HCA: Hermit Crab Association

I just got two little hermit crabs, I haven't even had them for a week yet. I got a starter terrarium kit for them and have been working on getting more for them, like a nice heater and some substrate, among other things. My new sand substrate came in today so I took the hermies out real quick to put it in and noticed that one (the one who is super active and friendly, loves to be held) had lost her big claw. I read that its normal for them to lose a leg, but I am not sure about a claw. I picked her up and smelt her and she smelt a little fishy and I'm just very worried she's died, anyone know what's going on and what I can do to help??

Is the crab in the shell? Hanging out? Fall out all the way?

She's tucked up into her shell, not all the way, her legs barely hang out, but she's up in there

If she’s tucked up in there she’s still alive. Her condition may not be great though.


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Okay! I'm going out tomorrow to get a lot of new stuff that's more fitting for hermit crabs (and much better heating equipment), will that help her recover? I really want to do my best for her and my other little crab

I’m not an expert, but what I would say is try to get her suitable molting conditions as soon as possible such as deep substrate, and then she’ll be given the chance to regrow her lost claw.


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The stuff I'm getting tomorrow should give her good molting conditions, and I'll get her into it as soon as it's ready. Thank you for the help!!

No problem!!


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Hi and good luck

The crab maybe in process of molting or injured

Sounds like its uncommon for hermit crabs to fight and lose limbs.

Let's assume the crabs molting.
Does it have molting symptoms?
Sluggish
Prolonged burrowing
Before this did it eat and drink excessively
Color start to fade to white like a reptile getting ready to shed. While body.
Eating lots of calcium
Ect

Did you examine the claw? Was it empty? If empty and pale it's a molting limb. Can be in process of molting. After shedding exoskeleton it will eat it's old one to recover the calcium and minerals. Put the limb near it so it can eat it. Not sure about the fishy smell. They smell of fish when dead I've heard. Not sure if smell when molting.

Can isolate the crab if on surface. Take large plastic bottle and cut off bottom 1/2. Remove cap. Place over crab and down inch so it doesnt move. Maybe put tiny food and water in for it. Could use the cap of the bottle. Check on daily. Dont dig up. If seeming better remove isolation bottle.

Could be sick. I dont know much about hermit crabs being sick.

Try to recreate their natural environment. That could help.

Hope your crab is just molting. Good luck.

Thank you for the help and information, but unfortunately, she did not make it. I put her in the new crabitat and kept the food and water close to her and didn't touch her for a few days. She did not move at all, there were no tracks in the sand substrate and she didn't burrow either. And the fishy smell just got worse to the point I just couldn't stomach it and knew she was gone. I think the move from the store to my house was just too stressful for her because she wasn't eating or drinking either, and not showing any signs of molting beforehand. It was very sad, but I'm finding solace in that at the very least, she's not suffering anymore

Mary+Cass wrote:Thank you for the help and information, but unfortunately, she did not make it. I put her in the new crabitat and kept the food and water close to her and didn't touch her for a few days. She did not move at all, there were no tracks in the sand substrate and she didn't burrow either. And the fishy smell just got worse to the point I just couldn't stomach it and knew she was gone. I think the move from the store to my house was just too stressful for her because she wasn't eating or drinking either, and not showing any signs of molting beforehand. It was very sad, but I'm finding solace in that at the very least, she's not suffering anymore

I'm so sorry for your loss!

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Here’s what I’ve gathered from what little knowledge and experience I have:

It seems like it depends on what they endure before we get them.

12 years ago my son wanted two crabs from a beach store. We got them of course. My wife nor I didn’t have any interest so my mother in-law took care of them. We didn’t know about HCA then. They were kept per beach shop guidelines. Very little sand and even in an open container. I’m sure the house was about 75 during summer and 68 winter. They lived a year like that. The day she found them dead there were broken limbs everywhere almost like the had a fight.

Fast forward to last October another vacation where one of my daughters wanted a crab from a beach store. Luckily for him I found HCA. He’s had several successful molts. Although his friends we got from a pet store never made it. They seemed stressed at first but then seemed to get more active. But maybe damage was already done. The first one we lost I blamed myself on dirty water (elevated nitrites). She lived a few weeks after what I thought was a molt. The other lived longer but had a bad molt and died couple weeks after the bad molt. There were a couple other losses (Pity purchases) that dug down right away. One never came back up and the other died after resurfacing.

Some here I’ve heard say 90% don’t survive after being captured.

Very sad. We can only help. We cant fix everything.

I hope that one day hermit crabs can be bred enough to not take from wild. Then they wouldn't be as freaked out by people or their crabitat.

Moved my crabs to a new tank last week. Most looked around some and burried. Seems to take time before they become comfortable in new home of any kind. Some have started to be more active again

Thank you all! I had gotten them from a beachside store and only afterwards did I learn that that is the worst place to get hermit crabs. Had I known that before, I would have waited to get some from a proper pet store. Neither of them were eating or drinking any water, or moving around at all and unfortunately I lost both of the ones I got. But I did some proper renovation and two new hermit crabs from a real pet store and they are thriving! Thank you all for the very, very helpful advice, I have taken what you've said into account for my new hermit crabs as well and those little buggers are enjoying life and climbing over everything they can get their little claws on!

Good to hear your improvement

Try to match their natural environment to keep them happy and healthy. Lots to hermit crabs. Once set up though daily maintenance is easy even trivial.

Get creative with the crabitat. Give lots of options to enrich their lives