HCA: Hermit Crab Association

I was sitting on the coach and I heard a very quiet weird noise coming from my crab tank. So I got up to check it. None of my crabs were rubbing up against anything and I couldn't see anyone else that could be doing it. So I lifted up the water bowl where I knew Fuyu was (my crabs like to sit right under the bowls). The noise seemed like it might be him but when I took him into another room it wasn't him. So I checked under the other water bowl and there was Ko. He's too big to fit under the bowl now (I'm getting more substrate for him soon) so I'm not sure if it's him scraping the glass or if he's chirping The best way I can describe the sound was like chewing sand. However, he's also making a very very faint high pitch clicking sound and he isn't touching the glass anymore. Basically, I'm not really sure if this is an issue or not but I wanted to check. I also haven't seen him around recently. I'm worried if I should check to see if he might molt soon but, once again, I'm not sure.

EDIT: Now he's making more weird noises, still rather quiet though. I'm not sure how to describe them. Almost akin to a cat trilling but grainier. He's then reburied himself and I replaced the bowl.

Some crabs can be talkative or go through phases where they are noisy. If you aren't seeing any signs of fighting or distress I wouldn't worry. I once had six crabs down molting at the same time and they would talk to each other in the middle of the night, it was kind of creepy! I used to joke they were voting on when to come up as they all finished within three days. Another time Giggles went through this phase where he would squeak like a wooden floor every time I walked past the tank for three weeks straight, and then never did it again. I would recommend getting the substrate depth fixed since you know he can't bury the way he wants as that could be stressing him out, but otherwise it sounds pretty normal.

wodesorel wrote:Some crabs can be talkative or go through phases where they are noisy. If you aren't seeing any signs of fighting or distress I wouldn't worry. I once had six crabs down molting at the same time and they would talk to each other in the middle of the night, it was kind of creepy! I used to joke they were voting on when to come up as they all finished within three days. Another time Giggles went through this phase where he would squeak like a wooden floor every time I walked past the tank for three weeks straight, and then never did it again. I would recommend getting the substrate depth fixed since you know he can't bury the way he wants as that could be stressing him out, but otherwise it sounds pretty normal.

Thank you for the reply! I wasn't sure if crabs just talked sometimes or if it was always a bad sign. I haven't seen any fighting or anyone that upset but I'll look out for it. I've had this crab for over a year and I've never heard him talk, or any of my crabs. So I was a little spooked. Thanks for clearing that up!

I wouldn't worry too much personally. Every few weeks I'll hear a couple chirps of a buried crab.

I haven't heard anything from my PP's, but do they even chirp?
My E's, however did chirp quire loudly.

stellaplusrocky wrote:I haven't heard anything from my PP's, but do they even chirp?
My E's, however did chirp quire loudly.

All hermits have the ability to chirp My Es are very talkative also

GotButterflies wrote:

stellaplusrocky wrote:I haven't heard anything from my PP's, but do they even chirp?
My E's, however did chirp quire loudly.

All hermits have the ability to chirp My Es are very talkative also

My E once got his leg wedged between a slotted plastic piece in my tank.
He was chirping very loudly, and I had to get him unstuck.

Awe, it was a distress call that time!


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How is the humidity in your tank?

If the crabs are clustering under the dishes they may be searching for more moisture. If your crabbie can't fit under there anymore he (or the others) might be uncomfortable, which could be why the chirping. If the humidity's okay (and even if it's not) you might want to invest in a crab hut big enough for your biggest crab if you don't already have one. Mine built their own big hut out of a coconut wall mat I put in. They tore it down and turned it into a multi-crab longhouse.

Crabnado wrote:How is the humidity in your tank?

If the crabs are clustering under the dishes they may be searching for more moisture. If your crabbie can't fit under there anymore he (or the others) might be uncomfortable, which could be why the chirping. If the humidity's okay (and even if it's not) you might want to invest in a crab hut big enough for your biggest crab if you don't already have one. Mine built their own big hut out of a coconut wall mat I put in. They tore it down and turned it into a multi-crab longhouse.

The humidity seems fine, might be a little low, and they have a hut big enough for all of them to fit at once. It also only seems to be Ko and sometimes Fuyu that sit under the dishes. They are also my largest. My other crabs don't do this. Also, when I went to check the humidity in my tank I found a little brown mushroom growing by the water bowl. I removed it but should I be concerned by it?

Mushrooms happen sometimes. Pulling them up won't prevent them from returning because the mushroom is just the reproductive organ of the fungus... but it won't harm anything.

It will help to keep them from spreading if pulled quickly before the cap opens. The spores won't have a chance to get released.

I get various mushrooms in my various enclosures throughout the year. Sometimes it seems overwhelming but they are generally self limiting. Springtime for the yellow ones, and fall for the white ones, and the skinny brown ones pop up a few at a random times. Only if the substrate is visibly affected for more than a few weeks or if it gets pungent enough to tickle my allergies will I change out substrate - outside and with a mask on, bleaching the tank and decor before refilling so it won't come right back. Mushrooms are kind of an interesting beast to live with, with how they come and go mysteriously.