MHC accidentally taken home from Gulf of Mexico

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sat Nov 17, 2007 6:18 pm

Ok, my friend and I went to the beach a few days ago, she picked up a bunch of shells and said they were my souv. for the day and put them in a plastic bag. The next morning I got to work and found one moving! I dumped the bag in the back on my truck and looked and 3 of them are moving! So, I have no choice at this point, I have 3 hermit crabs. I got online and started researching what all I need and how to care for them. From looking at this forum I have discovered that they are marine crabs. I went to petsmart and got a 10gal aquarium and a hermit crab kit. I also got some Hermit Safe for the water. They are still alive so far! I also got them 5 extra shells. I also got some aquarium salt just in case. I'm at a loss of what I need to do to care for these crabs. I have NEVER had or handled crabs before! I have pics of the tank I have set up and am trying to get the crabs themselves but they are shy! I am just curious if maybe I could get some help and if i can send these pics to someone who can tell me if I have this set up right. I'm just so confused!

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sat Nov 17, 2007 7:02 pm

I JUST SAW THE COOLEST THING!!! I call him Cricket or middle crab because he's the middle in size of the three just changed shells right in front of my eyes! I tried to get it on video but my camera battery went poof! I HOPE I GOT IT!!!! I'm going to go check!

YES! I got it!!

annopia · Post by **annopia** » Sat Nov 17, 2007 10:14 pm

Did you get them from where you live in Mississippi? if they are from anywhere in the US except southern florida, they are almost certainly marine (which you suspect). the thing is, it sounds like all the stuff you got from petsmart is stuff you need for LAND hermit crabs. marine crabs need a salt water enviroment to survive, and won't live for long in the conditions that are suitable for land hermit crabs. are you anywhere near the beach where you found them? if so, please please take them back. they have already been out of the water for awhile and probably don't have much longer left that they can stay alive out of it. i think your great for researching everything for them, but petsmart doesnt really even know how to care for land hermies, let alone marine ones. you could try setting up a marine system but it would be hard and you would need to do it very fast. you seem like you would make a good crab parent for land hermies, though, perhaps since you have the shells and everything you could take the marine ones back (and give them a chance to live), and go back to petsmart and get some hardy PPs, theyre not too expensive and their actually my favorite species. very sweet.

Caroline

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sat Nov 17, 2007 10:26 pm

The beach is like an hour and a half or more away and I work the next two days then have a dr's appointment and work again until sometime next week. Taking them back isn't really an option. I have the aquarium salt, although I don't know how much good that will do. I would hate to kill them because I hate seeing any living animal die and especially if I do it! I need to figure out something to keep them alive!!

annopia · Post by **annopia** » Sun Nov 18, 2007 12:39 am

well, for now what i would do is set them up in their tank with a HUGE bowl of salt water inside the ten gallon. use (or buy) a large plastic container, making sure that they have a way in and out. im going to look around this subforum and see who looks like they know a lot about marine hermits and setting up a tank for them. unfortunatly, i have never really looked into it myself, so the best advice i can give right now is to make up that large bowl of salt water and (making sure that theres a way to get out) put them in it. observe them, see what they do. hopefully that can buy you some more time until you can get something better set up.

Caroline

annopia · Post by **annopia** » Sun Nov 18, 2007 12:50 am

okay, so here's a good first step for you to do: go back to the pet store and tell them you need to get a marine salt for marine animals, and ask what they recommend. get this and a hyrogmeter so you can get the correct specific gravity, which is apparently 1.020-1.024. the "hermit safe" aquarium salt that you bought is not even really recommended for land hermits, you'll find that most products marketed for hermits are pretty worthless. make it clear to the pet store person that you are interested in a MARINE salt, for a marine aquarium, not a product targeted to hermit crabs. basically, the salt you bought isnt good for them, and you need to get a proper one ASAP if you want them to survive.

i wish i knew the instruction for mixing salt water to a specific salinity, but ive never done anything like that. so im going to pm OIF_VET for you, after looking around it seems like he has some experience with marine hermits. the next 24 hours or so are going to be really critical to seeing whether your hermits live or die, and i wish i could be here, online, to talk you through it, but unfortunatly im leaving in an hour or so to fly from australia to the states, so i cant be on anytime in that period. i'm really hoping you can get this worked out and save the lives of those hermits, it seems like you care about them and want to do everything you can to help them survive. so getting a marine salt, mixing it, and putting them in it is a good tempoary first step, i think, and its crucial that you do it soon, as they have already been out of the water for quite some time.

