Crab died

Please post here if you are having a crab care emergency! Use a real subject and not just "HELP!"
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Daisy
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Crab died

Post by Daisy » Sun Jun 28, 2020 5:10 pm

Since you've come to the emergency forum, we know you want a fast answer to your question. In order for us to figure out the problem as quickly as possible, we ask that you answer the following questions as best you can. Some of them may seem odd, but they're all designed to give us the information we need to give you a good solution for your problem. The things in the [ brackets ] are there to make this post easier to read once submitted. Thanks!


1. What kind of substrate is used in your tank and how deep is it? Flukers sand and coconut substrate mix, currently on one end it is about 6 inches, then sloped down, but I am slowly trying to add more(my hermit crab is only out and about while I am sleeping, so I add just enough that he can still easily come up every night).


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? The gauges are roughly on the center of the back wall, and they stay pretty consistent at around 80 for both temp and humidity.


3. Is a heat source used in the tank? If so, what? A heat lamp that has uv light during the day, that I block with a towel at night so it gets dark but stays warm.


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)? Fresh and salt water, treated with zoo med dechlorinator and salt mix, ratio is as instructed.


5. What kinds of food do you feed and how often is it replaced? I feed him fresh fruits and vegetables(he seems to like blueberries and spinach the best), and sometimes a commercial food to make sure he gets everything he needs. The food is changed out every 24 hours so it doesn’t spoil, and also because he gets So Much dirt on it.


6. How long have you had the crab and what species is it, if known? It is a pp and I have had it for about 6 months. I had another one, but he recently died.


7. Has your crab molted, and how long ago did it happen? If he molted I am unaware, he only comes out when I am asleep, so when I had the other crab I don’t know if he came up at all since I couldn’t tell which one made a mess or ate the food. Now, he for sure comes up every night.

8. What type of housing are the crabs kept in, what size is it and what kind of lid is on the housing? It is a 10 gallon tank, the lid has holes in it, but I have it sealed with cling wrap.


9. How many crabs are in the tank and about how large are they? There is just one large crab now.


10. How many extra shells are usually kept in the tank, if any? 4 extra shells, that I change out if he has not showed interest in them for a while.


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

12. How often do you clean the tank and how? Every day I make sure there isn’t dirt in the water dishes/food, and every couple of weeks/every week I clean out poop. I regularly check the walls for mold or muck.


13. Are sponges used in the water dish? If so, how are they cleaned? I had a sponge in the freshwater and tried to keep it clean, but it got gross so I threw it away.

14. Has anything new been added to your crabitat recently? I added some extra flukers sand last night because I was told the substrate should be deeper.

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.)? He digs lots of tunnels, I can hear him sometimes underground. There is a climbing wall on a portion of the tank, and he climbs it often. Usually when I wake up part of the wall is messed up from him climbing, shells and toys are moved, and he has dug around in the sand/substrate.


16. Please describe the emergency situation in detail.
One of my two crabs died recently. I am not sure why, he had been getting lethargic and then started hanging out of his shell before he died. The other one has consistently seemed healthy. Did I do something wrong, or was he potentially sick/stressed from the pet store? How quickly do I need another crab, should it be the same size, and do I need to get them used to each other a certain way?

.

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curlysister
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Re: Crab died

Post by curlysister » Sun Jun 28, 2020 6:35 pm

1. What kind of substrate is used in your tank and how deep is it? Flukers sand and coconut substrate mix, currently on one end it is about 6 inches, then sloped down, but I am slowly trying to add more(my hermit crab is only out and about while I am sleeping, so I add just enough that he can still easily come up every night).
Curly - That's good, you can add up to an inch per 24hrs, just don't pack it down. If your crab is large, you might need it even deeper.

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? The gauges are roughly on the center of the back wall, and they stay pretty consistent at around 80 for both temp and humidity.


3. Is a heat source used in the tank? If so, what? A heat lamp that has uv light during the day, that I block with a towel at night so it gets dark but stays warm.


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)? Fresh and salt water, treated with zoo med dechlorinator and salt mix, ratio is as instructed.
Curly - Zoo Med salt won't harm them, but it does not contain all the minerals they need. You will need a marine salt such as Instant Ocean.

