HCA: Hermit Crab Association

My crab (Obscurus) (girl) was underground. I was digging, and I found her, underground. Knowing that touching her is a bad idea, I covered her back up with a loose layer of dirt. She came up yesterday and had lost a leg. Was this my fault??? Did I do something wrong??? I know I'm not supposed to dig them up, but was that why she lost her leg? It's only one leg, and she went back underground sometime last night. I have 3x my biggest crab (at least) in substrate, it's not 6 inches, but it's tall enough. I have saltwater and freshwater. I have an under-tank heater, but it's on the back wall, not underneath. I feed them fruits (strawberries, grapes, sometimes oranges, and some more) and veggies (shredded carrot, bell pepper, and I can't remember what else) and I put eggshells in there for them to nibble on, and I also give them rolled oats, quinoa, and zoo med hermit crab food, in pellet form, from a local (reliable) pet store. I have plenty of things for them to climb on, and hide in. I have lights that turn on at 7 am and turn off at 7 pm, I might change times, but so far it is good.
I didn't put this in the Emergency Forum because it is not an emergency, from what I have read it is common for crabs to lose limbs, but not sure if I did something, so I can fix it/stop doing it.
Also Obscurus did not molt underground, could this have been a stress dig? They are new, I got them on October 10th.
Thanks!
~Mayo_Girl_1

It's possible that you stressed her out enough that she dropped a leg, especially if she is new.
It seems like your tank conditions are great. As long as that's the only leg she has dropped, and isn't dropping more, she should be fine.
I would recommend not bothering her again for a while unless she seems to get worse/ drop more limbs.
Crabs grow back limbs when they molt. (Example: When I first got Pine, she had the tip of her claw/ leg missing- and grew it back in her molt! It's paler than the rest of her legs, but it's still there.)
Just monitor her if possible and don't dig her up.

Please do not dig up your crabs, unless there is an emergency such as a flood or bacterial bloom. Doing so can cause a lot of problems. Yes, you could have caused her to lose a leg, but could also have been from previous stressors. Was the leg there with her? If you do dig up a crab, don't re-cover them with substrate, or they could suffocate. When they are under ground, they make tunnels and caves.

When did she surface molt? Is your substrate moist enough to hold shape? Crabs should dig down to molt, but if it was so soon after you got your crab, it could have been due to previous stress.

Are you using a dechlorinator for your fresh water? And marine salt for your salt water?

Are you feeding a source of protein? The Zoo Med commercial food is not considered safe long term, since it contains copper sulfate which is an additive. The rest of your diet sounds great.

What are your temp and humidity levels?

With your crabs being new I will venture to say that the crab loosing the limb was probably not directly caused to you digging. It may have been a contributing factor, but not the main reason. Generally crabs are already stressed from being taken from the wild, stored in deplorable conditions, lacking proper food and conditions for months until the get "home". Hermit crabs are in a weakened state when purchased. The damage done prior to your care could be why the crab dropped the limb. As Pumpkin and Curly mentioned digging is a big no all the time.

Be sure to read through our care guide on Post Purchase Syndrome to help with your new crabos. None are really considered PPS free until they successfully molted at least once in your care.

viewtopic.php?f=27&t=92531

Be sure to read through our other care sheets for additional guidance. If you have anymore questions don't be afraid to ask.

curlysister wrote: ↑

Fri Nov 06, 2020 7:51 pm

Please do not dig up your crabs, unless there is an emergency such as a flood or bacterial bloom. Doing so can cause a lot of problems. Yes, you could have caused her to lose a leg, but could also have been from previous stressors. Was the leg there with her? If you do dig up a crab, don't re-cover them with substrate, or they could suffocate. When they are under ground, they make tunnels and caves.

When did she surface molt? Is your substrate moist enough to hold shape? Crabs should dig down to molt, but if it was so soon after you got your crab, it could have been due to previous stress.

Are you using a dechlorinator for your fresh water? And marine salt for your salt water?

Are you feeding a source of protein? The Zoo Med commercial food is not considered safe long term, since it contains copper sulfate which is an additive. The rest of your diet sounds great.

What are your temp and humidity levels?

