New Owner, Advice Welcome!

Please post here if you are a new crab owner and someone will be along shortly to welcome you to the HCA! This is also the place to welcome new crabbies to your clan!

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StarKitt3n
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New Owner, Advice Welcome!

Post by StarKitt3n » Tue Jul 02, 2019 4:29 pm

So I got two adorable little babies a few weeks ago while out of town. I realize now how a lot of people hate that you can buy them,but I simply fell in love with them and I hated how they were being kept so I had to at least help a couple of them.

Now I am a NOVICE admittedly I have no experience. I have been watching videos, reading lots of posts all over the internet and a lot of posts on here about how to care for them. Their tank isn't PERFECT yet, as I am on a tight budget so I'm slowly trying to upgrade things as I can.

However any good advice for someone on a budget would be very welcome! Good shops to buy products, best products for keeping them healthy, things like that!

Also advice on feeding! I'm honestly not sure how much they've been eating. I've put some fresh foods in their tank and been changing it out, but I can't tell much if they've eaten or if some of the marks I see were from me preparing it XD

I really want these little guys to make it, they already mean the world to me and I get so excited when I peek in their tank. I wanna be a really good Momma to them so I am welcome to any tips!

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The Crab Maid
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Re: New Owner, Advice Welcome!

Post by The Crab Maid » Tue Jul 02, 2019 8:15 pm

You can find some good online deals in the store section: http://www.hermitcrabassociation.com/ph ... .php?f=122

Food is pretty open to fresh fruits, veggies, untreated meats, eggs, etc. No preservatives or commercial hermit crab foods. Here is a good list: http://www.hermitcrabassociation.com/ph ... 25&t=92557

And welcome to the world of hermit crabs! :cheer: :crabbigsmile:
_φ(°-°=) ...... _φ( °-°)/ ...... φ(..)...... φ(..;) ..... φ(´д`o)


Topic author
StarKitt3n
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Joined: Tue Jul 02, 2019 4:24 pm
Location: VA

Re: New Owner, Advice Welcome!

Post by StarKitt3n » Tue Jul 02, 2019 9:07 pm

Thank you for the advice! Every day it seems I'm learning more and more about what to do for them!

Today I upgraded their substrate and made it much deeper, as I realized that mine wasn't deep enough for them. One of my babies is really stressed right now, and I think that was part of the reason maybe? I re-arranged their setup and bought a few new things for them today. I wish I could get them everything all at once in a big haul but I can't lol so I make lists of everything and get what I can when I can while trying to make it good for them.

When I found them they were just kept in a wire mesh cage with no substrate at all and it made me so sick. So I was only able to help as many as my wallet could allow QwQ

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The Crab Maid
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Re: New Owner, Advice Welcome!

Post by The Crab Maid » Tue Jul 02, 2019 9:21 pm

They most likely will be stressed, up to a few weeks. It won't be uncommon for them to be super active or super shy, even dig down when not molting to destress.

That's the sad part of the Hermit Crab industry, they try to sell these guys on being cheap easy pets that need little care. And partly true - once set up they don't require a ton of care. But the set up can be expensive. I think I spent around $250 for my set up and all the little bits that go with it.
_φ(°-°=) ...... _φ( °-°)/ ...... φ(..)...... φ(..;) ..... φ(´д`o)


Topic author
StarKitt3n
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Location: VA

Re: New Owner, Advice Welcome!

Post by StarKitt3n » Wed Jul 03, 2019 4:26 pm

YEahhh I think the one I mentioned is super stressed since I re-did their tank with the new substrate and he wasn't prepared. He's usually the really active one but he hasn't moved one bit. Like I'll see a little shuffle here and there but he's not budging.


Topic author
StarKitt3n
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Re: New Owner, Advice Welcome!

Post by StarKitt3n » Thu Jul 04, 2019 9:57 pm

So I hope I don't sound like a helicopter mom XD but the one I mentioned that's being very immobile is the one I'm most bonded with so I'm worried.