5. What kinds of food do you feed and how often is it replaced? I feed him fresh fruits and vegetables(he seems to like blueberries and spinach the best), and sometimes a commercial food to make sure he gets everything he needs. The food is changed out every 24 hours so it doesn’t spoil, and also because he gets So Much dirt on it.
Curly - Crabs need a varied diet, which includes protein and calcium sources daily. Most commercial food contains preservatives and additives which can be harmful ot the crabs. Be sure to read the 'nutrition' care sheets for info.

6. How long have you had the crab and what species is it, if known? It is a pp and I have had it for about 6 months. I had another one, but he recently died.


7. Has your crab molted, and how long ago did it happen? If he molted I am unaware, he only comes out when I am asleep, so when I had the other crab I don’t know if he came up at all since I couldn’t tell which one made a mess or ate the food. Now, he for sure comes up every night.


8. What type of housing are the crabs kept in, what size is it and what kind of lid is on the housing? It is a 10 gallon tank, the lid has holes in it, but I have it sealed with cling wrap.


9. How many crabs are in the tank and about how large are they? There is just one large crab now.


10. How many extra shells are usually kept in the tank, if any? 4 extra shells, that I change out if he has not showed interest in them for a while.


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

12. How often do you clean the tank and how? Every day I make sure there isn’t dirt in the water dishes/food, and every couple of weeks/every week I clean out poop. I regularly check the walls for mold or muck.


13. Are sponges used in the water dish? If so, how are they cleaned? I had a sponge in the freshwater and tried to keep it clean, but it got gross so I threw it away.
Curly - That's good, sponges aren't necessary.

14. Has anything new been added to your crabitat recently? I added some extra flukers sand last night because I was told the substrate should be deeper.

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.)? He digs lots of tunnels, I can hear him sometimes underground. There is a climbing wall on a portion of the tank, and he climbs it often. Usually when I wake up part of the wall is messed up from him climbing, shells and toys are moved, and he has dug around in the sand/substrate.


16. Please describe the emergency situation in detail.
One of my two crabs died recently. I am not sure why, he had been getting lethargic and then started hanging out of his shell before he died. The other one has consistently seemed healthy. Did I do something wrong, or was he potentially sick/stressed from the pet store? How quickly do I need another crab, should it be the same size, and do I need to get them used to each other a certain way?
Curly - There is nothing glaringly needing improvement that I can see. Water and food could be improved, which can cause problems longer term. Crabs are at risk of PPS until they recover from their first molt, so that could also be what happened.
"If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went." -Will Rogers

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Links
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Re: Crab died

Post by Links » Sun Jun 28, 2020 9:37 pm

What kind of gauges do you have? If analog Are they calibrated? Analog are notorious for being wrong. I had them at first and calibrated they were correct but I ended up getting digital. A lot of people here have accurite brand you can find for about $10 on Aamazon. I think Walmart might carry them as well.


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Daisy
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Joined: Thu Apr 23, 2020 2:39 pm

Re: Crab died

Post by Daisy » Tue Jun 30, 2020 2:19 pm

I will get everything you guys told me to thank you! When I get another crab(I am under the impression they should not live alone, is that true?), is there anything I need to do to get them used to each other?

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Links
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Re: Crab died

Post by Links » Wed Jul 01, 2020 7:02 am

Only thing I can tell you from my learning here is there are stories of lonely crabs living a long time but I’d like to think friends are nice. Also it’s recommended to adopt/rescue instead of buy from pet stores since they capture them from the wild. And if introducing a new crab to another it’s recommended to dip the new crab in the freshwater pool when putting it in the tank.

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GotButterflies
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Re: Crab died

Post by GotButterflies » Sat Jul 04, 2020 11:09 am

I did GB for GotButterflies :butterfly::
Daisy wrote:
Sun Jun 28, 2020 5:10 pm
Since you've come to the emergency forum, we know you want a fast answer to your question. In order for us to figure out the problem as quickly as possible, we ask that you answer the following questions as best you can. Some of them may seem odd, but they're all designed to give us the information we need to give you a good solution for your problem. The things in the [ brackets ] are there to make this post easier to read once submitted. Thanks!


