Crab attack and naked crab

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Topic author
Neleono
Posts: 79
Joined: Mon Feb 03, 2020 10:20 am

Crab attack and naked crab

Post by Neleono » Mon Jul 20, 2020 2:46 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?

Ee and sand, only 4 inches though because I haven’t been able to add more because until now the crab that had been attacked was molting I assume because he didn’t come out for a long time.

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?

Temp:75 Humidity:80 located near the bottom left of the tank.

3. Is a heat source used in the tank? If so, what?
N/A

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)?

Tetra aquasafe plus for the declorinator, instant ocean coral reef crystals for salt.

5. What kinds of food do you feed and how often is it replaced?

Variety of the approved fruits and greens, flankers medley (freeze dried mealworms crickets and grasshoppers) replaced every 2-3 days

6. How long have you had the crab and what species is it, if known?

Both pp’s are about 6-8 months old (rough estimate)

7. Has your crab molted, and how long ago did it happen?

The one who was attacked, I believe just came up from a molt

8. What type of housing are the crabs kept in, what size is it and what kind of lid is on the housing?

10gal aquarium with a wire lid.

9. How many crabs are in the tank and about how large are they?

2 crabs, both about 3 centimeters across.

10. How many extra shells are usually kept in the tank, if any?

7 shells are always in the tank 3 about the same size as the crab, 3 a bit bigger, one a bit smaller.

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

No

12. How often do you clean the tank and how?

Weekly spot clean and I scrub the glass around the tank weekly with a moist paper towel.

13. Are sponges used in the water dish? If so, how are they cleaned?

None

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

No

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

16. Please describe the emergency situation in detail.

This morning I woke up to look at my crabatat and saw a naked crab in one of the corners and his shell on the floor. I went to look at my camera feed from last night to see that my other crab attacked him and took/ buried his shell! When I gently tapped him to make sure he was completely unresponsive, he got up and ran away seemingly fine. I took the naked crab and put him in my pre set up rehab crabatat with food water salt and honey. And tried to get him into his shell multiple times with no luck after finishing writing this though he made it in his shell all by himself and hasn’t come out of a very tight position in it since. He seems ok, but I am still worried about him. Should I just put him back into the crabatat since he seems fine? Also, this is the second time my other crab attacked another crab, last time he killed one. How can I prevent this in the future? Would it be smart to set up another habitat to seperate them?
Thanks for your help!

.


jonathon1989
Posts: 345
Joined: Fri Nov 20, 2015 5:30 pm
Location: Florida

Re: Crab attack and naked crab

Post by jonathon1989 » Mon Jul 20, 2020 3:10 pm

Neleono wrote:
Mon Jul 20, 2020 2:46 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?

Ee and sand, only 4 inches though because I haven’t been able to add more because until now the crab that had been attacked was molting I assume because he didn’t come out for a long time.

PP'S require six inches of substrate which you can do before reintroducing the attacked crab into the tank. E'S Require twelve 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?

Temp:75 Humidity:80 located near the bottom left of the tank.

3. Is a heat source used in the tank? If so, what?
N/A

How do you heat your 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)?

Tetra aquasafe plus for the declorinator, instant ocean coral reef crystals for salt.

5. What kinds of food do you feed and how often is it replaced?

Variety of the approved fruits and greens, flankers medley (freeze dried mealworms crickets and grasshoppers) replaced every 2-3 days

6. How long have you had the crab and what species is it, if known?

Both pp’s are about 6-8 months old (rough estimate)

7. Has your crab molted, and how long ago did it happen?

The one who was attacked, I believe just came up from a molt

8. What type of housing are the crabs kept in, what size is it and what kind of lid is on the housing?

10gal aquarium with a wire lid.

9. How many crabs are in the tank and about how large are they?

2 crabs, both about 3 centimeters across.

10. How many extra shells are usually kept in the tank, if any?

7 shells are always in the tank 3 about the same size as the crab, 3 a bit bigger, one a bit smaller.

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

No

12. How often do you clean the tank and how?

Weekly spot clean and I scrub the glass around the tank weekly with a moist paper towel.

13. Are sponges used in the water dish? If so, how are they cleaned?

None

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

No

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

16. Please describe the emergency situation in detail.

This morning I woke up to look at my crabatat and saw a naked crab in one of the corners and his shell on the floor. I went to look at my camera feed from last night to see that my other crab attacked him and took/ buried his shell! When I gently tapped him to make sure he was completely unresponsive, he got up and ran away seemingly fine. I took the naked crab and put him in my pre set up rehab crabatat with food water salt and honey. And tried to get him into his shell multiple times with no luck after finishing writing this though he made it in his shell all by himself and hasn’t come out of a very tight position in it since. He seems ok, but I am still worried about him. Should I just put him back into the crabatat since he seems fine? Also, this is the second time my other crab attacked another crab, last time he killed one. How can I prevent this in the future? Would it be smart to set up another habitat to seperate them?
Thanks for your help

I would keep the attacked crab in the rehab tank for at least two weeks. Usually, attacks occur from a lack of resources, shells, food, and water. You should have five shells for each crab.

The attacked crab needs to destress over this period of time. You'll want to be sure to maintain the same level of humidity and temperature in the rehab tank.
Did you assess the crab for damage? Lost limb? After the two weeks, providing this crab has all of its limbs, you can re introduce it back into the tank and carefully watch the attacker for any signs of aggression. If it happens again I would separate them for good.

I highly recommend reading this care sheet on what to do if a crab is attacked. The information is very in depth and I believe it can be of further help to you. It also has examples from other crab owners who have experienced similar attacks with their hermit crabs. I am sorry for what happened to your molting crab. Hermit crab fights and aggressive behavior can be a scary thing to deal with but you got the crab just in time.

What To Do If Your Crab Is Attacked viewtopic.php?f=27&t=92528


Topic author
Neleono
Posts: 79
Joined: Mon Feb 03, 2020 10:20 am

Re: Crab attack and naked crab

Post by Neleono » Mon Jul 20, 2020 3:59 pm

Thanks for all the info, I really appreciate it.


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Hermiesguardian
Posts: 3029
Joined: Sun Oct 15, 2017 10:41 pm

Re: Crab attack and naked crab

Post by Hermiesguardian » Mon Jul 20, 2020 4:36 pm

They need calcium and protein daily. Is your wire lid sealed? Do you live in an extremely humid area? Otherwise I don't know how your humidity can be at 80%. Do you have a digital therm/hygro?
raising son's dog, Dante. Husky/hound.
Raising daughter's hermit crabs, Shelder, Paras and Derek. Added 2 more of my own (of course) Pete and Stryper. Former mommy to 2 guinea pigs and beloved cat, Nissi

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