I know a lot of people don't handle their hermies, or tell you not to handle them much which is fine! I don't tend to mess with them too much, but since he's not been moving minus a wiggle here and there I gently picked him up today and noticed something weird.

When in my hand he is still, but if I lift him a tiny bit he slowly comes out and looks at me, then will sort of shuffle around and get kind of active walking along my hand and leaning into me like he usually did, but then soon as I put him in the tank he just curls right back up. It almost gives off the impression like he can't hold his own shell up as he didn't come out until I was supporting the weight.

Am I being over parranoid and just need to leave him be? I can't exactly DO anything about that I suppose.

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scuttlecrusty22
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Re: New Owner, Advice Welcome!

Post by scuttlecrusty22 » Fri Jul 05, 2019 9:24 pm

I think you are doing a great job with your little fellas so far Congratulations and welcome to the HCA!!! Do you have deep enough substrate for you little guys to molt in? They might need to have a molt since the store they were in probably didn't have a proper habitat for them. Have you named your little guys yet?

Sent from my LGL158VL using Tapatalk

(Scuttle, Crusty) crabs, (Buster,Ruby) chihuahuas, (Bugs) goat, (Echo) betta fish (Skittles,Sky) parakeets

John 3:16 "For God so loved the world, he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life"


Topic author
StarKitt3n
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Re: New Owner, Advice Welcome!

Post by StarKitt3n » Fri Jul 05, 2019 10:05 pm

Yes! So the first one I got which is the one I'm worried about is named Pete or One eyed Pete as the first time he popped out to look at me I realized he had only one eye! The other one was named Nurple as a joke because the shell he came in was purple. My friend's husband named them XD

When I upgraded their substrate I made it pretty deep! I'm not sure the exact measurement but they're both pretty small so I made sure it was deep enough they could totally hide and within a few moments Nurple dug himself down and stayed for a few days. Today he came up and molted into a new shell from the ones I put in so his toxic painted shell is now gone!

Pete is the one I was worried about. I'm thinking he might be surface molting? He lost a leg but it looked almost hollow and pale so I was hoping that's what it is.

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BlazeTheWeirdo
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Re: New Owner, Advice Welcome!

Post by BlazeTheWeirdo » Fri Jul 05, 2019 10:18 pm

StarKitt3n wrote:
Tue Jul 02, 2019 4:29 pm
So I got two adorable little babies a few weeks ago while out of town. I realize now how a lot of people hate that you can buy them,but I simply fell in love with them and I hated how they were being kept so I had to at least help a couple of them.

Now I am a NOVICE admittedly I have no experience. I have been watching videos, reading lots of posts all over the internet and a lot of posts on here about how to care for them. Their tank isn't PERFECT yet, as I am on a tight budget so I'm slowly trying to upgrade things as I can.

However any good advice for someone on a budget would be very welcome! Good shops to buy products, best products for keeping them healthy, things like that!

Also advice on feeding! I'm honestly not sure how much they've been eating. I've put some fresh foods in their tank and been changing it out, but I can't tell much if they've eaten or if some of the marks I see were from me preparing it XD

I really want these little guys to make it, they already mean the world to me and I get so excited when I peek in their tank. I wanna be a really good Momma to them so I am welcome to any tips!
I think most people got ya covered when it comes to food and stuff. If you want a cheap idea for decorations and climbing toys, I literally got most of the decorations in my tank from a dollar store. I got a bunch of fake flowers and fake ferns and arranged them to look similar to their rain forest environment. So far it's been working out great for them. Climbing toys can be super pricey sometimes. >.>


Topic author
StarKitt3n
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Joined: Tue Jul 02, 2019 4:24 pm
Location: VA

Re: New Owner, Advice Welcome!