Caroline

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sun Nov 18, 2007 1:00 am

ok, i had some sea salt downstairs i thought maybe would be better. i found an old shell shapped dish i had lying around and mixed up some of the hermit safe and seasalt with the water n put in the shell dish... hope that works until I can get this figured out!!!

annopia · Post by **annopia** » Sun Nov 18, 2007 1:08 am

often times products sold as "sea salt" still have the anti-caking agent iodine in it, which makes it very very poisonous to any kind of hermies. so until stores open up tomorrow, make sure that the bowl of salt water is big enough so they can submerge themselves.

Caroline

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sun Nov 18, 2007 1:15 am

thank you so much! i just have one more quick question, i put them in the water to kind of let them know it's there, the water started kind of swirling around them, is that normal?

annopia · Post by **annopia** » Sun Nov 18, 2007 1:28 am

its probably swirling because either they're drinking it, or they are sending it through their gills so they can breathe.

Caroline

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sun Nov 18, 2007 1:31 am

ok, thank you so much! Hope they will be ok til I can get to the store!

annopia · Post by **annopia** » Sun Nov 18, 2007 1:42 am

hopefully so, just try to get it as soon as possible. ill be keeping them in my thoughts.

Caroline

lucas_1957 · Post by **lucas_1957** » Sun Nov 18, 2007 2:24 am

actually it will be much better for the hermit crabs to live in about 3 inches of water, with a inch of sand at the bottom and a driftwood for them to climb out.

OIF_VET · Post by **OIF_VET** » Sun Nov 18, 2007 12:01 pm

Thank You Annopia for the PM!

Here is the Best thing to do.
Get a 10 Gal Aquarium. And a Hang over the Back Filter.
You Need to get Any of the Commercially Available "Marine" Salt for "Marine" Tanks.
You will need some Kind of Rock...Does Not need to be "Live" rock, I use Tuffa Rock. And Crushed Coral as a Sand.
You will need to Mix the "Marine" Salt per Label Instructions. I Like to use Oceanic Instant Ocean. Be sure the Water is Dechlorinated.

As stated above, Make sure the Salinity is between 1.020 - 1.024 A Tad Higher is okay.
Of course size appropriate Shells for them. As for a Climbing thing...My Marine Hermies are Very happy completely Submerged.
All total for cost of a Quick Setup should be Under 100 Dollars.
This Includes Tank, Heater, Filter, Rock, Sand, "Marine" Salt, Dechlorinator and you will also want to to your Aquarist about "Size" Appropriate Food. U will not need to feed them every Day. Once you get some Beneficial Algae Growth, you can cut the Feedings to once a Week or Less. This will take more than a Month to occur.
DO NOT OVER FEED them. This is very Bad!
Marine Hermies can be quite Hardy and Can Survive a "New" Tank going thru a "Cycle".
Good Luck and I do hope that this Info helps.
I have had Marine Hermies now since 2004. With Success

Please dont hesitate to Ask questions. I am very happy to try and Help ya with the Small knowlege I do have. If I can't find answers, I can Direct ya to an Awesome "Marine" Nano tank Forum!
Good Luck Buddy!
OIF_VET

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sun Nov 18, 2007 3:42 pm

PLEASE HELP ASAP!!! I have just looked in the tank (I already have a 10 gal tank) and the smallest of the crabs is out of his shell and not really moving!!! i added some more water to where he is sitting, I don't know what he's doing but he's laying on his back. Don't know if he's trying to go back in his shell or what!! I hope I haven't killed him!!!! *cries*