Post Adoption Stress??

[VickieG]

I recently adopted a very large crab who looked perfectly healthy and seemed happy in the tank & got along well with the others. He was with his previous owners for about 6 yrs. He is so big that I removed one tank topper to fix some things and install some better hiding places specifically for him. He went underground a couple of days after I removed the topper but I could see him through the glass.

I replaced the topper 3 days later but he never came back up and I now believe he might be deceased. I can see he's out of his shell but the shell is beside him. I could initially see him moving around but he hasn't appeared to have moved in about a week. I'm reluctant to attempt removing him because I honestly don't know if this is normal molting behavior or not. He was digging tunnels before I removed the topper so this could be a legitimate molt. How do I know if he's alive??

Part of my question has to do with our 6 yo black lab and a puppy we adopted about 4 weeks after I adopted the crab. There's a lot of chaos because the 2 dogs wrestle, bark and chase. The crabs can certainly hear and feel the barking and vibrations they cause. I'm wondering if this could cause enough stress for a hermit crab who has otherwise successfully adjusted to captivity to die?


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[curlysister]

The bottom line is that you don't for sure know if he's alive or dead. LOL. But there's also not much you can do about it. I mean, if he's alive and you dig him up, you risk causing harm. If he's dead, there is no benefit to digging him up. But be reassured that they can for sure LOOK dead when they are molting, even tho they are fine! I would recommend waiting and seeing what happens.

[CrabbyLover77]

I think being shell-less underground is considered an emergency. I believe that's what Wodes mentioned somewhere on here before. If it were me, I'd probably gently dig him up, try to re-shell him, and iso him (if he's still alive).


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[curlysister]

I think being shell-less underground is considered an emergency. I believe that's what Wodes mentioned somewhere on here before. If it were me, I'd probably gently dig him up, try to re-shell him, and iso him (if he's still alive).


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If a crab is truly naked under the sub, it would be an emergency. This is very unlikely, though. Do we know for sure the crab is naked? It very well could be the old exo next to the shell?

If the OP could post a photo, that would be helpful!

[CrabbyLover77]

If a crab is truly naked under the sub, it would be an emergency. This is very unlikely, though. Do we know for sure the crab is naked? It very well could be the old exo next to the shell?

If the OP could post a photo, that would be helpful!

She wrote "I can see he's out of his shell but the shell is beside him". I took that to mean he's naked. Maybe I'm wrong though. A pic might def help.

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[VickieG]

Don't they come out of their shells to molt?

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[VickieG]

I just read the post you referred to and I'm absolutely heartsick that I didn't know this before. I'm fairly certain it's far too late to do anything. He has most definitely been out if his shell for about a week. I thought they came out of their shells to molt or I would have been more proactive.

He was alone for quite a while at his previous owners from what I understand and there was the initial aggressive posturing the 1st day but it didn't persist. I'm now worried my removing the topper in an attempt to provide him with a new hiding place may been the issue. It was only off for a few days but it was also the section that had the crab wheel which he really enjoyed. He was easily twice the size of my largest crabs and he was used to being in a 30 gal by himself. In a colony of 15 about 125 gals now, maybe wasn't enough room for him. I am absolutely devastated. I was trying to help and this is exactly what his owners were trying to prevent. I don't have the heart to tell them..

I'll post a pic in the morning but I'm sure it's already too late.



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[CrabbyLover77]

Aw I'm so sorry. Please try not to feel bad! You did a great thing by taking him in and trying to give him the best possible life. Sometimes crabbies get sick without explanation and there's not much we can do. It sounds like he may not have made it anyway even if you had dug him up and isolated him. I don't believe it's anything you did wrong.

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[VickieG]

Thank you...I appreciate that. I won't be adopting any more crabs until the puppy settles in more just in case. I'm sure that didn't help matters. I haven't lost any crabs in 4+ years and this is at least the 2nd this year. The 1st one, something went wrong with her molt, but there are 2 others I haven't seen in a really long time either. One is the tiny blind crab I adopted, and my Ecuadorian. MY E had a successful molt last year so I don't know what would have happened to her. She went underground around the same time I adopted the blind crab and 3 others.

There's nothing different about this tank other than the 1" layer of hydroton on the bottom. But that's covered with a layer of landscape fabric and a layer of plastic mesh so they can't get to it. Although I did see Fez (the one who just passed) messing with a corner of the plastic mesh underground once. He left it alone after a couple of days and was at least 3 inches above it now.

I also added fans, but they've been my missing element it seems. It keeps the temp and humidity in the whole tank more even and I don't get even a fraction of the condensation I used to which always lead to flooding and bacterial blooms and adhesive failures.

I go over my setup relentlessly after I lose one in case there's anything I'm missing or unintentionally doing. I always feed organic and foraged foods, pesticide-free, and their diet is protein heavy. They have tons of climbing & hiding places, live plants, filtered fresh water pond, sand/coco fiber sub, wet enough to hold a tunnel, shells, and they LOVE their treadmill so much I'm thinking of putting in a 2nd one.

I don't like the thought of potentially losing so many crabs in a 12 month period. It could be coincidence I suppose, they were all crabs I adopted in the last 2 years. In the past I've always thought when I went to work on the tank and had to move them all to a temp tank that I'd find some missing and I never have so maybe the other 2 will eventually surface. Fingers crossed.

Thanks for all the advice.

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[curlysister]

I am still not totally convinced that he is for sure deceased. Can you post a picture of where you can see him through the glass? Could it be his exo next to the shell that you can see, and not him actually out of their shell?

[JTKermie]

Vickie, that is completely amazing crabitat you have! Very creative. Sorry if I missed it, but how was that big guy cared for prior to you getting him? I'm wondering if irreversible damage was all ready done to the poor fella. The stress from the move and new home was just enough to push him over the edge? If he his gone, he went out in the best possible home/care possible. That's the way I'd wanna go!

[VickieG]

Thanks so much! That also means a lot to hear. I do put a ton of time and effort into making it something they'll enjoy and I can be proud of. My kids often tell me they're jealous, they want a playhouse like that!

I don't know much about how he was cared for other than they had him for about 6 years and he wasn't very big when they got him. He grew very fast, became very large and loved apples. His tank mates never survived long and he was used to being alone. Although, if the conditions weren't up to snuff I can't imagine how he would have been able to grow to the size he did.

I have at least 2 crabs in my colony that have been in captivity for the same amount of time he was. I thought they were big crabs until I saw this guy. He was easily double the size of my largest crab. It freaked me out to pick him up. I thought about donning oven mitts to give him his baths! And I had to get a big bucket for the baths because he didn't fit in the container I normally use. My only theory on his exponential growth is being the only crab in a 30 gal space....he more or less grew because he could. Idk if that's accurate or if this was an aberration or if he was bigger than they remembered when they got him. He sure had an appetite!

I don't know how much non-organic foods play a role either. I estimate 95% of what I feed my crabs is organic or foraged. I still will give them the occasional fruit or vegetable even if it isn't organic because it ends up being such a miniscule part of their diet. I don't give them those foods every day or even every week. But our selection of organic apples and foods in general isn't fabulous. If they fed him from their table, so to speak, could that have been a factor? It sounded like he got apples regularly. ???

I at least now feel like I did the best I could although this was really a tough loss. I'm still upset that I didn't know to isolate him as soon as he left his shell underground but now I do. Hindsight is always just that I suppose.

Thanks again for your kind words.

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[CrabbyLover77]

What an awesome crabitat! Come on over to my house and build one like that for my crabbies lol!

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[VickieG]

I'll be right there..lol! Thanks!!

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[CrabbyLover77]

Yw lol!

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