What's wrong With Pest??? (Fruit Flies #2)

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sat Jul 09, 2005 9:11 pm

Guys, I'm having a serious hermie crisis. Remember I lost two a couple of days ago? I'm still afraid Pest is on his way out. He's extremely lethargic, hanging out of his shell (I mean abdomen nearly out and everything), ashy, and not eating/drinking anything. Now, to be fair, he does have a molt sac, but he's not burrowing. So I thought of a top molt (which is still possible). Problem is, that's exactly the same behavior Zero and Meanie had - and ya'll know what happened to them. Pest has been like this the last few days. I've got him in iso now. Help!!!! [smilie=crybaby.gif] [smilie=crybaby.gif] [smilie=crybaby.gif]

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sat Jul 09, 2005 10:37 pm

Oy Tom this stinks.

Have you seen any evidence of those fruit fly eggs on your crabbies after you found it in the tank? Anything weird show up in the water when you were bathing them?
I've been thinking on antibiotic use and really don't like the idea (as many others on here agree) but what about herbal remedies? Great immune boosters for humans are olive leaf, echinacea, elderberry, and goldenseal. Olives & olive oil are safe for them... maybe olive leaf would be too? And elderberries are on the safe list. This is completely experimental but maybe adding just a drop or two of the liquid form to bath water might help? I don't have any tank issues right now *knocks on wood* but that's something I wouldn't be afraid to try personally because of my own positive experiences with using herbs for my family & my cats.
Just ruminating on ways to help.... please keep us posted!

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sat Jul 09, 2005 10:46 pm

I'm not a big fan of templates, but here goes:

1- substrate: playsand
2- humidity: not sure*
3- temp of sand: no idea - never occured to me to check
4- temp of tank: around 70 degrees
5- location of gauges: about 1" above sand
6- heat source: don't need one. Temp stays around 70 degrees
7- water: fresh dechlor
8- dechlor: yes
9- feed: dried krill/crab pellets/cuttlebone
10- how long had crab: a couple of months
11- species - pp
12- bathe: yes, about once a month
13- housing: tank/kk**

*I have gauges in my tanks. I had to make an emergency iso in a kk, and haven't had a chance to put proper gauges in yet. I've got food/water in the kk, and have books covering the top (for humidity and to keep cat out)

**I have a 55 gallon main tank, a 10 gallon iso, and about 8x4 kk

I don't like templates because I can't always give as detailed information as I'd like. They do help, though, I will give them that. Pest has been like this for a while, but it's really gotten bad in the last couple of days.

Emergency Iso Situation: the main tank was FLOODED w/ fruit flies. So I removed my surviving crabs, and put them in the kk. Foo, my other goliath crab, is molting, so I couldn't put a bunch of young 'uns in with him. That's when Pest really started going downhill. I went ahead and put the others in with Foo, and left Pest in the kk alone. Hope this helps!

Hermit_of_Hermit_Crabs · Post by **Hermit_of_Hermit_Crabs** » Sat Jul 09, 2005 11:55 pm

I would move Pest to ISO because it sounds like he has symptoms for an upcoming molt. Make sure the ISO tank is dark and humid and that it's food consists of something rich in calcium such as crushed oyster shells or cuttlebone.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sun Jul 10, 2005 12:07 am

He's in iso. I'll move the kk to the closet and put some sponges in it to boost humidity. I don't know what more to do.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sun Jul 10, 2005 12:23 am

My spidey-sense tells me that this might be an after-effect of the fruit fly infestation that took your other crabs.

My hope is that by catching it when you did, and taking steps to remedy it, Pest has a better chance of recovering from this. It may be that the fact that he's in pre-molt has made him more vulnerable so he's having a harder time beating it than your other crabs are?
Unfortunately all it seems you can do, is what you're doing. I don't see anything amiss according to the template info, tho of course adding gauges to the emergency ISO if/when you can will give you more peace of mind in being able to accurately monitor his temp & humidity.
Healing thoughts are coming Pest's way!!!

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sun Jul 10, 2005 10:50 am

Poor little guy! I know it probably did more harm than good, but I took him out and just held my baby for a minute or so. He was so sweet. Then he started trying to escape, so I put him back, added a sponge and put the whole kk in the closet. I heard Foo making all kinds of noise. I'll check on him in a few minutes...

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sun Jul 10, 2005 3:32 pm

i can't remember which site (or which post) i was reading, as it was long ago; however, it recommended feeding spirulina algae flakes....very good nutritional supplement and thought to have some medicinal benefits (similar to those of antibiotics)....i always feed this with the staple food and (knock on wood) have healthy and happy hermies.....have only lost one since i started crabbing a year and a half ago.....

i didn't see any mention of fresh fruits/vegetables in your hermie diet....they need a variety of foods to get all the nutrients needed....

good luck and my thoughts are with you and your hermies....

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sun Jul 10, 2005 3:37 pm

Don't worry Tomtru!

That sounds like a molt. Lethargy and ashiness are two signs of a molt! Just make sure he doesn't smell "fishy."

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sun Jul 10, 2005 6:14 pm

That's just it. He's still alive, but he's starting to smell a bit fishy

But I'll give him the benefit of the doubt and say he's just molting. I hope that's the case....

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sun Jul 10, 2005 7:24 pm

Dont hold me to this, But I've read that molters are supposed to have kind of a fishy odor.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Mon Jul 11, 2005 1:22 am

I'm trying not to worry about him. I'm concerned about Foo as well, but he doesn't seem to be as sickly as Pest is.