Worried about my hermit crab

[Emma95]

My oldest hermit crab (Sally) just molted. I was really happy when she came out and started moving around, but now she's not moving. Her little legs are stuck together and her antenna are all bunched up under ler legs. She was always very active and she liked to pinche, but now she won't even pinch my finger when I stick in front of her face. It's been three days an she hasn't eaten her exoskeleton either.
Does this happen a lot? Will she get better? Do I need do something? I know she's not dead because there's no smell but I'm worried she could die. She's my first molter and I have another that's showing the signs and I need to make sure I'm not doing wrong.

[sontron]

When did your crab molt? I know that sometimes they rest for a long time after molting, but I'm not sure about this. Did the crab come up from a molt? was it a surface molt? Also, I don't mean to scare you, but I think that a crab won't always smell when it is dead. Has the crab moved in these three days, or does it just sit in the same place without moving?

[wolfnipplechips]

Sounds like sally had a surface molt? Do you have moist substrate that they can dig under? Molting usually happens underground, and requires sand that is deep enough, and moist enough for them to have a little air pocket. Surface molts can be very stressful, especially if the conditions on the surface are not ideal, and can easily result in a death if steps aren't taken to ensure a less stressful surface molt. If she is not covered, you should cover her with some sort of hut. making it dark and quiet can help ease the stress. However, if she is not moving, and has not eaten her exo after three days, she is probably dead. Sometimes, they don't have an odor when they die, but it is unusual. Wait a bit longer if you are still unsure. If you want us to evaluate your conditions to help your future molters make it safely through their molts, you can fill this out:

1. What kind of substrate is used in your tank and how deep is it? Is it moist?

2. Do you have gauges in the tank to measure temperature and humidity? If so, where are they located and what temperature and humidity do they usually read?

3. Is a heat source used in the tank? If so, what?

4. What types of water are available (fresh or salt) and how is the water treated (what brands of dechlorinator or salt mix and what ratio is used to mix it)?

5. What kinds of food do you feed and how often is it replaced?

6. How long have you had the crab and what species is it, if known?

7. What type of housing are the crabs kept in, what size is it and what kind of lid is on the housing?

8. How many crabs are in the tank and about how large are they?

9. How many extra shells are usually kept in the tank, if any?

10. Have there been any fumes or chemicals near the crabitat recently?

11. How often do you clean the tank and how?

12. Are sponges used in the water dish? If so, how are they cleaned?

13. Has anything new been added to your crabitat recently?

14. Is there any other information you would like to share that might be helpful (anything that is regularly part of your crab care, playtime, bathing, etc.)?

[Emma95]

Sally did have a surface molt because I found out recently that I didn't have enough substrate for her dig far enough down, but I fixed it for my next molter. She has stayed in the exact same place for three days and I haven't touched her because people said to leave her alone. My cage is my brother's old iguana cage so it has a ground heater and has a humidity gage. I try to keep it around 80 but it's usually at 72 because I live in south Texas and its very dry. I only have fresh water. Do I need have salt water too, because I thought that made them sick? Please help, she's my first crab and really don't want her to be dead.
Thank you to you guys who answered, I really appreciate it

[Emma95]

1. What kind of substrate is used in your tank and how deep is it? Is it moist?
There is about two inches of sand but I know now that that's not enough so I got more. Now there's about 5 1/2.

2. Do you have gauges in the tank to measure temperature and humidity? If so, where are they located and what temperature and humidity do they usually read?
The gauges are located on the sides of tank. Right now my tank is at 76 humidity and 81 temp

3. Is a heat source used in the tank? If so, what?
Yes, there is heat pad at the bottom covering up about a fourth of the tank. I put the water on top of it to keep the water warm and to make it more humid.

4. What types of water are available (fresh or salt) and how is the water treated (what brands of dechlorinator or salt mix and what ratio is used to mix it)?
I only have fresh water. Should I have salt water, and if so how does that work?

5. What kinds of food do you feed and how often is it replaced?
I feed them land hermit crab food that I replaced every other day and take it out for one day and every week I put Hermit Crab Cookies at night and take them out the next day. Every now and them I put dry oatmeal and raw fruits and vegetables. My Hermit crabs really love mangos and watermelon (all organic)

6. How long have you had the crab and what species is it, if known?
I've had my oldest crabs for a year, and the pest store said the were land hermit crabs, but some of them look like tree crabs and one of them is a very dark blue and I'm not sure what species that is.

7. What type of housing are the crabs kept in, what size is it and what kind of lid is on the housing?
I have a glass terrarium I recycled. It was my older brother's iguana cage. I thoroughly cleaned it and the lid is just mesh but it has a glass one if you think that would be better.

