HELP!!! Is my crab dead?

[KayedeeLove<3]

So probably you should adopt instead of from a petshop if you have that option

Sent from my LGMS345 using Tapatalk

[Shawna]

So I called the kiosk owner where I purchased the crabs. He said he was sorry it passed away, but you can never determine the life of an animal ("even a hamster or a dog...something can go wrong") and that it doesn't happen frequently. Why my crab!!! I was also a little taken back because I told him about the crabitat I built for them and he pretty much shot it down and said I shouldn't trust what I am reading on the internet about crab care (which I learned here) and I should follow his instructions. I shouldn't use all purpose sand and cocofiber. I shouldn't give purple pinchers salt water because they live more inland and it can hurt them if it isn't mixed right. I should be using the calcium sand that he sold me. I should not feed them shrimp, meal worms, and other fish items, and I should use the commercial food. I have had the crab 4 days!!! How can any of that possibly be what caused his death if this isn't something that happens frequently. I want to believe that the information I have read here is the appropriate way to care for a crab and not what he is telling me. He says to follow instructions on his page...here is the link if you are interested. hermitcrabs.org. My poor crab! I just pray that the conditions I have provided will keep my other crab alive! I have now gotten the temp up to a steady 78-79 degrees and the humidity is between 76-80%. I can't take this heartbreak...and it has only been 4 days!

[Shawna]

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?

Yes! It makes me want to adopt all these poor little guys and get them out of these pet stores! I am an animal addict! I made a mistake getting these crabs without first researching where they come from and how they are treated. I have a really hard time even supporting/visiting zoos and aquariums (especially sea world) because of animal conditions and treatment. It is not fair to take them from the wild and put them in a tiny box just for our pleasure. I really can't believe I bought these crabs without looking into that! Lesson learned. I want to teach my children how to respect animals and nature and how to live with and enjoy animals in their natural state. I just need to stick with domesticated animals and help put an end to animal mistreatment and trafficking.

[Shawna]

I put the crab back in his shell and he has still not moved. I will wait until he starts to smell to dispose of the poor guy. How long does it usually take does anyone know?

[KayedeeLove<3]

I put the crab back in his shell and he has still not moved. I will wait until he starts to smell to dispose of the poor guy. How long does it usually take does anyone know?

Couple days maybe... Clearly he is uneducated. The reason they bury as soon as they are in ideal conditions, is because of inhumane conditions. Calci sand gets yucky with all the water and humidity. Crabs diet is important, they have a food pyramid like us that commercial food doesn't support. In fact there is a huge black list of commercial foods known to be toxic to crabs. Too bad he won't be shut down.

Sent from my LGMS345 using Tapatalk

[pandaincognito]

The kiosk dealer was lying about it not happening often. The only accurate thing he had said was that sometimes death happens, but when they're kept for a good while in sub standard conditions, then the death rate goes up significantly higher. Im pretty sure his conditions were substandard. Fresh, organic foods are proven to be better for every thing that eats solid matter. Wow. Please, do not buy anymore from that kiosk. Hopefully his little business will fail, and he wont be able to order anymore for sale. ugh, dont give up on them. My crabs are fun to take care of. Being able to watch them interact and climb about, makes it worth it ^^ plus all the things you learn about them.

[soilentgringa]

Common sense would tell you that you keep any animal in the conditions they would live in their natural habitats. Land hermit crabs are from the tropics. They require tropical conditions. They lay their eggs in the ocean to hatch.
Ugh. I am so over unscrupulous crab vendors. They can live 50 years or more in the wild.

[KayedeeLove<3]

^ Yes
Also, the crab wouldn't be in that shape had he kept them in the correct environment.

Sent from my LGMS345 using Tapatalk

[CallaLily]

Handling them doesn't cause death. The transition from their natural environment. I handle my crabs at least once a week, sometimes twice.

