HCA: Hermit Crab Association

I have a hermit that I accidentally found molting, when I picked him up he fell halfway out of his shell. I put him back here I found him and covered him up again. he has recently surfaced, but is not moving. I asked my kid (12yo) if he moved him and he has said no. Is it common for them to resurface without molting? He seems sickly and not moving. I am just worried hes too stressed. The other crabs are not messing with him.

Could you please fill this out for us? Ty!

viewtopic.php?f=27&t=46102

1. What kind of substrate is used in your tank and how deep is it?
I believe it is coconut husks and it is about 3-4 inches deep

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?
no, but I got them from a lady who never had them and never gave them anything for humidity.

3. Is a heat source used in the tank? If so, what?
Heating pads

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)?
Both are available. I get them from a pet store

5. What kinds of food do you feed and how often is it replaced?
zoo med food. occasional fresh fruit.
I remove the fruit less than a day after and replace the others every other day.

6. How long have you had the crab and what species is it, if known?
The crabs are about 7 years old and I do not know what species.

7. Has your crab molted, and how long ago did it happen?
Not sure

8. What type of housing are the crabs kept in, what size is it and what kind of lid is on the housing?
Dry Tank, 40 gallon and the lid is wooden with ventilation when needed.

9. How many crabs are in the tank and about how large are they?
7 crabs about the size of a golf ball, maybe a little larger

10. How many extra shells are usually kept in the tank, if any?
I do not have any right now b/c I am having trouble finding bigger shells

11. Have there been any fumes or chemicals near the crabitat recently?
No

12. How often do you clean the tank and how?
I will wipe down the sides and spot clean.
When I first got them I completely cleaned the whole tank and wiped it down with vinegar. It was really dirty. and I let it completely dry before returning them to the tank

13. Are sponges used in the water dish? If so, how are they cleaned?
Yes they are. I just rinse them in the sink.

14. Has anything new been added to your crabitat recently?
no, I did have to replace a heating pad.

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.)? no

16. Please describe the emergency situation in detail
I have a hermit that I accidentally found molting, when I picked him up he fell halfway out of his shell. I put him back here I found him and covered him up again. he has recently surfaced, but is not moving. I asked my kid (12yo) if he moved him and he has said no. Is it common for them to resurface without molting? He seems sickly and not moving. I am just worried hes too stressed.

Any help?

1. What kind of substrate is used in your tank and how deep is it?
I believe it is coconut husks and it is about 3-4 inches deep

Curly: Substrate needs to be at least 6 inches deep, or three times as deep as your largest crab, whichever is deeper. For the size of your crabs, you need much deeper substrate. It needs to be moist enough to hold it's shape, but not dripping water. Many of us use a 5 to 1 ratio of playsand to eco earth.

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?
no, but I got them from a lady who never had them and never gave them anything for humidity.

Curly: You must buy a thermometer and hygrometer. Crabs need humidity around or over 80% to breathe. Digital are more accurate than analog. Temperatures need to be around 80 as well.

3. Is a heat source used in the tank? If so, what?
Heating pads

Curly: Do you mean under tank heaters? Even though they are called 'under tank', they must be mounted on the sides or back of the tank. Some types can be insulated over, but not all of them.

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)?
Both are available. I get them from a pet store

Curly - What brand of dechlorinator are you using in what type of fresh water? What brand of salt? If you are using pre-mixed salt water, it is probably not good for crabs, even if it is marketed as such.

5. What kinds of food do you feed and how often is it replaced?
zoo med food. occasional fresh fruit.
I remove the fruit less than a day after and replace the others every other day.

Curly - Commercial food is not good for crabs, even if it says it is for hermit crabs. Check out the food and nutrition section of the site for information on proper foods. Calcium and protein are needed daily.

6. How long have you had the crab and what species is it, if known?
The crabs are about 7 years old and I do not know what species.

7. Has your crab molted, and how long ago did it happen?
Not sure

8. What type of housing are the crabs kept in, what size is it and what kind of lid is on the housing?
Dry Tank, 40 gallon and the lid is wooden with ventilation when needed.

Curly - a wooden lid is eventually going to either mold or break down.

9. How many crabs are in the tank and about how large are they?
7 crabs about the size of a golf ball, maybe a little larger

10. How many extra shells are usually kept in the tank, if any?
I do not have any right now b/c I am having trouble finding bigger shells

Curly - you need to order shells asap. There should be 3-5 shells PER crab. Check out the 'shells' section for proper shells to buy.

11. Have there been any fumes or chemicals near the crabitat recently?
No

12. How often do you clean the tank and how?
I will wipe down the sides and spot clean.
When I first got them I completely cleaned the whole tank and wiped it down with vinegar. It was really dirty. and I let it completely dry before returning them to the tank

13. Are sponges used in the water dish? If so, how are they cleaned?
Yes they are. I just rinse them in the sink.

Curly - Throw out the sponges. They are not needed, and only grow bacteria.

14. Has anything new been added to your crabitat recently?
no, I did have to replace a heating pad.

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.)? no

16. Please describe the emergency situation in detail
I have a hermit that I accidentally found molting, when I picked him up he fell halfway out of his shell. I put him back here I found him and covered him up again. he has recently surfaced, but is not moving. I asked my kid (12yo) if he moved him and he has said no. Is it common for them to resurface without molting? He seems sickly and not moving. I am just worried hes too stressed.

Curly - With proper tank conditions, crabs should dig underneath the substrate and stay there until they come up from their molt. Do not dig up crabs unless extreme circumstances (ie- flood or bacterial bloom). Do not re-bury a crab. When they dig down, they make their own cave, and if re-buried, they won't have the cave and could suffocate. You are lucky he was able to resurface. He should be isolated from the other crabs, so they can not prey on him. You can iso him in the main tank, cut a 2L pop bottle to put around him, leave the lid off so he has heat/ humidity from the tank. He will need a small bottle cap of both salt and fresh waters, calcium, and protein. If his exoskeleton was with him when you found him, you need to put that in there with him as well.
You have some improvements that you can make in your tank to give your crabs the best chance at survival.

I did not mean to dig him up. What could I do to improve my tank?

msmissy032 wrote: ↑

Wed Jan 16, 2019 9:52 am

I did not mean to dig him up. What could I do to improve my tank?

Curly replied to each of your answers from the emergency template with how you can improve your tank and what the conditions should be.

I made my replies in bold now, so they are easier to see.

ok thank you. I will figure it out.

7 years is an amazing amount of time! Unfortunately the little things catch up with them eventually, and I think that's what happened here. The older and bigger they get, the harder it is to get through a molt in not so ideal conditions, or to stay okay when too cold or dry. It's going to be really hard to say if he'll recover or not. Making sure he is warm and humid and isolated and well fed is the best chance he'll have. Once they start showing signs of illness it's often too far along to reverse, sadly.