8. How many crabs are in the tank and about how large are they?
I have 15 crabs ranging from the size of thumb nail to as big as the palm of my hand. My largest one is the dark blue one.

9. How many extra shells are usually kept in the tank, if any?
I didn't keep any shells in there but now there six, all of them medium sized because I couldn't find a large shell at the pet store but I ordered some online

10. Have there been any fumes or chemicals near the crabitat recently?
No, the only thing I smell is their food and I barely smell it.

11. How often do you clean the tank and how?
I clean it once a month or more if it needs it. I don't clean the sand, but I should let me know. I usually strain the gravel, clean the inside of the glass with water and vinegar because that's what my brother had to do with his iguana. I clean out the water dish and food shells when I replace their food or water.

12. Are sponges used in the water dish? If so, how are they cleaned?
I have one dish with a sponge and one dish without. When I clean out the dish I usually just run the sponge with hot water a couple times. Is there something else I should be doing?

13. Has anything new been added to your crabitat recently?
I recently added a new climbing stick that my babies love. It's made out of driftwood. Other than that I have shells for the food wand water and a plastic dish for water as well.

14. Is there any other information you would like to share that might be helpful (anything that is regularly part of your crab care, playtime, bathing, etc.)?
I play with my crabs everyday, usually while I'm doing homework. They crawl over my books and computer. I used to bathe them every other by spraying them with water, but now I know that they go in the water and bathe themselves so I just do it every week. I dont have an iso tank for my moted crab but I could get one if you think I need it.

Thank you guys so much for helping and taking an interest in my crabs. I really do appreciate it.

[sontron]

I'll see what I can answer for you. Keep in mind, I am relatively new to crabbing, so I would see what others have to say
1. What type of sand do you use? is it Calci-sand? If so, you shoud get rid of it. You can buy a huge bag of play sand at a home depot etc. for the same price as a pound of calci/ hermit crab sand. It is not as pretty, but it works well.
2. I don't know much about locations of the gauges, but it is good that yuo can measure temp and humidity. I think the temperature is okay. It could be warmer, but it is still in safe range. the humidity is spot on, from what I know.
3. Not sure, sound okay to me, but get a more experienced crabbers opinion
4. You need another dish for salt water. Do not use the salt water they sell at the stores that they advertise as "for hermit crabs." Use a salt water mixture that you buy for salt water aquariums. It is also much cheaper in the long run, anyway. NEVER use table salt for crabs, or any salt made directly for human consumption.
5. Try to stay away from hermit crab food. It contains preservatives that can harm the crabs. Oatmeal is okay, I believe, so long as you don't use those single serving packages. Use the big containers, like quaker oats. The rest sounds good
6. "Land hermit crabs" and "Tree hermit crabs" are not seperate species. Tree crabs is a nickname I ofter hear given to cerribean crabs, and all hermit crabs that live on land are land crabs(or, terrestrial crabs). I would guess that they are probably Carribean (purple pincher, or PP) or ecuadorians. You can look on hermit-crabs.com for alot of good information on telling the difference between the species. The dark blue one, I don't know. Most crabs can be a wide variety of colors, so try looking at the other indicators.
7. Mesh, I have heard, is great as long as humidity is measured. How big is the tank?
8. You need a pretty large tank for 15 crabs of any size, and the ones the "size of yuor palm" need much more space than the smaller ones. This is related to the last question.
9. You should have a recommended 3 shells per crab. I doubt many people follow this rule exactly, but you should have shells that are slightly bigger, smaller, and about the same size as the shells as your crabs' shells.
10. SOunds okay to me, but make sure there is nothing near the tank
11. Sounds okay on how often, but I wouldn't use vinegar. And you should occasionally change the sand entirely.
12. You should have a few sponges that you can switch out between cleanings.m You should boil them after use, because they can be like petri dishes for bacteria that can harm the crabs.
13. Bake/boil accesories before putting them in your tank, especially if you found them. If you bought it, it is still a good idea.
14. You should try to get an iso tank for them, just in case if anything happens. It is good that you stopped bathing them. It can be stressful for them. You are right, they clean themselves so long as the water dishes are deep enough that they can completely submerge themselves.

I apologise in a dvance if I got anything wrong (I have a bad history of accidentally giving misinformation . I never did with crabs yet, though, so I am hoping that I have done more good than bad)

[Jackolope]

it sounds like she is still going through a molt. make sure she is in a dark place with little noise and no other crabs around her. sometimes it takes them a week to 10 days to start to harden and recover from a molt. if she doesn't smell fishy then she is still alive and the only thing you can do is wait.

