Crabs Never Out

[Aaaccckk]

Not technically a life threatening emergency, but I like the detailed question template/

I have 5 medium crabs in a 10 gallon tank. For the last 6-7 months they have been hanging out under the substrate. I can tell that someone comes up for food every once in a while (during the night) I can tell one is currently molting cause I cab see him from the bottom of the tank. I have done a head count maybe like every 6 weeks to see if they are still alive (They are). I believe the temperatures and humidity are appropriate. Very quiet around their housing during the day. (don't ask about the evening lol) Now, How do I get them to come out ?

1. What kind of substrate is used in your tank and how deep is it? ECHO EARTH - Loose coconut fiber = 6 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? 70' NO TANK LIGHT, 78' LIGHT ON DURING DAY. HUMIDITY 78' NO LIGHT, 70' TANK LIGHT ON

3. Is a heat source used in the tank? If so, what? HEAT MAT BACKSIDE OF TANK FOR 10 GALLON 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)? ZOO MED SALT & DRINKING WATER CONDITIONERS (followed directions on box)

5. What kinds of food do you feed and how often is it replaced? HERMIT CRAB FOOD REPLACED EVERY 3 DAYS

6. How long have you had the crab and what species is it, if known? 9 months the oldest one and probably 6 months for the newest one. I don't know the species. Probably the most common ones. I bought them from a pet store

7. Has your crab molted, and how long ago did it happen? YES, one currently. ( all have molted at one time or another of the last 9 months.)

8. What type of housing are the crabs kept in, what size is it and what kind of lid is on the housing? 10 gallon tank, plastic fish tank lid/ Taped some of the holes in it to keep moisture in. I use a fish tank aerator in a 1/2 quart container to make humidity. A ball of Moss in the corner kept moist.
Wood and rocks. A 3 x 6 loft area made of Legos where they can climb up to where I keep the shells. A couple crabs used to hang out up there.

9. How many crabs are in the tank and about how large are they? 5 and all medium sized

10. How many extra shells are usually kept in the tank, if any? 5-6 and sometimes I switch them out for other shells.

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

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

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.)?

[IMS08]

Hello! Regarding the crabs coming up, I have crabs that stay down for a couple of months, and just like digging. Maybe you got that kind of batch. Regarding your tank, you are overcrowded, and especially with only 6" of substrate, you should probably look at upgrading if possible? I am in the same boat, and am in need of an upgrade myself, so don't feel bad if you aren't able to upgrade, but 5 mediums is overcrowded. I wouldn't recommend using hermit crab food, as it can contain harmful chemicals to crabs, and also wouldn't recommend the Zoo Med conditioners either, try to go with "Instant Ocean" for saltwater. You can find it at your local pet store. I would love to see pictures of your crabs once they come up, and pictures of your tank!


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[soilentgringa]

Hi!

I'd like to go over some key points of concern and suggest some changes that will truly benefit your crabs.

1. 5 crabs in a 10 gallon tank is VERY overcrowded. At the BARE minimum , 5 medium crabs should be in a 20 gallon. Overcrowding can lead to cannibalism and molt attacks.

2. The minimum safe temps for PP's to be at is 75 degrees F. Lower temperatures for a prolonged time can cause them to shut down and experience organ failure.

3. The Zoomed water conditioners are so often pushed on new crab owners by pet stores and are unfortunately worthless. Pick up a decent dechlorinator like Prime or Kordon Amquel plus. It will last a LONG time. They require a marine grade sea salt mix like Instant ocean or Reef Crystals; what you would use to set up a salt water aquarium, not freshwater aquarium salt. The crabs come from the ocean, and even though they are land dwelling crabs, need the minerals and elements in the ocean water to thrive. The salt mix provides them with the best replacement for that.

4. What brand of hermit crab food? Many commercial brands have chemicals and preservatives that are known to be toxic to the crabs. They can be fed cheaply and easily from scraps while prepping your own meals and I will link the Safe food List below. They're scavengers by nature and mainly eat rotting vegetable and animal matter.

5. Sounds like you probably have Purple Pinchers. They can come in a range of colors from beige to almost black when they are larger sized, but you can tell they are PP's by their violet shaded big pincher.

6. Again, please consider upgrading to a larger tank. Cragislist and the semi annual $1 per gallon sales at pet stores are great ways to do this and save a lot of money. Your crabs need this space to thrive. They were captured in the wild where they had miles of land to roam on; sticking them in a tiny cube isn't so awesome for them.

7. There should be at least 3-5 shells per crab in slightly larger sizes, and opening/shell types they prefer. This prevents shell jacking and ensures that there are plenty to choose from.

Please, please do not take this as me attacking you. We were all new once and started somewhere. I will link the care guides and safe food list below, read over them as you can and familiarize yourself with the key points. Don't be afraid to ask questions.

And welcome to the HCA!

[soilentgringa]

Safe Food List

http://www.hermitcrabassociation.com/ph ... hp?t=92557

Care Guide


http://www.hermitcrabassociation.com/ph ... hp?t=92457

[Aaaccckk]

Awesome information ! Thanks.
I will make the changes needed and post a pic after

[wodesorel]

SG covered the important stuff. The temp and diet is probably having the most profound effect on their activity levels.

You say you do a head count every 6 weeks? How are you going about that since they're down so much?

[Aaaccckk]

I gently sift through the substrate with my hands. Which probably isn't good.

[mool]

You are correct, it's not good

You've been given some really sound advice. If you heed the advice and make changes, you should have a pretty good setup.

Crabs are hands off animals for the most part and especially when they are underground. I'm surprised you haven't caused a death by constantly interrupting them when they are underground and trying to either molt or de-stress.

[wodesorel]

I gently sift through the substrate with my hands. Which probably isn't good.

It's okay! We all started off with little information from the pet store, crab kiosk, or boardwalk store.

But yes, you're right, it's not good. When they're buried it's usually to molt, and disturbing them while doing so can injure them if they're still soft and can stress them into dying even if they're not. Their entire lives revolve around molting in order to repair damage and grow larger, and if they are forced to put it off or are stressed while doing so their bodies can create hormones that will eventually kill them. It's also why overcrowding is such a risk, as another crab can easily find them and either disturb them or eat them if they're at a vulnerable stage in their molt.

A crab will often stay down for two or three months while molting, sometimes longer, and they do not come up for food or water during this time. It's boring as heck for us! But it's also the biggest sign that we're doing things right.

[Aaaccckk]

I'm so excited today about shopping for their new environment I can hardly keep working.
That information you gave what exactly what I needed. I inherited the crabs from my 10 year old son who no longer wanted to care for them (Party Pooper!) I've had a lot of problems keeping the heat and humidity at proper levels. I've tried different light bulbs in the tank light but they all seem to make the temperature too high if left on too long. And no light makes the temperature go too low. They are in a 10 gal (for now) within the last week I've upgraded the heat mat to a 20-30 gal tank. Im not sure how thats working out yet.

[wodesorel]

If you want to stick with the light bulbs, try one of these (the price varies, mine were all around $10): http://www.homedepot.com/p/Lutron-Crede ... lsrc=aw.ds

That will let you adjust the power of the bulb up and down so you can find the sweet spot that heats your tank just right. Unfortunately you'll have to change it anytime the temperature of the room changes or it could end up too hot or cold.