HCA: Hermit Crab Association

If it were me, I'd wait a week and see how he's doing. Eating, activity and such. Then I'd dip him in salt water before adding him back into the tank. I'm not saying that's right or wrong, that's just what I'd do. When we get rescues or adopted crabs, we always dip them in salt water before introdu...

Had a crab just molt 2 days ago. He's been in iso since I realised he was on surface molting. Everything seems fine. He's been eating on the exoskeleton along with other food and has fresh and salt water. My main question is how do I know when he can be released from iso? How to tell if he's hardene...

He's still in the iso and yesterday caught him out eating finally so that's good his colors are coming in slowly as well every day gets better. I'm just not sure how to know when his exoskeleton is hard enough?

Oh and I put his exoskeleton in the iso as well

I think my mistake was digging him up. I know this is the worst thing to do. I've learned my lesson on that one and wont do that again. He seems fine just stays in his shell now. I guess it really stressed him out because he was ready to molt?

also if you put it back in the tank the other hermit crabs might want to try to eat it unless its exo is hardened. Post has been edited to answer the questions. How long should he be in iso? I put a kritter keeper in the 75 with a little substrate fresh and salt water and some food as well. Just ho...

Also, now has completely shedded the exoskeleton

Sorry kinda freaked out while posting this. He isn't limp it was his exoskeleton hanging out and I've never seen this before so I assumed was him

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...

Ah ok, thank you for reply. I will go tomorrow and get a digital I've only heard the best from these. But my petsmart analog I guess they're called with the needle? They are so far off its unreal. I will calibrate the new digital I get as well.

Great! It sounds like you found the problem. Wiggling a butter knife down along the glass works the best for flooding as Oliviet stated. I believe as long as there is no hole near where you are poking down you should be safe. The water will pool up and be a similar color to your substrate when you ...

All you really do is check around each side of the tank but sliding a knife against the glass and in the sand and you wiggle it around a bit. It should leave a gap and if the sand is flooded water will probably fill the gap in a few seconds. I think with a straw (you would need a strong one) you ju...

THIS! ^ Any hydrometer needs to be calibrated, even the Accurites. They can be damaged or knocked around during shipping which leads to improper readings. The ones you have now can usually be reset with a small screw driver if they are reading off. I completely forgot about this thread, but you say...

Also how is the best way to check for flooding? I hear about the knife/straw truck around edge of tank is this best? My largest crab is down under again and I really don't wanna disturb or hurt him.

If you were loosing that much water be sure to make sure your substrate is not flooded. That can turn ugly very quickly. In line air regulators will be around $3 at Wal Mart for two of them. I like to put my airstones under the crab mesh at the bottom of the pools too. It helps to spread the bubble...