[Emma95]

Thank you so much for all your help. I use regular sand because that's what it looked like in the pictures I saw. I used to have a very small cage with the Cacli-sand and it dyed my Hermies so I changed it out for sand with a thin layer of gravel. As for the hermit crab food, is there other food I can feed them? I've heard something about some fruit of vegetables being bad for them and I just want to make sure. Thanks for clearing that up about the land vs. tree thing. People told me that the tree ones were lighter and the land ones were darker. My blue hermit crab is a PP; someone figured it out from a pic I put on Facebook. My tank it a 40 gallon and it's very tall. I asked around and people said that I probably need a bigger tank or I need to get two. Do you think so? Thanks for the advice about boiling the sponges.
After a hermit has been in a shell and I want to recycle it, how do I clean it? I've heard a bunch of different things and I just want to be clear.
Sally sadly died. I noticed she was smelling really bad so I made look and sure enough. I guess it was because of the stress of her surface molt. She's in Hermie Heaven now.
RIP Sally

[Jackolope]

Sorry about Sally

I don't like gravel too much, Eco-earth is better in some cases. they need to be able to bury themselves. Crabs change color every time they molt, some get darker others lighter. Lighter exo can sometimes indicate malnutrition in pet store crabs. I also don't like sponges because they can trap bacteria which can make your crabs sick. Some people use them for the crabs to play with i've found they get more entertainment from climbing. This is a list of foods they can eat and you should try many of them. Never use the food you get at the pet store, it contains preservatives which is not good for crabs. A good way to ensure a good molt is to make sure they have plenty of sea salt and protein before they change this will help them release the exo. As for the shell I recycle to, best to boil the shell to eliminate any bacteria, then let it cool to room temp and dry completely before you give to crabs. do not use soap or chemicals to clean.

safe foods:
http://www.hermitcrabassociation.com/ph ... +food+list

unsafe foods:
http://www.hermitcrabassociation.com/ph ... nsafe+food

[sontron]

Whoever told you fruit and vegetable is bad for them had no idea what they were talking about. Actually, they are way better than most powdered, pellet, cake, etc. food that yuo buy. I think that citrus is bad for them, though. The 40 gallon tall is way to small. Keep in mind, the crabs are only able to use one layer, unlike fish (unless if you use platforms). You do NEED another tank for that many crabs. maybe even two more, depending on how big most of them are.

[Jackolope]

Whoever told you fruit and vegetable is bad for them had no idea what they were talking about. Actually, they are way better than most powdered, pellet, cake, etc. food that yuo buy. I think that citrus is bad for them, though. The 40 gallon tall is way to small. Keep in mind, the crabs are only able to use one layer, unlike fish (unless if you use platforms). You do NEED another tank for that many crabs. maybe even two more, depending on how big most of them are.

citrus is ok as long as it's the fruit and not stems, leaves, skin, or bark of the tree. mine like oranges but i would avoid lemon and lime because they don't like sour.

[Emma95]

What size tank should I get? My friend has really cool one with platforms but it's a 75 gallon. I'll stay away from the pellets but are there certain foods that they tend to like more than others?

[Jackolope]

if you have more than 5 crabs then i would upgrade, just to reduce a chance of territorial fights. 10 crabs in 40g is so so, it never hurts to go up in size but if you have limited space then split the group into to tanks, and have a backup or ISO tanks for molts or if a fight breaks out.

Mine LOVE these foods:
apples
sweet potatoes (cooked)
unseasoned chicken, beef, or fish
coconut
mango
pineapple
dry rice cereals (and cheerios, but only in moderation)
corn (corn bread, blue sea slat corn chips)
unprocessed cheese (the kind you get at the deli counter)
bananas
strawberries
raspberries
unsalted nuts
eggs and egg shells

[DragonsFly]

For future reference for the rest of the crabs, I'm going to go into some detail with your answers to the template questions.

1. What kind of substrate is used in your tank and how deep is it? Is it moist?
There is about two inches of sand but I know now that that's not enough so I got more. Now there's about 5 1/2.

You need your substrate to be at least two times the depth of your largest crabs, preferably three. It should be "sand castle" consistency. If you stick your finger down in it, the hole your finger makes should be well-formed, but there should be NO water pooling at the bottom. It is a good idea to do the initial moistening of the substrate with 1/2 to 2/3 strength marine salt water (this will help maintain humidity and deter mold), but after that, do any re-moistening with fresh water (dechlorinated or distilled), so that salt levels don't build up too high in the substrate.

