HCA: Hermit Crab Association

Hi everyone,

We brought a new crab home tonight, after sadly losing Bob to a humidifier problem over Christmas break. Bob Jr. is a fair bit larger than the original Bob (and also a fair bit larger than his buddy, Guido).

I dunked Bob Jr. in the saltwater dish and placed him in the tank. Guido was sleeping in the Tiki Hut. A couple of hours later, I checked on them, and both hermies were in the hut...but both with their shell openings facing up. Did I interrupt some hostile behavior, causing them to shrink into their shells? I'm going to sneak back into the room in a couple of minutes to check, but I'm wondering if there's anything else I should be doing to keep everyone happy.

So, after checking on them again, I found them both back in the hut, with Bob Jr. clearly trying to get at Guido, and Guido, well, not having it. I took them out of the hut, and then this time I dunked them both in the saltwater bath. When I checked a couple minutes later, things seemed relatively peaceful. Will check on them one more time before bed (they're in my son's room, poor kid...I keep crawling in to check the tank without the hermies hearing me coming, lol).

They could have been retracted due to being startled, or even just resting. I would dip new crabs into the freshwater bowls, not salt. Could I bother you to fill out an emergency form so I can see what your tank details are like?

One of the posts I read said to dip them in the saltwater bowl, which is why I tried that. Any reason the freshwater would be different/better?

I didn't do an emergency template, because I didn't think this was an emergency, just something I thought was curious.

(Edited: because words.)

If they retracted into their shells when you approached, that's a startle response. They also do tuck in when they're sleeping or destressing.

Best to leave new crabs be without handling until at least after their first molt with you. I don't recommend handling them at all, but that is a personal opinion, as they're wild animals and consider anything larger than they are to be a predator.

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Good point. I generally don't handle my crabs, though. In this instance, I did because I realized that while I had dunked the newbie so my other crab wouldn't smell him as 'alien,' I wondered if I should have dunked both. It retrospect, that probably didn't matter. I'm still learning. (This is the first time I've introduced a new crab.)

I can't tell if they tucked in when I came, or were like that (it was dark). Do they often sleep shell opening up, though? I've never noticed my crabs doing that before.

(Edit, again...I need sleep, apparently.)

Mine do all sorts of weird things.

Some of them look like they've just nodded off and fallen over backwards or sideways with a bit leg hanging out.

Just chillin'.

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They're such weird little things, aren't they? I love them.

I'm happy to report that when I checked on them this morning, Guido was sleeping happily in his hut, and Bob Jr. had found himself a nice new shell. He had been in a green turbo, (I think; it was covered in brown crud) and had swapped for a lighter, slightly smaller pearl jade turbo.

Another thing that could help keep the peace is another hidey-hut, if you only have one. Then they could each have their own space to hide.

Ooh, good idea! I hadn't thought of that. Thanks!