Yes, BUT for new hermit crabs it's best to not handle them at all until they've settled into their new home (preferably having successfully molted with you), unless it can't be helped. Once they've settled, then you can decide how much handling you feel is acceptable. Some crabbers handle their crabs regularly and some choose to take a more hands off approach. It's one of those things that comes down to the crabbers decision and more importantly how your individual crabs react to it.

[KayedeeLove<3]

Handling them doesn't cause death. The transition from their natural environment. I handle my crabs at least once a week, sometimes twice.

Yes, BUT for new hermit crabs it's best to not handle them at all until they've settled into their new home (preferably having successfully molted with you), unless it can't be helped. Once they've settled, then you can decide how much handling you feel is acceptable. Some crabbers handle their crabs regularly and some choose to take a more hands off approach. It's one of those things that comes down to the crabbers decision and more importantly how your individual crabs react to it.

Agree with calla lily, i haven't taken them out to hold them only to clean etc.. However, what ive noticed helps them get used to you is having them in your main living area so they can get used to your life surroundings to. Mine snapped back in their shells when i walked the first week but now i can put my hands in the tank and do anything they don't run they don't snap into their shells anymore. In fact i hand Fed one of my originals the other day. I held out a piece of shrimp and he gently took it with his pincher and threw it in lol.

Sent from my LGMS345 using Tapatalk

[CallaLily]

So I called the kiosk owner where I purchased the crabs. He said he was sorry it passed away, but you can never determine the life of an animal ("even a hamster or a dog...something can go wrong") and that it doesn't happen frequently. Why my crab!!! I was also a little taken back because I told him about the crabitat I built for them and he pretty much shot it down and said I shouldn't trust what I am reading on the internet about crab care (which I learned here) and I should follow his instructions. I shouldn't use all purpose sand and cocofiber. I shouldn't give purple pinchers salt water because they live more inland and it can hurt them if it isn't mixed right. I should be using the calcium sand that he sold me. I should not feed them shrimp, meal worms, and other fish items, and I should use the commercial food. I have had the crab 4 days!!! How can any of that possibly be what caused his death if this isn't something that happens frequently. I want to believe that the information I have read here is the appropriate way to care for a crab and not what he is telling me. He says to follow instructions on his page...here is the link if you are interested. hermitcrabs.org. My poor crab! I just pray that the conditions I have provided will keep my other crab alive! I have now gotten the temp up to a steady 78-79 degrees and the humidity is between 76-80%. I can't take this heartbreak...and it has only been 4 days!

Unfortunately it does happen pretty often but not because of anything you did. In this case, the damage was very likely already done from the stress and abuse these crabbies face from collection from the wild to petstore to home and everything in between.

I took a quick look at his site and he has some very out-dated crab care info. Bathing, gravel, molting tanks, PPs not needing saltwater - all very old info. He also makes it sound as if surface molting were normal! It's not! I'm sad to say he's not the only one out there selling hermit crabs that passes on out-dated or down right wrong crab care info. Almost all places that sell them do. The info here is good but feel free to check out other websites and groups to compare. Do research into their natural habitat too. It's never a good idea to just take one person's word for it.

[pandaincognito]

Oh, yeah, that's true. Mine aren't so new anymore. My presence isn't near as stressful. Out of the four one is still very shy and runs at the site of me.

[Shawna]

CallaLilly,

I looked at quite a few sites. There is a lot of conflicting information. But I thought this site along with a couple others had the most reasonable information. I had a hedgehog as well and the same thing was true with her...a lot of misinformation and conflicting views. I just want to do the best I can for my pets and give them as close to what they have in the wild. So I definitely agree when it comes to pretty much anything in life...always do your own research and don't just take one opinion as truth.

[pandaincognito]

You'd be surprised at how many animals this actually goes for. It's in betta pages and goat pages/groups/forums as well. A lot of times the concept of what works for one doesn't always work for another is true sometimes x_x when reading about my pleco, I was so frustrated because literally every forum, group, and pet care guide all said something different. From temp all the way to substrate choice. A lot of it wins up being a learning as you go kind of thing lol.

This site though is amazing. I take the advice of the members here before anyone