2. Do you have gauges in the tank to measure temperature and humidity? If so, where are they located and what temperature and humidity do they usually read?
The gauges are located on the sides of tank. Right now my tank is at 76 humidity and 81 temp

These are in a good range; it is okay for the readings to vary somewhat; trying to keep them between 75-85 degrees Fahrenheit, and between 75 and 85% humidity, is best. Make sure that your humidity gauge is calibrated, because sometimes they are pretty far off from accurate. It is simple to calibrate the gauge, and since these two factors (temp and humidity) are so critical to hermit crab survival, it is important to do.

3. Is a heat source used in the tank? If so, what?
Yes, there is heat pad at the bottom covering up about a fourth of the tank. I put the water on top of it to keep the water warm and to make it more humid.

Usually it is best to put heat pads on the side or back of the tank for hermit crabs. They require substrate to be so deep that having the heater underneath often doesn't heat the rest of the tank very well, and may get the bottom of the tank too hot, which could be bad if they do dig to the bottom to molt (which they usually do).

4. What types of water are available (fresh or salt) and how is the water treated (what brands of dechlorinator or salt mix and what ratio is used to mix it)?
I only have fresh water. Should I have salt water, and if so how does that work?

Yes, they need both fresh water (make sure it is dechlorinated, or just buy distilled water) and marine salt water. The marine salt water is essential for healthy molting. To make it, use your dechlorinated or distilled water, and mix it with a marine salt water mix, such as Instant Ocean or Oceanic. You find these in the salt water fish section of the pet store. Do NOT just use table salt, or the sea salt sold for people to use on their food; they need the full range of minerals in the marine salt water mix.

5. What kinds of food do you feed and how often is it replaced?
I feed them land hermit crab food that I replaced every other day and take it out for one day and every week I put Hermit Crab Cookies at night and take them out the next day. Every now and them I put dry oatmeal and raw fruits and vegetables. My Hermit crabs really love mangos and watermelon (all organic)

Most of the types of food or treats for hermit crabs are not good for them, or are actually bad for them. FMR brand is generally considered safe to feed them now and then, but they do better when given a variety of fresh foods. You can visit the "food and water" forum here on the board for lots of ideas of what to feed them, as well as for the safe foods and unsafe foods lists.

6. How long have you had the crab and what species is it, if known?
I've had my oldest crabs for a year, and the pest store said the were land hermit crabs, but some of them look like tree crabs and one of them is a very dark blue and I'm not sure what species that is.

Probably they are Purple Pinchers; they are the most common type of crab sold in the U.S., and can have a variety of colors. You can learn a lot about identifying different types of crabs here on the board. If they have purplish big pinchers and their eyes are kind of shaped like upside-down candy corns, they are PP's. If their eyes are shaped more like ()() , then they are probably E's (Ecuadorians). If that is the case, you will need to adjust your temp somewhat; E's prefer it a bit warmer than PP's and are generally a bit more sensitive and sometimes more difficult to keep.

7. What type of housing are the crabs kept in, what size is it and what kind of lid is on the housing?
I have a glass terrarium I recycled. It was my older brother's iguana cage. I thoroughly cleaned it and the lid is just mesh but it has a glass one if you think that would be better.

If you are able to keep the humidity in a good range with the mesh lid, that is fine; the glass lid might help hold more humidity in; but either way, bear in mind that they will need fresh air moved in on a regular basis, and the stale air (high in CO2, which tends to settle at the bottom of the tank) moved OUT, or they will slowly suffocate. If you have air pumped in near the bottom of the tank (through a humidifier, for example, or through bubble pools), then that will take care of it, but if not, you can take the lid off and fan the tank vigorously several times a day to make sure you move the stale air out and some fresh air in. This will tend to drop your temp and humidity somewhat, so you want to make sure you have good ways to maintain both.

8. How many crabs are in the tank and about how large are they?
I have 15 crabs ranging from the size of thumb nail to as big as the palm of my hand. My largest one is the dark blue one.

15 crabs in a 40 gallon is (as others have said) too many. Depending on their size, they need at least 5 gallons per crab. I don't know how big your hand is, but large crabs should generally have at least a 55 gallon tank (and I still wouldn't put 15 in there; if I had 15, I'd want at least a 90). Remember that these are animals that travel for miles every night in the wild; being cooped up in a little tank is not exactly kind to them. And for safe and healthy molting, they all need to have enough space to be able to dig down into the substrate and have their own tunnel and cave without interfering with each other.

9. How many extra shells are usually kept in the tank, if any?
I didn't keep any shells in there but now there six, all of them medium sized because I couldn't find a large shell at the pet store but I ordered some online

It is essential to have enough extra shells of proper sizes to avoid shell fights (which can result in injury and death). There should be enough extra shells in the tank that any given crab will have at least one shell about the same size as the one he is currently in, one a little larger, and one a little smaller. They also need to be the right TYPE for the kind of crabs you have. If they are all PP's (purple pinchers), PP's tend to love turbo shells. You can go on the Shells forum here on the board and learn about the preferred types of shells for different types of crabs. I've seen shells for sale for hermit crabs that are not even of a type that any hermit crab will use, so do yourself (and your crabs) a favor and learn about the shells, so you don't waste your money on useless shells. Please get natural shells only; there are tons of horror stories on here about painted shells. If yours are in painted shells now, provide them with a good selection of natural shells and try to keep an eye out for switches; as soon as they get out of a painted one, get it out of the tank so nobody else switches into it.

10. Have there been any fumes or chemicals near the crabitat recently?
No, the only thing I smell is their food and I barely smell it.

11. How often do you clean the tank and how?
I clean it once a month or more if it needs it. I don't clean the sand, but I should let me know. I usually strain the gravel, clean the inside of the glass with water and vinegar because that's what my brother had to do with his iguana. I clean out the water dish and food shells when I replace their food or water.

With that many crabs in that size tank, I would definitely try to remove as much of the poop as possible every day (just scraping it up with a plastic spoon to get rid of it). Again, I would either look for a much larger tank to upgrade to as soon as possible, or consider adopting out some of your crabs (you can post them for adoption here on the board, if you decide to go that way). If you stick with the 40g, you really don't want more than 8 crabs, and those should mostly be the smaller ones (because remember, they will grow!).

Gravel isn't good for crabs, and may actually hurt them, so it is better to just use sand for your substrate (play sand, which you can get at places like Lowe's or Home Depot for 3 to 4 dollars for a 50 pound bag, is ideal). You can also mix in some coco fiber substrate (like "Eco Earth") if you like; a lot of the long-term crabbers here use a mix of 5 parts play sand to 1 part Eco Earth, but just plain play sand is fine too.

12. Are sponges used in the water dish? If so, how are they cleaned?
I have one dish with a sponge and one dish without. When I clean out the dish I usually just run the sponge with hot water a couple times. Is there something else I should be doing?

Sponges can grow harmful bacteria, and hot water alone probably won't get rid of it.
Also, if you are running them under hot water from the tap, and this water has chlorine in it, that could be harmful to the crabs. If you do use sponges, you should only use natural sea sponges, and you should take them out at least once a week, boil in dechlorinated water, then let them air dry completely for a day or two, before putting them back in the tank. Crabs do like to eat sea sponges, and they do help with humidity, but you do need to keep them sterilized. If you decide to use them, it might be a good idea to have more than one, to rotate one in, one out and drying, every few days.


13. Has anything new been added to your crabitat recently?
I recently added a new climbing stick that my babies love. It's made out of driftwood. Other than that I have shells for the food and water and a plastic dish for water as well.

The crabs need water dishes, for both the fresh and marine salt water sources, deep enough for them to submerge their shells in. They also need a reliable way to climb out of each dish, because they will drown if trapped underwater for too long.

14. Is there any other information you would like to share that might be helpful (anything that is regularly part of your crab care, playtime, bathing, etc.)?
I play with my crabs everyday, usually while I'm doing homework. They crawl over my books and computer. I used to bathe them every other by spraying them with water, but now I know that they go in the water and bathe themselves so I just do it every week. I dont have an iso tank for my moted crab but I could get one if you think I need it.

Bear in mind that taking them out of their climate-controlled environment may be stressful or even harmful to your crabs. If your house is warm and humid, this may be okay, but generally humans do not keep their houses at 80 degrees with 80 percent humidity!

There is no need to spray the crabs directly with water, and it is generally not recommended now.

If your conditions are good in your tank, the substrate is deep enough and moist enough, and there is enough room in your tank for all your crabs (which right now you don't have), then you should not need to isolate a crab just for regular molting. If you get another surface molter, or have other problems (like other crabs attacking a molter), then you might need to have an iso, especially since your tank is really crowded right now, so there is probably not a lot of room for creating isolation within the tank.

I know it's a lot to manage, but once you have it all set up and balanced, it is easier to maintain it all. I'm sorry about the one that didn't make it, but wish you the best for those remaining.

[Emma95]

Thank you for your help. I'm upgrading my tank to a 75 gallon and keeping my old one as an iso tank and I'm going to use my friends old platform so they have more room. I gave my Hermies some Hamas for dinner and when I went to clean out their cage they were gone! My new tank has an overhead heater so should inest in some heating pads for the sides? How often should I clean the sand?