Possible death after a molt

[Pinkpopcorn]

I recently acquired two new crabs from a store that kept them in poor conditions. I didn't realize how badly in shape they were until I brought them home. For a few days they wouldn't eat or drink and was mostly dormant. I set up an ideal home for them as much as I could with the temperature and humidity they needed, then I left them alone to distress. They were both showing signs of PPS. One of them showed signs of improvement and started exploring, climbing, as well as eating and drinking. But my other one buried himself almost immediately before I saw him eat or drink anything. He's been buried about a week. I figured he was probably molting. But just today, his tank (I placed the crabs into separate tanks) started to stink. How long should I wait to dig him up to confirm that he died?

[soilentgringa]

Hi! Would you mind filling out these questions real quick so we can identify what's going on?

The substrate and waters are pretty crucial to health so if you have a shallow sub or calci sand or some other type, and it died during a molt you may be able to smell it.
Also there is a chemically "molting smell" which is different from the death smell.

http://www.hermitcrabassociation.com/ph ... hp?t=46102

If you'll copy the emergency questions and paste with your answers here, that would help to troubleshoot.

Here is a link to the care guide

http://www.hermitcrabassociation.com/ph ... hp?t=92457

[Pinkpopcorn]

1. What kind of substrate is used in your tank and how deep is it?
I use play sand which was 2 to 3 inches deep with a little bit of bark that I got from my hermit crab starter kit. He's also buried under a half-dome log.

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? They are placed to the left of the tank close to the substrate. Temperature averages about 75 degrees, humidity is between 75 and 80%.

3. Is a heat source used in the tank? If so, what? I use a UTH attached to the side.

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 use All Living Things saltwater conditioner (directions say 1 tsp for every 8 oz), and Top Fin water conditioner for my fresh water (dosage: 7 drops for every 1/2 gallon).

5. What kinds of food do you feed and how often is it replaced?
some dried meal worms, boiled chicken, fresh fruit, pecans, which are replaced everyday.

6. How long have you had the crab and what species is it, if known?
Not very long. I've had them for about 2 1/2 weeks. They are both purple pinchers.

7. Has your crab molted, and how long ago did it happen?
Unknown.

8. What type of housing are the crabs kept in, what size is it and what kind of lid is on the housing?
I'm fairly new to crabbing. I put them in 5.5 gallon tank then recently acquired a 20 gallon tank. I left the buried one in the 5.5 gallon glass tank.

9. How many crabs are in the tank and about how large are they? I have two and both are the size of golf balls.

10. How many extra shells are usually kept in the tank, if any? About 5 shells. I recently ordered more shells for them.

11. Have there been any fumes or chemicals near the crabitat recently? They were in my kitchen counter for awhile which I wipe down with clorox wipes but I usually cover the tank lid so no fumes can get in when I'm cleaning my counter.

12. How often do you clean the tank and how? Right now I'm just spot cleaning.

13. Are sponges used in the water dish? If so, how are they cleaned? There are; they were boiled then dried.

14. Has anything new been added to your crabitat recently? A branch I found in my back yard which I soaked in dechlorinated water, sun dried, then baked (there are no pine trees in my area). But it went in after my other one buried and was carefully placed.

15. 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.)? The store I got my crabs from were kept in an open enclosure with no lid. They used a humidifier with bottled water but I don't know if they treated the water with a fresh water conditioner. They used no heating for their crabs. They had little to no dry substrate. They told me that any bottled or filtered water would be fine to use. Now I treat all my waters even if they are bottled after I did a little more research. Unfortunately I have already used untreated bottled water in their crabitat for their substrate.

16. Please describe the emergency situation in detail.
I could tell my crabs both had signs of PPS. "Popcorn", the one who is buried, was very lethargic and had confused antennas. I didn't see him eat or drink anything before he buried himself. The food and water was left untouched; I could tell because there were no traces of crawling or sand in their food or water. Now he's been buried for about a week and yesterday his tank began to smell. It stunk up the whole room! My other one, "Hermies", did improve and started to explore, eat and drink. He is now in my new and improved 20 gallon tank but I'm afraid he's getting lonely and becoming dormant again (how long can they go on without a buddy?). I'm thinking the strong smell is an indicator that Popcorn died. I was thinking of carefully digging him up soon to confirm it.

[soilentgringa]

Hi! If you have had a chance to read the care guides, you will know that they need a deep, moist substrate to bury and molt in.

The bark from the starter kit may or may not be toxic, depending on what type of tree it is from. Usually you have to call the manufacturer to ask, and sometimes they don't even know for sure.

We recommend a mix of eco earth coconut fiber and silica based playsand. About 1/2 a brick per 50lb bag of sand.

The saltwater conditioner you have is, unfortunately, insufficient for the crabs. They need a marine grade salt like Instant Ocean. If the dechlorinator removes chlorine, ammonia, and heavy metals from your water then it should be fine. There is a Food and Water guided linked in the care guide that was linked in a previous comment.

The sponges are unnecessary. Providing your crabs with dishes deep enough to submerge in will allow them to adjust their shell water, soak, and get plenty to drink. Shells, rocks, or fake plants can provide them with a way out so they don't drown. Tap water and SeaChem Prime is very cost effective as well.

If you feel a molting cave may have collapsed, which could be the case if you are just using playsand, you might very carefully dig.

[Pinkpopcorn]

Thank you. I will apply your recommendations to my crabitat as soon as I can!