Post by StarKitt3n » Fri Jul 05, 2019 10:26 pm

BlazeTheWeirdo wrote:
Fri Jul 05, 2019 10:18 pm
I think most people got ya covered when it comes to food and stuff. If you want a cheap idea for decorations and climbing toys, I literally got most of the decorations in my tank from a dollar store. I got a bunch of fake flowers and fake ferns and arranged them to look similar to their rain forest environment. So far it's been working out great for them. Climbing toys can be super pricey sometimes. >.>
Yasss I bought them a few things here and there. I try to get something when I have a few spare bucks XD I ordered some more food stuff from the suggested list for them today to go along with the fresh foods I've been feeding.

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BlazeTheWeirdo
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Re: New Owner, Advice Welcome!

Post by BlazeTheWeirdo » Fri Jul 05, 2019 10:49 pm

StarKitt3n wrote:
Fri Jul 05, 2019 10:26 pm
Yasss I bought them a few things here and there. I try to get something when I have a few spare bucks XD I ordered some more food stuff from the suggested list for them today to go along with the fresh foods I've been feeding.
If you're also interested in ordering pre-made organic dried hermit crab food mixes, I love this website. They're amazing, and they're pretty affordable too. ^w^
https://www.hermitcrabpatch.com/Pet-Her ... ts-s/3.htm

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scuttlecrusty22
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Re: New Owner, Advice Welcome!

Post by scuttlecrusty22 » Sat Jul 06, 2019 10:24 am

Is Pete doing any better today? I've never had a surface molting crab on my hands before, so maybe somebody else can give you more information. But I'm pretty sure if a crab is surface molting, he will look dead but he wouldn't have a rotten smell of a crab that has passed away. Is he maybe just lethargic from his past habitat condition? Hope this helped

Sent from my LGL158VL using Tapatalk

(Scuttle, Crusty) crabs, (Buster,Ruby) chihuahuas, (Bugs) goat, (Echo) betta fish (Skittles,Sky) parakeets

John 3:16 "For God so loved the world, he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life"

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RiNiKy506
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Re: New Owner, Advice Welcome!

Post by RiNiKy506 » Sat Jul 06, 2019 11:00 am

It sounds like Pete may be suffering from PPS if he has dropped a limb, when they molt they shed their whole exoskeleton. You sound like your off to a great start with them but sometimes they’ve just been through too much before they make it home to us. Offer him some healing foods like bee pollen and raw organic honey to give him an energy boost. Have you looked at any of the care sheets or guides?

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scuttlecrusty22
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Re: New Owner, Advice Welcome!

Post by scuttlecrusty22 » Sat Jul 06, 2019 11:28 am

Here is a list of healing foods for PeteImageImageImageImage

Sent from my LGL158VL using Tapatalk

(Scuttle, Crusty) crabs, (Buster,Ruby) chihuahuas, (Bugs) goat, (Echo) betta fish (Skittles,Sky) parakeets

John 3:16 "For God so loved the world, he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life"


Topic author
StarKitt3n
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Joined: Tue Jul 02, 2019 4:24 pm
Location: VA

Re: New Owner, Advice Welcome!

Post by StarKitt3n » Sat Jul 06, 2019 11:00 pm

scuttlecrusty22 wrote:
Sat Jul 06, 2019 10:24 am
Is Pete doing any better today? I've never had a surface molting crab on my hands before, so maybe somebody else can give you more information. But I'm pretty sure if a crab is surface molting, he will look dead but he wouldn't have a rotten smell of a crab that has passed away. Is he maybe just lethargic from his past habitat condition?Image Hope this helpedImage

Sent from my LGL158VL using Tapatalk
TY for asking! Sadly I don't know? There's no rotton smell and sometimes when I look in on him I see a little wiggle or twitch. I'm trying not to interact too much and give him plenty of space but I have no way to tell what's going on for sure. He hasn't moved from where he is I can say that much.


ON another note though, my other baby Nurple has successfully molted/moved into a new shell! He burrowed down deep when I changed the substrate recently and then yesterday I managed to go out and buy some new shells for them. I cleaned them and put them in the tank and within a couple hours we saw a dark figure hiding inside the coconut hut. It wasn't Pete as he hasn't moved, so we realized it was the other one and we found his empty painted shell which has since been removed!

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