1. What kind of substrate is used in your tank and how deep is it? Flukers sand and coconut substrate mix, currently on one end it is about 6 inches, then sloped down, but I am slowly trying to add more(my hermit crab is only out and about while I am sleeping, so I add just enough that he can still easily come up every night).

GB: Great! IMO, for purple pinchers substrate should be 6 inches or 3 times the height of your largest crab (whichever is deeper). If you have Es substrate should be at least 10-12”. Substrate should be mixed with dechlorinated marine saltwater or dechlorinated freshwater to make the substrate sandcastle consistency. I personally mix mine with dechlorinated marine saltwater. Make sure that when you are adding substrate you do not move any objects for you could collapse tunnels.


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? The gauges are roughly on the center of the back wall, and they stay pretty consistent at around 80 for both temp and humidity.

GB: It sounds like you might have analog gauges. IMO, these can tend to be unreliable.
You can buy an Acurite guage from Amazon, digital, runs on batteries, tells you temp and humidity currently as well as low and high for last 24 hours: https://smile.amazon.com/AcuRite-00325- ... 184&sr=8-2


3. Is a heat source used in the tank? If so, what? A heat lamp that has uv light during the day, that I block with a towel at night so it gets dark but stays warm.

GB: YIKES! That sounds like a fire hazard! I personally don't like heat lamps, because they tend to hurt your numbers on the humidity side. A lot of us use ultratherms. They are heaters that reptile enthusiasts use on the bottom of their tanks, HOWEVER, we use them on the back of our tanks to heat the air. They are great heaters. www.reptilebasics.com or www.beanfarm.com sells 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)? Fresh and salt water, treated with zoo med dechlorinator and salt mix, ratio is as instructed.

GB: Unfortunately most products marketed for hermit crabs are not safe. A lot of us use a product called Instant Ocean which is what aquarium hobbyists use to make saltwater aquariums. It has the essential trace elements that hermit crabs need. :) You need a dechlorinator that removes chlorine, and chloramine as well as neutralizes ammonia and heavy metals. A lot of us use a product called Prime. As far as salt, you need marine salt, to mimic the ocean. You have to use the dechlorinator for both freshwater and marine saltwater. Both pools should be deep enough for them to fully submerge in and safe enough for them to get out of.

5. What kinds of food do you feed and how often is it replaced? I feed him fresh fruits and vegetables(he seems to like blueberries and spinach the best), and sometimes a commercial food to make sure he gets everything he needs. The food is changed out every 24 hours so it doesn’t spoil, and also because he gets So Much dirt on it.

GB: Hermit crabs can eat a lot of the same things that we eat. Just check to make sure the item is on the safe list. Foods should be organic when possible. Hermit crabs are sensitive to pesticides and fertilizers.
You also want to provide one or more calcium sources at all times. Examples would be Cuttlebone, Organic Eggshell, Oyster Shell, Lobster Exo, Shrimp Exo.
Make sure you cover all aspects of food pyramid :)
Safe food list: http://hermitcrabassociation.com/phpBB/ ... 25&t=92557
Unsafe food list: http://hermitcrabassociation.com/phpBB/ ... 25&t=92556
Food pyramid: http://hermitcrabassociation.com/phpBB/ ... 25&t=92554



6. How long have you had the crab and what species is it, if known? It is a pp and I have had it for about 6 months. I had another one, but he recently died.


7. Has your crab molted, and how long ago did it happen? If he molted I am unaware, he only comes out when I am asleep, so when I had the other crab I don’t know if he came up at all since I couldn’t tell which one made a mess or ate the food. Now, he for sure comes up every night.

8. What type of housing are the crabs kept in, what size is it and what kind of lid is on the housing? It is a 10 gallon tank, the lid has holes in it, but I have it sealed with cling wrap.

GB: With mesh lids you can always cover them with Press-N-Seal, or tape Ziploc bags on them to help keep the humidty in. I personally love glass tops. Please note that with glass tops you cannot set heat lamps on them – it will cause the glass to crack.


9. How many crabs are in the tank and about how large are they? There is just one large crab now.


10. How many extra shells are usually kept in the tank, if any? 4 extra shells, that I change out if he has not showed interest in them for a while.

GB: The HCA recommends 3-5 shells per hermit crab. I personally recommend more. It never hurts to have more :) There are incorrect shells to buy. Here is the shell guide: http://hermitcrabassociation.com/phpBB/ ... 24&t=92552


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

12. How often do you clean the tank and how? Every day I make sure there isn’t dirt in the water dishes/food, and every couple of weeks/every week I clean out poop. I regularly check the walls for mold or muck.


13. Are sponges used in the water dish? If so, how are they cleaned? I had a sponge in the freshwater and tried to keep it clean, but it got gross so I threw it away.

GB: Sponges can be used as a food source. Squeeze all of the water out of it and put it directly on the substrate. Do not place them in the water bowls.

14. Has anything new been added to your crabitat recently? I added some extra flukers sand last night because I was told the substrate should be deeper.

GB: Did you moisten the sand first with dechlorinated msw or dechlorinated fw to make it sandcastle consistency? If a crab is down under, never add more than 1" per 24 hours. Also don't move objects so you don't collapse tunnels :)

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.)? He digs lots of tunnels, I can hear him sometimes underground. There is a climbing wall on a portion of the tank, and he climbs it often. Usually when I wake up part of the wall is messed up from him climbing, shells and toys are moved, and he has dug around in the sand/substrate.


16. Please describe the emergency situation in detail.
One of my two crabs died recently. I am not sure why, he had been getting lethargic and then started hanging out of his shell before he died. The other one has consistently seemed healthy. Did I do something wrong, or was he potentially sick/stressed from the pet store? How quickly do I need another crab, should it be the same size, and do I need to get them used to each other a certain way?

I would at least get the proper marine salt, and a dechlorinator :) When introducing a new crab, just dip the legs in the freshwater of your tank so he smells like your tank. :)
.
Truly blessed to have incredible creatures, wonderful friends and my amazing family in my life!! I'm very thankful & grateful for all of them! www.thehealthyhermit.com


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Daisy
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Re: Crab died

Post by Daisy » Sun Jul 12, 2020 3:44 pm

Thank u GB! Where can I get the correct salt and dechlorinator for water? Should I just order it online? Also, I keep my heat lamp hung high and far away from any fire hazards, and the clingwrap over the top has completely fixed the previous issues I had with the light taking away humidity. Is this okay? Also, can I move objects to add sand? My hermit crab is only awake and out while I’m asleep. I also need to add in deeper water dishes, but do not want to collapse any tunnels so I am not sure how to do this. He also has been digging lots of holes in the sand I am adding, but not tunnels. Does this mean it isn’t wet enough, or is he just playing?

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Re: Crab died

Post by GotButterflies » Sun Jul 12, 2020 4:34 pm

Daisy wrote:
Sun Jul 12, 2020 3:44 pm
Thank u GB! Where can I get the correct salt and dechlorinator for water? Should I just order it online? Also, I keep my heat lamp hung high and far away from any fire hazards, and the clingwrap over the top has completely fixed the previous issues I had with the light taking away humidity. Is this okay? Also, can I move objects to add sand? My hermit crab is only awake and out while I’m asleep. I also need to add in deeper water dishes, but do not want to collapse any tunnels so I am not sure how to do this. He also has been digging lots of holes in the sand I am adding, but not tunnels. Does this mean it isn’t wet enough, or is he just playing?
Pet stores and Amazon typically carry Instant Ocean and Prime :)

Your heat lamp might make cling wrap shrink - just watch that :)

You only have one crab - so if he/she is up, then it is okay to move objects to add sand! You only want to worry about collapsing tunnels when crabs are down in the sand.

I keep my tupperware containers for the water on top of the sand so there is more molting space, but some people do like to bury them. if you use craft mesh to make ladders in/out they will be able to access the water just fine :)

Edit: Crabs love to dig - it is a natural behavior!! :)
Truly blessed to have incredible creatures, wonderful friends and my amazing family in my life!! I'm very thankful & grateful for all of them! www.thehealthyhermit.com

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