New Rescues!

[Kaleighshermies]

Generally when ever I go into a pet shop I of course always check out the hermit crabs. Most of the time I stop at Petco or PetSmart and both stores are extremely good with their hermit crabs. (In my experience, I know others wouldn't agree with their stores) The shops have the correct substrate, fresh water, perfect heat and humidity and for being in the store setting the hermit crabs all generally seem comfortable and well looked after. Other then when I am ready to bring in a new crab I never feel obligated to buy one every time I go in there.

I stopped into a different shop today and I asked the price of the hermit crabs. They mentioned that the painted shell crabs are 5.99 and the unpainted shelled crabs are 3.99. I am used to them being 7.99 so I was like ooo maybe I can be flexible today and get a little 3.99 crab to add to the crew. The gentlemen was very nice and very trust worthy with me as he opened the tank and let me go through the whole thing by myself while he helped other customers.

At first glance it looked like there were a lot of crabs all huddled in the corner. I turned all the shells over to find that just about every one was empty. I shrugged figured it was nice they weren't over crowded and had plenty of shells provided for them. Most of the shells however were painted and they had some types of shells that all us hermie owners would love to see our crabs go into but the crabs hate those types. For example the long spiral shells that are very pointy at the end. ( I believe they are called Auger or Ladder Horn shells) All the others were very small natural shells.

There were about 18 shells in the tank:
12/18 empty
7/18 had crabs in them.
I found about 7 crabs in the tank.
2 were certainly dead
2 were questionably dead
and 3 were alive.

I handed the worker the dead crabs. One was very large and he said was moving around very slowly in the morning and he could tell it was dying. He tried to help by putting it near the water dish but that's the only thing he really knew to do for it. I could tell he did try and I could sense he was saddened by losing him. The second dead crab had no limbs and was shriveled up and all dry sitting in the shell. I found his limbs and took them out of the tank as well. Another crab was submerged in the water, I took him out and I thought I saw him move but when I was really looking at him I could move his limbs with no reaction and he didn't retract into his shell or move at all when I put some water in his shell. He looked to be missing limbs as well. The second questionable hermit was the same, no reaction, no movement. The 5th hermit crab was large and was alive. He reacted to me touching him and tucked himself into the shell to get away from me. The 6th crab was small and as soon as I picked her up she came popping right out to say hello, was very active and walked around on my hand. I noticed she was not in the best shape and was missing all different parts of her legs. The 7th crab is about medium size. I noticed he had nice limbs and he too came right out of his shell and walked around. They both were so cute but you could tell they were not 100% healthy and their enclosure did not have what they needed. The habitat was more for a gecko, set up as a desert, then a tropical beach setting. I believe the lack of humidity, the desert type sand and the intense heat from the huge heat lamp they had on the small tank caused the other crabs to dry out and become to lethargic that it led to them dropping their limbs and dying.

I knew that was the fate of these two hermies and with them being 3.99 (and by the way in beautiful polished Jade Turbos) I brought them to the counter and bought them.
The medium sized crab is a boy and the little broken one is a girl. I have them in ISO right now to make sure that they aren't sick from all the dead crabs they were being kept with. I cannot wait to add them in with the others in my bigger tank and see them flourish and come back to life!

[LadyJinglyJones]

Oh... that is so depressing!
Did you have a chance to chat with the employee about correct conditions, or was he too busy? I know I feel super weird about telling pet store peeps what looks wrong. It's just so akward!

Here's hoping your new babies can recover enough to thrive in their new home!

[Kaleighshermies]

Oh... that is so depressing!
Did you have a chance to chat with the employee about correct conditions, or was he too busy? I know I feel super weird about telling pet store peeps what looks wrong. It's just so akward!

Here's hoping your new babies can recover enough to thrive in their new home!

I did not. I know that he was not the owner and was not in a position that would give him the authority to change anything. This was a large pet shop with puppies and all so I am sure the hermit crabs are just considered a throw away pet there. It's sad but its the reality of things. I'm not going to stress over it I gave these two a good home so I am happy. I think they will do well! If they can make it to their first molt with me then they will be golden.

[LadyJinglyJones]

That's probably the most sane attitude. I've been getting neurotic about my local pet store conditions, and decided I just need to stop looking at it because I'm too shy to recommend improvements, and I'm not buying crabs.

Anyway, I'm looking forward to future pics and such! Good luck!!

[Kaleighshermies]

Yeah I would drive myself crazy and being in retail myself I know very well that 99% of the time it is not the employees fault. It wouldn't do them any good for me to call them out on something they have no control over and that they're employer doesn't take the time to do research and teach. We are all trying to make a living I would never try to upset anyone or put them down.

Success though, the crabs are settling in very nicely and I know they are just crabs but I do believe they are feeling quite happy
If this website was easier to upload photos to there would be so many photos but taking the time to get a good one of them, making a photobucket account, emailing the photo from my phone to my email address to access on the computer, uploading it to photobucket, copying link to this website gah so much work I really have to have the time and patience. When they are even more settled and I have better lighting for photos I will go through the process and upload some photos.

[daws409]

If this website was easier to upload photos to there would be so many photos but taking the time to get a good one of them, making a photobucket account, emailing the photo from my phone to my email address to access on the computer, uploading it to photobucket, copying link to this website gah so much work I really have to have the time and patience. When they are even more settled and I have better lighting for photos I will go through the process and upload some photos.

You can download the tapatalk app and search for HCA forum... I found it was much easier to upload photos. Now, I just have to figure out how to add links.

Glad the newbies are doing well!

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[Kaleighshermies]

wow thanks that would make things so much better!

[Kaleighshermies]

Downloaded TapaTalk

This is one of my rescues. Sorry I know the pictures are of bad quality but that's as good as it's going to get for right now lol.


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[LadyJinglyJones]

Awwww... super cute!

[Kaleighshermies]

Isn't she adorable!? I believe this is the girl due to the broken legs. Hopefully I didn't mix them up lol.
The boy is inside my coconut hermie hut. He's been in there most of the time. He came out last night and walked around a little bit. Now I see a bunch of sand piles in there so I assume he is now buried. I am just letting them be. I think I will keep them in ISO for two weeks before they go in with my other guys. I would love for them to molt in ISO first but being that they just got here I don't think they are buried due to the better conditions to molt but more to distress from what they been through.


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[Kaleighshermies]

Day 6 and both hermies are still alive! Due to their poor conditions at pet store and all the moving and stress they went through I figured by now I would have lost one from pps. Both are staying in the same spots they have been in but seem content. When they reach the two week mark and if they are still above ground I plan on adding them to the 40 gal. Do you think it will be too stressful for them to be moved into a different tank with different crabs in two weeks?


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[daws409]

I think two weeks is okay... This is usually when I move my newbies over.

Glad they're doing well! [SMILING FACE WITH SMILING EYES]

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[Kaleighshermies]

Thank you and alright I will shoot for that


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[Kaleighshermies]

Hermies are doing very well! Ate a bunch of blueberries and have been exploring their tank here and there. There is one crab that is way more active and seems to be ready to move to the bigger tank and socialize. Plus he needs more room with all the activity he's doing. Will probably move him in tonight if he is scurrying about. The other one will stay in ISO for another three days and will be monitored. He's healthy just more to himself and stays in the same spot observing so he can de-stress some more.


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[Kaleighshermies]

Day 11: female was put into large tank. She is making friends and has the name Slew after Seattle Slew. The male is partially buried and has not come out much so he can stay in ISO for how ever long he needs. If he makes it to big tank he will officially be known as Seabuscuit.


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