and acting normal again. I am unsure if the one thats buried is dead as he had molted about two or three months prior, I have no plans of digging him out and have already assumed hes gone.
.
1. What kind of substrate is used in your tank and how deep is it? cocofiber and “play” sand, sand at the top fiber at the bottom
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?
I have an acurite, it sits towards the middle on a rock. They usually sit around the upper 70’s to upper 80’s
3. Is a heat source used in the tank? If so, what? i live in texas so i try to balance it with the natural heat and fans
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 use seachem and at the time the only salt ive used is salinity reef salt, never been able to find instant ocean and have been told this was fine
5. What kinds of food do you feed and how often is it replaced? i feed them a random safe fruit once or twice a week with dried food mixes off hermies kitchen
6. How long have you had the crab and what species is it, if known? ive had all 5 my crabs for close to a year, the last two (possibly three) i have are purple pincers, i believe
7. Has your crab molted, and how long ago did it happen? they have all molted a few months ago, and the ones that died did also
8. What type of housing are the crabs kept in, what size is it and what kind of lid is on the housing?
I have a 50 gal plastic container, holes drilled on all sides, and plexi glass top
9. How many crabs are in the tank and about how large are they? theres one thats been buried for about two months, assuming he isnt dead, hes about medium, i have another medium thats on the surface and a very big one also
10. How many extra shells are usually kept in the tank, if any? theres about 10/11, i have not been able to find adequate sizes or decent prices for more shells lately
11. Have there been any fumes or chemicals near the crabitat recently? i dont think so
12. How often do you clean the tank and how? i mix the top of the sub and any waste or food i may find when i change their water every other day
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? recently added more driftwood
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.)? i handle them as little as possible and do not bathe them
16. Please describe the emergency situation in detail.
Starting with my smallest crab, they have one by one been spontaneously dying. My smallest crab made obvious signs but i wasnt sure at that time if they were sick or if they were just slowing down to molt or something, i found them out of their shell dying and put them in iso where they died a day later.
My second smallest was acting similarly shortly after but began to perk up and was highly active, then just died at complete random by a waterbowl, he was absolutely not molting. Im starting to suspect my last two are getting sick, my biggest is usually highly active and reactive but hes started acting somewhat off, my medium one has not changed much- i could just be paranoid but i am not sure. The other ones had no signs of mites or anything else, the one that spontaneously died was simply very lethargic for about a week or two before perking up and acting normal again. I am unsure if the one thats buried is dead as he had molted about two or three months prior, I have no plans of digging him out and have already assumed hes gone.
.
