Dead crab out his shell in FW pool

Please post here if you are having a crab care emergency! Use a real subject and not just "HELP!"
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SeemsLegit12
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Dead crab out his shell in FW pool

Post by SeemsLegit12 » Mon Nov 21, 2016 10:56 am

1. What kind of substrate is used in your tank and how deep is it?
About 4 inches in a corner it goes up to 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?
I do not but every time I feel it is really warm and super humid.

3. Is a heat source used in the tank? If so, what?
Yes I have a UT heater on the side and a heat lamp

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 have freshwater and saltwater and I use API for dechlorinator and Instant ocean for salt
5. What kinds of food do you feed and how often is it replaced?
I feed them fresh veggies, fruits, honey, peanut butter, krill, and a recipe that I found online. I change their food daily.

6. How long have you had the crab and what species is it, if known?
I've had the crab for 2 months and he was doing just fine.

7. Has your crab molted, and how long ago did it happen?
He hasn't molted with me yet.

8. What type of housing are the crabs kept in, what size is it and what kind of lid is on the housing?
They are kept in a 25-gallon tank with a saran wrap lid.

9. How many crabs are in the tank and about how large are they?
There are 4 and all of them are about 1/2 to 3/4 in shell opening

10. How many extra shells are usually kept in the tank, if any?
I have 2. I was gonna get more but i don't have any money. Sorry.

11. Have there been any fumes or chemicals near the crabitat recently?
No not at all.

12. How often do you clean the tank and how?
I clean the tank every year. With vinegar and tap water and let it air dry.

13. Are sponges used in the water dish? If so, how are they cleaned?
No not at all. Sponges are bad.

14. Has anything new been added to your crabitat recently?
Yes a plastic plant with a lot of leave for them to hide.

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.)?
I feed them every day I change their water every 3 days. I find them to take a look and see if they are okay every once in a while.

16. Please describe the emergency situation in detail.
So I went to a friends house and told my mom to take care of them and she did very well so when I got back everything was fine and I had to leave after. So I come back and I am so tired so I just fell asleep without looking at the crabitat so then I wake up and check if they were doing fine. What I found was heartbreaking. There was a dead hermit crab in the fresh water pool out of his shell. I almost started crying :cry: :cry: . Some crab probably got him out of his shell to take it because I don't have a lot. Please help I'm so sad.
"Thug Life is the only life"
- Me
13 years old with 2 months of experience

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daws409
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Re: Dead crab out his shell in FW pool

Post by daws409 » Mon Nov 21, 2016 11:46 am

Sorry for your loss. Other than gauges and shells, it sounds like your doing everything else right. You can get a cheap digital gauge at Wal-Mart. I think $10 at most. Make sure you do a salt test first. You can get a bag of shells from Jo Ann's cheap too. Many have done this but most of my shells come from Naples Shell Co or Sea Shell City. They're fairly cheap until you get to openings 2+ in.

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Crabbing since Dec. 2010!
35 Crabbies - 28 PP's, 2 E's, 2 Straw's, 1 Viola, & 2 Indo's

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SeemsLegit12
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Joined: Mon Nov 21, 2016 10:32 am
Location: Texas, USA
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Re: Dead crab out his shell in FW pool

Post by SeemsLegit12 » Mon Nov 21, 2016 11:59 am

Do you know why he died?
"Thug Life is the only life"
- Me
13 years old with 2 months of experience

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daws409
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Joined: Wed Sep 28, 2016 11:43 am
Location: Eastern NC

Re: Dead crab out his shell in FW pool

Post by daws409 » Mon Nov 21, 2016 12:27 pm

I have no clue. Wish I could help. I would recommend getting a set of gauges. Feel test doesn't tell anything. My tanks always feel the same but if you look at gauges, it fluctuates. Temp range 78-85 and humidity range 78-90.

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35 Crabbies - 28 PP's, 2 E's, 2 Straw's, 1 Viola, & 2 Indo's

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cherryflamez
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Re: Dead crab out his shell in FW pool

Post by cherryflamez » Fri Nov 25, 2016 9:14 pm

Oh geezy, I'm so sorry. I just lost my Grog a couple of weeks ago...there was no almost cried, I cried incessantly (I have a weak spot for critters).

What they die of can be really hard to tell. In the case of Grog, I think it was a combo of age (she was huge) and stress (I'd only had her a month).

I got my shells from JoAnn's and they worked perfectly. I managed to catch a sale, so three bags were just a little over $8 - I would say that I found about 30 or so turbos that work great for all of my guys, even little Pip (he's about the size of a penny so finding shells has been hard).

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