HCA: Hermit Crab Association

I received this PM, and decided to post the response for everyone:quote:I have several crabs. Not sure how many any more because I'm not sure if they are buried or what. I haven't done a main cleaning of the tank in about 9-10 months. I've added sand on occasion and stir up where I know I can. I'm worried on how to do the cleaning because I afraid to disturb the ones that may be molting. Could you please tell me what would be the best to do? My tank is a 60 gal. and I would estimate about 6-8 crabs. I have 4 LARGE guys I see regularly and one smaller one. M.I.A. are 2 or 3 more smaller ones. It is important to do the deep cleans semi-regularly. At least at 6-8 month time frames.I've been able to extend the duration via partial-substrate changes. But I also removed and completely cleaned every item in the tank, except the substrate. And then removed an inch of old subtrate before adding a new inch. You might be able to go a year or more doing that.The only way to avoid deep cleans is with a vivarium setup. But few people have that. But I think that with the new product on the market (those moisture balls and the mesh thing, if you've seen it you know what I'm talking about) I think it might become easier for crabers to create cycled tanks.So the fact is you gotta do the deep clean. No getting around it, so now it's just a matter of how to minimize the affect on your crabs.The chances of catching a crab mid-molt are actually rather slim. After some 8 deep cleans with 50 crabs in the tank, I've only had to ISO a molting crab about 5 times.Sure its scary because your crabs seem buried forever. But in reality, the act of molting only takes a day. The rest of the 6 weeks they stay under is just beaurocracy. They will make tunnels and molting chambers for 1-3 weeks prior. Molt in a day. And stay under for 2-4 weeks to recover. So it could be 7 weeks they stay under, but really there's only a period of about 1 week that you have to worry about.In 6 months, on average probably every crab will molt once (jumbos less often). So if you have 10 crabs, and there are 26 weeks inbetween deep cleans, on average you should only have to iso a molter two out of every five deep cleans.If you catch a crab just a few days before the molt, the crab will likely appear lethargic. You might be scared they're dying. Keep them in main tank conditions, and they'll likely surface molt the next day. Isolate them. Make some sand moist and warm and place them in a pit in the sand, so they're surrounded on all sides by sand. Cover the top with some papertowel so light doesn't get in (but something that's not heavy so it doesn't fall in on them). Leave some food for them. But don't disturb them for 2 weeks. Once they have started tunneling around, they can go back to the main tank.If you catch a crab within a few days after a molt, they will appear very pale, soft, and pulled way back into their shells. They still need to harden, so use the same ISO procedure, and give them their remaining exo if there is any.If you catch a recent molter who's energetic and moving, then it's safe to just put them back in the main tank right away. I've never once had a recent molter attacked.The best way to isolated surface and recent molters (and I've had success with this, even with my strawberry surface molter) is to get one of those tiny plastic kritter-killers. It's just perfectly sized for one crab. Fill a mug with wet sand and nuke it until its warm. Then mix it in with more sand into the KK, so the KK is twice as deep as the crab, and form a pit in the middle for the crab. The key is to place this KK inside of your main tank. This way your KK has the same perfect temp and humidity as the main tank, so you don't have to worry about maintaining a separate ISO. And remember to cover the pit with something lightweight so they can stay in the dark.

Thanks as always for the info JMT! I have to ask you:quote:If you catch a recent molter who's energetic and moving, then it's safe to just put them back in the main tank right away. I've never once had a recent molter attacked. How do you attain that? Any tips? I've had my guys for 5+ years and I still have a few crabs that I have to watch that will go after post-molters even when they're 2+ weeks post-molt. I've done everything food-wise I can think of to tame the bully crabs and still - it doesn't always work. The problem too with post-molters is their anxious tendency to 'play victim' and go snapping back into their shells whenever a crab approaches and automatically that seems to trigger an aggressive response. The post-molt crabs that fight back (i.e., fling out their BPs and charge) don't get picked on.I am at a loss and tired of pulling crabs off my post-molters. I do ISO my molters (I only have 11 crabs) to protect them but eventually, they have to go back in the main tank and I dread it every time.

Thank you for the great info!Sometimes I find molters during my deep cleans. If there strong enough and energetic I'll juspt put them with the others in the main tank. They usually soon rebury. If a hermie is still too weak, I use the bottle method until the molter is being an energetic, strong, trying to escape maniac. Then I let him/her out into the rest of the tat so the crab will go back down. I haven't had any problems with molters being attacked even though I have a few snippy hermies. I can't really say why due to a lack of experience with such issues.However, I had a possible exception involving my PP, Mango, and my E, Screwball. Mango was down for a molt. Screwball was having issues with shells. He couldn't find a shell he was happy in. He had had a shell fight with another E, Iceball, over her turbo in the past. Mango was wearing a very popular turbo. So when digging around, Screwball may have come across Mango and could have taken her shell(in some kind of bizzare underground shell fight). I one day find Screwball waltzing around in her shell. She was in very bad shape and sadly did not make it. This can't be confirmed 100%. A tunnel collapse and her shell becoming jamed in the playsand are 2 possibilities. Screwball may have innocently encountered the shell after it ended up in another area of the substrate.I did lose around 5 molters from April(just got the 75) to January. When I did the 1st deep clean in the 75gal in January, I noticed the substate was almost saturated enough for water pooling. This likely played a role in the bad molts. The substrate was very wet at the surface and there had to be pools of water at the bottom( I have 6in). The tat was cleaned out when the top 1-2 inches were dry. I had playsand and cocofiber on separate sides. I'm going to see if the mix of the two I have now and keeping the surface dry will help.P.S. I'm sorry this post is the longest one I have ever made to this point.

A vivarium would mimic a real environment. It would have soil with the proper amount of bacteria and microbes to cycle dead matter and provide aeration. It would have live plants, and circulating air and water. It would be self sustaining. Ideally, once it's up and running, you'd never have to do a deep clean.The problem with crabs is that since they bury deep down, eventually we have to deep clean anyway, if for nothing else than to recover shells and inventory our crab population.As for attacking molters, I think they often might rebury, so they protect themselves. But I just provide lots of places to hide and be secure, and have lots of shells available, and always provide dried shrimp in the food bowl. Also, some crabbers will prepare fresh meats for their crabs. I've read tales before that eating meat can induce more aggressive behavoir in crabs. Could be just a myth, but something to think about anyway.

I usually keep 1/4th of my old substrate to mix in with the new substrate.I do the same with my water pools too, keep a cup of old water to mix in with the new water.Helps limit the effects of sterility shock.