She has never surface molted (sorry for the error, probably on my part), and my substrate can hold shape, I am using boiled water (to decholriante) and for saltwater I'm using Instant Ocean. I have given them eggs, and eggshells too. Good to know about Zoo Med. Thanks!

curlysister wrote: ↑

Fri Nov 06, 2020 7:51 pm

Please do not dig up your crabs, unless there is an emergency such as a flood or bacterial bloom. Doing so can cause a lot of problems. Yes, you could have caused her to lose a leg, but could also have been from previous stressors. Was the leg there with her? If you do dig up a crab, don't re-cover them with substrate, or they could suffocate. When they are under ground, they make tunnels and caves.

When did she surface molt? Is your substrate moist enough to hold shape? Crabs should dig down to molt, but if it was so soon after you got your crab, it could have been due to previous stress.

Are you using a dechlorinator for your fresh water? And marine salt for your salt water?

Are you feeding a source of protein? The Zoo Med commercial food is not considered safe long term, since it contains copper sulfate which is an additive. The rest of your diet sounds great.

What are your temp and humidity levels?

Also, the leg was not there, I'm not sure where she was hiding... maybe I'll find it when I do a tank clean-up

Motörcrab wrote: ↑

Sun Nov 08, 2020 8:23 pm

With your crabs being new I will venture to say that the crab loosing the limb was probably not directly caused to you digging. It may have been a contributing factor, but not the main reason. Generally crabs are already stressed from being taken from the wild, stored in deplorable conditions, lacking proper food and conditions for months until the get "home". Hermit crabs are in a weakened state when purchased. The damage done prior to your care could be why the crab dropped the limb. As Pumpkin and Curly mentioned digging is a big no all the time.

Be sure to read through our care guide on Post Purchase Syndrome to help with your new crabos. None are really considered PPS free until they successfully molted at least once in your care.

viewtopic.php?f=27&t=92531

Be sure to read through our other care sheets for additional guidance. If you have anymore questions don't be afraid to ask.

Great, thanks!

How is the crab doing now?

Motörcrab wrote: ↑

Mon Nov 23, 2020 9:19 pm

How is the crab doing now?

It's still underground... haven't moved any of my crabs again... but still supplying food and water and water.

Ok, I am doing something I totally regret, I dug up Obscurus! She is moving around and looking post-molt, the missing limb has regenerated, and I found it next to her. I will never do this again, but do you think she will be ok? She looks healthy, no missing limbs, and walking around? I have a feeling she will be ok, but as a newer crab owner I want to double check.

Thanks!
Mayo_girl_1

Why would you do that? What made you think that would be a good idea?
You want us all to tell you that your crab will be fine. Which it might be, but the more you mess with it, the less the chances are.

I agree with Curly. I do however admit I've done that before, mostly when I first got my crabs.
You are new to crabs so this can be your learning curve. Don't do that again, unless it's an emergency! Personally, this time I assume she will be okay, but like Curly mentioned, the more you do it, the worse the effects will be. I would not recommend touching her for a few good weeks now unless you 100% have to. Give her time to destress. Honestly, it's not good to bother your crabs at all really in general- I try not to handle my crabs (other than occasional checks, ect)
Like I said earlier, there are emergencies in which you'll need to dig them up- floods, bacterial blooms, bug infestation, ect. Just do some more research on those situations and you'll be good to go!

Pumpkincrab wrote: ↑

Thu Dec 17, 2020 11:07 am

I agree with Curly. I do however admit I've done that before, mostly when I first got my crabs.
You are new to crabs so this can be your learning curve. Don't do that again, unless it's an emergency! Personally, this time I assume she will be okay, but like Curly mentioned, the more you do it, the worse the effects will be. I would not recommend touching her for a few good weeks now unless you 100% have to. Give her time to destress. Honestly, it's not good to bother your crabs at all really in general- I try not to handle my crabs (other than occasional checks, ect)
Like I said earlier, there are emergencies in which you'll need to dig them up- floods, bacterial blooms, bug infestation, ect. Just do some more research on those situations and you'll be good to go!

Ok, thanks! She seems to be alright, but I'll definitely provide extra calcium. Thanks!

The crab is doing ok! I am so relieved, she is thriving, shy, but is alright. She changed shells and is always running around
HAPPY!!!

So good to hear!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk