HELP!!! Is my crab dead?

[Shawna]

HELP!!!

I bought 2 hemit crabs from the mall on Thursday. I was stupid to think that they were a good pet and that the mall kiosk guy would hve correct care information. When I got home with them I immediately found this site, and on Friday I built them a 10 gallon aquarium with 6 inch substrate of all purpose sand and coconut fiber 5:1 ratio. I have 2 dishes of water one salt (instant ocean) and one fresh. I have commercial hermit crab food and have put in fresh fruits at this point. I have taken them out of their habitat and held them daily (which I now know I should not have done). One crab looked like he needed a new shell soon as his legs were sticking out alot. I bought 8 shells for them to choose from. I also had a Moss pit. Temp and humidity have been difficult to control. First couple days temp was 70 to 74. Now it is stable at 75. Humidity has been between 70-80%. Having a hard time keeping it up. I have a 10 gallon aquarium with a glass lid. Sponges in the water dishes and Moss pit. So last night when I took them out they both seemed great. They came out quickly and we looked at them and then put them back, and when I went to bed at 11 pm one was in the coco hut and one was in front of the Moss pit staring at it. When I woke up this morning one crab was laying on the sand with no shell and his big pincher claw was detached. The other crab is buried under the substrate under the Moss pit. Now here is where it gets confusing. It looks like both of the original shells were vacated. I had two similar shells and I can't tell if the one that is buried is in one of the original shells or the new similar shell. I picked up the dead looking good crab. It didn't move, but I put it back and it is just laying on it's side and has not moved. It doesn't stink and still appears to have color. I don't know what happened! Obviously they are stressed and I handled them too much. Did they have a shell fight and one of them won and the other is left for dead? Should I leave the dead looking crab in there for a chance at survival or is he dead? I am absolutely heart broken! Thank you for your advice.

[CallaLily]

It could be the one crab attacked the other OR it could be the crab that appears dead dropped his BP and is suffering from Post Purchase Syndrome.

Isolate the crab that appears dead in proper conditions until you're sure he has indeed passed (death smell and/or decomposition). This can be a separate iso tank or an old (clean) Tupperware with air holes poked in the lid placed within the main crabitat.

Check out the Caresheet and FAQ section, if you haven't already. There's loads of good info there on crab care. Welcome to the HCA!

[KayedeeLove<3]

Listen he may be dead to be safe wait for a nasty smell!!! Hermit crabs aren't beginner pets (little hard at first) but it pays off and eventually you will bond with them. With that said, any pet store does not provide a very ideal habitat for them! Sometimes they are purchased with what its called post purchase syndrome. This pretty much means they couldn't handle the amount of stress from shipping and/or they were in horrible conditions!!! Do not be discouraged if you decide to keep crabbing we will all help you along your journey! If you purchase another crab (good idea they are very social) buy one a liiiiittle bigger than the one you have of this seems too have been a shell fight!!! Also joanns fabric has a pack of green shells (lots) the crabs love them They are three bucks! Nice choice for a newly molted crab! Good luck i hope the little guy makes it!

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[KayedeeLove<3]

Love***

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[CallaLily]

Love***

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You should be able to edit your posts to correct any mistakes. I can't remember how on tapatalk (and it's different depending on your device anyway).....I'm thinking if you touch your post a menu comes up with the option to edit or there's three little dots in the corner that you can click on to bring up the menu. Sorry it's been a while since I've used Tapatalk. Hope this helps.

[KayedeeLove<3]

Love***

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You should be able to edit your posts to correct any mistakes. I can't remember how on tapatalk (and it's different depending on your device anyway).....I'm thinking if you touch your post a menu comes up with the option to edit or there's three little dots in the corner that you can click on to bring up the menu. Sorry it's been a while since I've used Tapatalk. Hope this helps.

Lol thanks callalily!!!

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[pandaincognito]

Oh wow, this is terrible!! Thank you for throwing out the kiosks advice, your humidity (as difficult as it is to maintain) sounds fine, temp is on the cool side but as far as I know not deadly. Handling them doesn't cause death. The transition from their natural environment. I handle my crabs at least once a week, sometimes twice. Just so I can check on their physical appearance (my eyesight is bad)

As previous poster said it is either a case of bullying/shellfight maybe if I read the post right, or its pps because they are so new. Dont lose hope, he may still be alive.

[KayedeeLove<3]

Try going somewhere that is a chain to buy your crabs, most of the time for me it has been successful!

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[mool]

Most people recommend that you adopt crabs from other people and not support the stores that participate in the horrible trafficking of hermit crabs.

[Shawna]

I have pretty much been crying all day. I feel so horrible for my poor little crab! I don't know if I will be able to get another crab...I can't stand the thought of any more crabs being stolen from their homes and abused like they are. I really wish I had been smarter and not bought them at all. I don't know what I was thinking. Now this poor little crab has to pay the ultimate price. I feel so terrible!

[Rawrgeous]

Just get on craigslist and put an ad out that you want to adopt some hermit crabs, remind yourself this is in no way your fault, this is a common thing. PPs is a serious thing. Adopting, and advocating for their proper care for me is one step closer to ending the cycle. If you don't feel comfortable keeping them though, you could always try to adopt him out. We do have an adoption section. You can't adopt from HCA until after you've been a member for 3 months I believe, but anyone can put a crab up for adoption. It is incredibly sad what they go through, but remind yourself people like us are these guys best chance after being put into captivity...at least you know you'll provide what the little guys needs.

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[Shawna]

Another question! So if my situation is PPS, is it normal for them to drop their big pincher claw and lay naked without moving? I am pretty sure my other crab just switched shells to the shell that is similar to my other crabs shell and buried himself...I don't think he took the other crabs shell. Should I rinse the dead looking crab off and try to put him back in his shell? He hasn't moved all day.

[Shawna]

Also, my husband dropped the crab that now looks dead on Friday about 2 feet onto a soft chair accidentally. I was so furious!!!! Could it be that the short fall harmed him too? He was acting fine after the fall and the next 2 days also, but maybe it hurt him internally. I am so upset with my husband especially now that the crab is dying or dead possibly. He keeps wanting to say that the other crab hurt him...but I just don't think so. Ugh!

[mool]

It was probably the combination of everything: plucked from the wild; transported to the store under awful conditions; living in the store; moving to your house; getting dropped and handled; etc. You are not at fault here and even less so if you learn from your mistakes.

Don't give up on crabbing. It's a lot of fun once you get everything right and the crabs start displaying normal crab behavior.

If you adopt, you are not taking another crab from the wild, but saving one that has already been taken. Does that make sense?

[KayedeeLove<3]

I cant resist when I'm in a pet store
Guilty as charged!!!
I just feel bad because i do all my shopping there... While the conditions suck (which is why i feel so bad) the ones I've bought seem healthy. Despite being in sunny florida i haven't seen any for adoption any where in near proximity

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