new tiny in same spot over 48 hours (day 9 QUESTIONS)

[Kermie16]

Oh no Hope the little guy is ok. Maybe surface molting vs PPS? I might just dig a small pit for him, set him in it and cover him with a coco hut to give him some darkness. Another option would be to iso him to help protect him from the other crabs. Maybe in a Tupperware with holes on top cover, sub in there with a small container of FW and a small eggshell with peanut butter and honey? I keep my 10 gallon out with dried out sub in it and heat pads attached for possible emergencies. Good luck and keep us updated please!

[JulesRolyCrab]

Funny how a situation can change perspective... Just a few weeks ago the brand new 65g habitat looked like a hermit crab paradise... now it looks like a beautiful glass death trap. Poor crab...

Oh no, don't say that! You have a beautiful tank, and he's had a journey. Was he store bought? Or else adopted from not so good conditions? It is not your fault, and if he does pass, he'll pass in this beautiful paradise where he spent the best time ever, only second to the beach, of course!

[Kermie16]

I agree with Jules! Definitely don't say that! You have given these little guys the best possible home to live in!! It is not a "death trap" but a loving home for hermies that were probably living in not so good conditions. That in addition to being taken away from their original homes, packaged and shipped and all the stressors that go along with that. Your tank is a beautiful sanctuary for these guys and if it turns out that he is passing, then thank goodness this is the last beautiful thing he will see before then. One of our hermies died a couple of weeks after we purchased her. Beautiful large PP. We had everything set up perfectly including temp and humidity, but PPS was too much on her and she mummified behind one of the coco hermie huts. It's difficult when they die and easy to blame ourselves, as we are their caretakers. But you can't do anything more than what you are doing now. Stay strong and please let us know how he is doing.

[hprmom]

Thanks, Jules and Kermie, it was so helpful to not feel alone the last couple of days, I appreciate you! Thank you for the positive perspective. My favorite spot to drink my tea in the morning is in a big chair where I can watch the LED sunrise and catch a crab napping on the ledge. I was beginning to lose enjoyment feeling like it was wrong to bring the little crab home in the first place. I'll focus on keeping the other guys healthy and as happy as possible in this home.

Montoya is gone. He was completely motionless and his eyes looked like tiny dry dots. He had a light fishy smell so we gently slid him out to make sure and then the smell was strong and unmistakable. My son took it pretty hard. I'm sad but also a bit relieved that I won't be worrying about the sitter having to guess while I'm gone. Kermie, the in-tank Tupperware ISO is a brilliant idea, I'm filing that away for future reference (though I hope I'll never need it).

Montoya was our first store bought crab, the others were adopted (though I think all but one originally came from a store, Tommy was taken from a beach by the previous owner's sister). We have a good relationship with the pet care person at this store, she's always curious about our crab care methods and even upgraded the store habitat after one of our chats. We hand-picked a trio of teenys at our last visit, she said they had just come in. The other two dug down after 3-4 days (one changed shells twice before digging!); Montoya lasted two weeks on the surface. It's funny, I haven't worried about the crabs that went under at all! I figure they're doing their thing and there's nothing I can do about that!

Thank you so much again!




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[Kermie16]

So sorry for your loss! My kids were very upset when Zinnia died too. It's hard but I think we all try our best to give them the best possible life. RIP Montoya.

[JulesRolyCrab]

I'm sorry for your loss. You did everything you could for the little guy, and he moved on in a beautiful tank. You really cared about and worried for him and did your very best to help a crab that had been through a lot.
Here's a big hug through the screen, okay?

[hprmom]

Just to put a happy coda on this: The other two tinys that went underground during Montoya's ordeal made it. When we arrived home after two weeks away, they were the first two crabs we spotted. Westley went down a tiny and came up a small; Fezzik, the tiniest, is still tiny but changed out of his pockmarked pica into a pretty little murex. Life goes on.

Thanks again for the guidance, support and hugs!

[Kermie16]

Wonderful news!! Congrats x2!!

[JulesRolyCrab]

Awesome news!!!