HCA: Hermit Crab Association

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?
PLAY SAND AND ECO EARTH MIXED TOGETHER. THE AREA WHERE THEY BURROW IS 6 INCHES. THE AREA WHERE THE FOOD IS IS 4 1/2 INCHES

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. THE HUIMIDITY GAUGE IN ON ONE SIDE ATTACHED UP ON THE GLASS. THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE IS ON THE BACK LARGE SECTION OF THE TANK. THE HUMIDITY RANGES FROM 75 TO 94 . THE TEMPERATURE IS 75-78 DEGREES


3. Is a heat source used in the tank? If so, what?
THE HEAT SOURCE IS A "BLANKET" WRAPPED ON THE BACK OUTSIDE THE TANK

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)?
WE HAVE REVERSE OSMOSIS WATER FOR THE FRESH WATER. I USE INSTANT OCEAN SEA SALT FOR THE SALT WATER AND FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS ON PACKAGE

5. What kinds of food do you feed and how often is it replaced?
WE FEED FRESH VEGETABLES, COOKED CHICKEN, CANNED TUNA, APPLES, GRAPES, BANANAS ETC

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

WE HAVE 2 HERMIT CRABS. THAT IS ALL I KNOW. WE HAVE HAD THEM FOR 15 MONTHS
7. Has your crab molted, and how long ago did it happen?
WE KNOW THAT ONE OF THEM HAS MOLTED BECAUSE WE SAW THE EXOSKELETON. HAVEN'T SEEN IT FOR THE SMALLER CRAB

8. What type of housing are the crabs kept in, what size is it and what kind of lid is on the housing?
A 20 GALLON TANK. THE LID WAS PURCHASED FOR THAT TANK FROM THE PET STORE. IT IS HINGED TO OPEN IN HALF LENGTHWISE

9. How many crabs are in the tank and about how large are they?
THERE ARE 2 CRABS. ONE IS LARGE AND ONE IS MEDIUM

10. How many extra shells are usually kept in the tank, if any?
ABOUT 5 EXTRA SHELLS

11. Have there been any fumes or chemicals near the crabitat recently?
NO

12. How often do you clean the tank and how?
ONCE A MONTH. EVERYTHING TAKEN OUT, SAND REPLACED, ALL ITEMS RINSED IN FRESH WATER
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?

NO
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.
OUR CRABS ARE NOW DIGGING TUNNELS WHERE THE SAND IS SUNKEN IN. THERE ARE THREE LARGE HOLES IN THE TANK. WHERE THEY DUG THE SAND ENDED UP COVERING THEIR FOOD DISH.

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Hermit crabs need to dig down underground to molt. They will dig wherever the substrate is a good texture to hold a burrow. "Food dishes" are not really a feature of their natural environment, so I doubt they really noticed that they lobbed the sand on top of it.

One thing I notice about your description of how you keep them is that you clean the tank once a month and change out all the substrate? It is not necessary to clean the tank or change the substrate unless there is a problem like a bacterial bloom in the substrate. You can just remove any poop you might happen to notice; the mix of play sand and Eco Earth will help to process any other waste. Changing out all the substrate regularly is actually stressful to the crabs, and may prevent them from molting properly, which can be deadly to them. If they need to molt, they will dig down under and stay there, sometimes for days, weeks, or months. During this time it is important to maintain good conditions, with clean water sources and food sources available, but not to disturb them. Just make sure that your substrate is properly "sand-castle" moist so they can make good molting burrows, and "let crabs be crabs"!

Thank you for your reply. I will take note of what you have said for future cleaning of the tank.