HCA: Hermit Crab Association

What kind of aggression were you seeing with the big guys? Hermits decompose exceptionally quick if they pass when molting. There is an extremely good chance that your remaining crab had absolutely nothing to do with the other going missing. The only time to really suspect that being the case is if ...

I merged your Emergency post into this so all needed info is in one place.

I'm going to close out this thread and direct anyone wanting to respond to your other conversation in Emergency, just to keep things from getting confusing. https://hermitcrabassociation.com/phpBB ... 7&t=128547

Yeah, that's what I did when I painted my house - sealed the tank off with press and seal and then wrapped it with plastic wrap tight, and left it sealed up overnight until the fumes vented from the room.

After 3 months he should have settled into whatever his normal routine is. Not all crabs are big diggers, but if you've noticed a major difference in his behavior then he may prefer a different mix. When was the last time he molted? As far as allergies, playsand should be allergen free as it's liter...

When I transport small pets in winter, I use a vented container with bedding/padding inside of an insulated lunch pail, with a small heating pad. (We have snugglesafes for our cats, but hothands work, too!) For hermits, it'll be moistened moss or paper towels in a deli container, with holes punched ...

Spanish moss is actually a bromeliad (air plant) and not a true moss. Anything that would completely kill off hitchhikers will end up killing off the plant as well, if the goal was to have it alive and growing in the tank. Otherwise dry heat or boiling are surefire ways to kill off insect eggs - get...

There have been a few of us who attempted it and had the crab survive! It really comes down to if there are unseen internal injuries and if their mouthparts are intact enough to eat. Mine was even able to scarf down her entire old exoskeleton without assistance, she ate everything like it was a pie ...

It's not good, but it's also not immediately deadly and may not have any effect on him at all. It's more how the distributors get them into those painted shells that causes health issues than the shell itself. Trying to force a crab to stay in a shell it thinks is uncomfortable is dangerous as they ...

No, they'll be okay with that small adjustment (even if it was a bigger jump it would be okay) and it's better to get them warmed up and comfortable than to wait.

While not sold as aquarium/animal safe, there is a long internet history of Legos being used this way without issues. I remember from previous threads here that the crabs can pull them apart easily, so it should be more for fun than for something important.

This sounds like it may have been a bit of panic on their part? They can get stressed by changes, and an overactive crab is usually a freaked out crab. It's okay, there's really no way to avoid when you need to do maintenance. I'm betting they were settled back down by the next day?

I've never seen anyone post a food trial, but there's no reason they should be considered harmful. They're actually edible for humans!

Might be worth tossing if it's not playing well in the crabitat. I will say I have massive mold issues if I don't aggressively salt treat. One pound of salt per gallon of water, boil for 15 minutes, allow to dry fully before being put back in (can take days). I'll also preclean the surface by scrubb...

Ditching shells for the water bowl tends to be a death behaviour. I've always assumed it has something to do with comfort, or because of electrolyte or osmosis imbalance due to organs shutting down. It's not necessarily a sign of any one specific thing but is a sign of general severe illness. The ne...