Crab fight and the looser doesnt look good.

[Mkhenderson17]

1. What kind of substrate is used in your tank and how deep is it?
4-6 inches, there is a gradient in the tank composed of sand and coco fiber.

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?
it is in the middle of the tank. It is electronic and I just calibrated it right before summer. It hangs just out of the crabs reach above the substrate. The temp is in the upper 70s-mid 80s and the humidity reads in the 70s normally.

3. Is a heat source used in the tank? If so, what?
Ultratherm on the back of the 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)?
I use fresh spring water fresh from the spring so I dont use dechlorinator.

5. What kinds of food do you feed and how often is it replaced?
I feed a variety of foods, their normal food is from the Happy Hermit Supply on Esty. They also get fresh fruits, fresh plain cooked meats, eggs, ect . the fresh stuff rarely lasts long enough to be removed but I remove it by morning if its not eaten. The other food gets changed like everyother day or so. Depending on what was fed.

6. How long have you had the crab and what species is it, if known?
The crab in question is a PP. I have had it for like a year and a half. All the crabs in my tank are PPs. I have had the oldest two for 3 years now or just over 3.

7. Has your crab molted, and how long ago did it happen?
Unknown. Several of my little ones like to hang out in very similar shells so I am unable to tell them apart.

8. What type of housing are the crabs kept in, what size is it and what kind of lid is on the housing?
50gallon long aquarium with a mesh lid with plastic over the top I can move to adjust the humidity.

9. How many crabs are in the tank and about how large are they?
10 crabs currently reside in the tank. I had numerous people giving them to me as "gifts" the largest three and a few of their buddies are getting moved into a new 50gallon this weekend.

10. How many extra shells are usually kept in the tank, if any?
too many to count! all different sizes.

11. Have there been any fumes or chemicals near the crabitat recently?
nope

12. How often do you clean the tank and how?
I have isopods, I spot clean it after feeding fresh foods just in case. Normally I only remove a small portion of bedding and replace it(i have a system to go through the entire tank) so reduce isopod fatalities and total crab stress. It gets replaced with the same, sand and coco fiber.

13. Are sponges used in the water dish? If so, how are they cleaned?
I microwave them and let them air dry before they are replaced in the tank.

14. Has anything new been added to your crabitat recently?
nope

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.)?
nope. THey dont get bathed. Their water dish is deep enough they can fully submerge and it is changed frequently.

16. Please describe the emergency situation in detail.
I had a crab fight that was my fault. I took everyone out to change a bit of their bedding and add new and to rearagne their tank (crabs are very destructive creatures lol). The crab in question likes to pick on the larger crabs. normally there is just chirping and eventually it gets bullied out of the way and they both go their separate ways. He was an active little dude when I put him in the small holding tank and I thought for a second I shouldn't (which I shouldn't have) but did anyways. He did his normal walk over everyone and start just to pester them. When I went to put everyone in the tank him and another one were clamped onto each other via their claws. I knew there was noting I could do to get them apart to I put them back in their tank next to the food hoping to entice them to let go. I took a shower and came back and the little one was pulled completely out of his shell in the substrate with his large claw missing. upon further inspection, his leg next to his large claw was beat up pretty bad. I though he was dead at first. I put him in my terrerium in a small container with some substrate from the crab tank. The terrerium only has plants and isopods and is the same tamp and humidy as the crabs tank. He was moving some so I put his shell next to him and went to bed. I checked on him around 4-5 hrs later and he was curled up in a ball. I put him in a larger shell (rinsed both first). Several hours later he sunk down a little deeper into the shell. I figure there is not much I can do at this point. I was planning on leaving him in the terrerium and not messing with him for a bit to see how he does. I was just wondering if you had any further recommendations. I feel bad since I had a feeling I shouldn't put him in there. I have NEVER had a crab fight. They bicker sometimes over fresh food or new shells but nothing major at all. The large crabs are the most mellow of the lot. They are all happy and healthy otherwise. (the big one is completely unharmed as expected just FYI) Any recommendations would be appreciated! Thanks in advance!

[Mkhenderson17]

I will also add, the little one likes to sit in the food bowl when new food is added and that is normally when it gets bullied out. It likes to climb where the others are and just push them out of the way even when they are not eating. It's not a shell fight, there are plenty for him to go to. The food thing, there is ALWAYS food in the tank so I half wonder if it was starved at one point or is just a bully. It just seems to like to pester the other crabs, hence how it got itself in this situation.

[hermitcrablover1]

Hi! I am so sorry to hear about the crab fight. Hopefully it will not ever happen again for you. I have experienced crabs grabbing each other and not letting go. For me what worked was dropping both simultaneously into either the salt or fresh water pool. Luckily this has always worked so far.

Has your crab remained in the shell that you put him in? I would make sure he has access to both fresh and marine grade salt water as well as healing foods like honey, worm castings etc. I would leave him in isolation and try not stress him. Personally I would keep these two separated permanently.

[Mkhenderson17]

Ok thanks, so far he has stayed in the shell. When i get off work I'm going to give him some honey (I picked some up on my way to work). They will be separated that's for sure!

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[Rawrgeous]

I'm sorry to hear your crabby is hurt! I will mention your sub is a bit low, we suggest 6 inches minimum, as well as deep enough to stack your largest crab 3 times and still be covered. Though obviously that isn't what caused this. Otherwise it sounds like your specs are okay. I would just iso the injured crab to make sure he can get around okay, and as long as he seems okay to move around I'd put him back in general population, keeping a good eye on him. With any luck he'll recover in the next few molts. Just offer lots of calcium, and honey wouldn't be a bad idea since it has natural antibacterial and antibiotic properties. Hopefully it was just a fluke, and he got a bit of shell envy out of boredom maybe? In the future if you need two crabs to separate, usually dropping them in the water dish is enough to startle them to retract to get them separated.