New Straw lost leg

[Urchin]

I just adopted a strawberry Hermit yesterday from a person on Craigslist. He said he’d had the strawberry for a year, and that it just finished it’s 3rd molt with him on Thursday. We just noticed a leg laying on ground. The strawberry is now in a ten gallon ISO.

I have 3 jumbo hermit crabs, who I’ve had for 3 years. I do not know what type they are for sure, but they are very likely PPs. I moved them from their 40 gallon habitat into a new 90 gallon habitat about a 6 weeks ago, which has 11 inches of sand and an 18 inch climbing wall, with platforms, and salt and fresh water deep enough to swim in available at all times. They also have a staring UV light, puls a humidifier and UTHs. What I feed my hermit crabs generally goes something like this: They always have additive free freeze dried krill, shrimp, and blood worms available. They always have a grain available, so usually oats, barley, quinoa, or kamut. They get fresh veggies every night. They always have a green leafy vegetable, plus another type of vegetable, usually whatever we are eating. They get some type of fruit most nights as well. They also get various raw nuts, and hard boiled eggs a couple of times a month. We have been deliberately making sure to feed extra this week, knowing that we would be adopting the strawberry. I have dried coral and unbleached sand dollars available at all times. I also have cholla wood, and pine cones available for them. Tank temp is 85°F. My humidity gage is broken, so I’m keeping the tank humidity high enough to cause water to run down the walls in spots, figuring too much is better than too little until I can get a new gage. Substrate is 11 inches of play sand, in a 4 to 1 mixture with eco earth.

The crabs previous home was a 50 gallon tank, with ten inches of sand, salt and freshwater deep enough to swim in, and a UV light. The strawberry had lived there almost a full year. All information is according to it’s previous owner.

I feel awful about this. I thought I was doing the right thing bringing this crab home. I thought my tank was a good place for it to live, and that it would have a better chance with me than with a random person off of Craigslist. I thought that since it had been with it’s previous owner a year, and had molted 3 times, and was said to be eating well, that it was healthy. It’s previous owner was taking down his tank, and wasn’t keeping any of his crabs. The strawberrys previous tank mates were 3 purple pinchers. The strawberry is a medium-large size. My crabs have been acting aggressively towards the strawberry, so it’s possible this happened from a fight. I hadn’t seen anything too bad, and it didn’t look bad enough to make me think the strawberry needed to be removed before we spotted the leg. I feel awful about this. Is there anything more I can do? The strawberry is in a 10 gallon ISO, with a thin sand bed, an UTH, and both kinds of water. We haven’t put any food in yet, as it has only just been moved, and we didn’t want to scare the poor thing any worse than it already is.

Any help would be greatly appreciated
Urchin

[Urchin]

Some other information:

Before the gage broke, my tank humidity was about 87%, give or take a percent in either direction. My tank stays about 85°F, though it can go up to 87 or 88 on a warm day. My water is RO water, purchased from a machine at our local grocery store. We’ve tested it, and it seems to be normal RO. We use Instant Ocean to make the saltwater. We adjust the water in their bowls several times a week, to keep it clean and replenished. What I feed them looks something like this: They always have a grain available, changed every other day. They always have leafy greens, usually a mixture of what’s in season at the farmers market or grocery store, changed daily. They always have a vegetable available, plus either a fruit, or second vegetable, again changed daily. They always have additive free freeze dried krill and shrimp available at all times, plus freeze dried brine shrimp or tubifex worms on a regular basis. The strawberry came up from it’s 3rd molt on Thursday, according to it’s owner. I also had one of my three come up
from a molt on Wednesday.The lid is a custom wooden lid that came with the tank. I usually keep a minimum of 4 extra shells per crab, but I added new shells 2 weeks ago, so that number has been higher lately. There have been no fumes or chemicals near the tank. Their food is rinsed well in RO water before they are fed, and much of what they eat is organic. I have no metals of any kind in my tank. We gently scrape off a thin layer of sand off the top, to remove old food and waste. The tank is kept clean, with no molds or rotting foods. If I need to really clean, which is rare, I use very diluted vinegar water. We do not use sponges in the tank. I do not handle my crabs, unless it is absolutely necessary, since they don’t seem to like it much. Nothing new has been added to the tank, except the strawberry Crab.

None of my crabs have never been sick, so I’ve not dealt with a sick or injured crab before. My guys have been happy and healthy and molting like champs since I adopted them almost 3 years ago. I feel terrible that this happened:( I really thought I was doing the right thing, bringing it home.

Urchin

[Urchin]

I keep trying to think of what I could have done differently, what changed, what went wrong. The only thing that changed was that I added a bigger saltwater dish, in preparation for the strawberry, thinking it might want to have a dish big enough to swim in. The saltwater was part of 20 gallons we mixed up for our saltwater tank. We used Instant Ocean, and measured that the salinity was within normal range, and let it age 48 hours. I put a piece of dried hard coral in the dish, so the hermits could get out easily. When I introduced the strawberry, we gently put it in the freshwater bowl very briefly, because I read somewhere that doing so might help the new crab to smell more familiar to the others. We also did that in an attempt to remove any remaining molt smell, just in case. The strawberry does seem quite happy in the ISO, wandering around and exploring. I’ve read that strawberry’s can’t regrow lost limbs. Is that true? If the straw makes it, will this leave the crab disabled:(

[GotButterflies]

My goodness! Sounds like you have been worrying! Straws are very delicate! I have four.

Yes, the straw can grow lost limbs. Any hermit can if given the proper diet.

Whenever you add a new hermit crab to a tank they are going to have to establish the chain of command. I’m sure this is how your straw lost it’s limb. You could try rearranging the tank and then adding the straw back.

Provide calcium (cuttlebone, oystershell, eggshell), and raw, organic honey

Keep a close eye on the tank


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[LadyJinglyJones]

Just wanted to add - though unlike GotButterflies I haven't any experience with straws...

The lost limb may not have been torn off, rather jettisoned out of stress. New surroundings & three completely new tankmates, who want to assert their dominance over your new guy... this may have been a bit overwhelming.
Especially since his new tank mates are not straws - sure, his previous roomies were PPs, but he had established relationships with them. It's probably a good idea to see if you can find him a species buddy.

I'd say that once you feel comfortable reintroducing the straw (should his health appear stable, eating normally, & no more limb loss occur for a few days) try adding a number of hides for him, and perhaps some foliage (fake would be fine) if there isn't any at present. Having more cover often reduces stress for animals. If he's smaller than the others, perhaps make a few hides they can't get into & place them all over the tank.

Hopefully as everyone settles down your straw will assimilate comfortably.

[GotButterflies]

Dropping limbs is a sign of stress. I didn’t mean that the leg was torn off- I just meant straws are delicate to change, and it doesn’t take much to stres them out.


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[Urchin]

Thanks:) All of my PPs came together, and had been living together for a year before they came to live with me, so I’ve not really seen dominance issues before. I’ve been lucky. I’d never had a fight with injuries before, and everyone’s always been super healthy, popping up and down for their molts like clockwork. So it was kind of scary to walk in and see it’s leg just laying there on the sand, and the poor straw curled tight into it’s shell. It seems to be doing okay in the ISO though. Explored it’s surroundings, and ate a little coconut oil. I’m glad it’s leg will grow back. I think I’ll give it a little while before I try reintroducing. Hopefully some good food and time will help things go more smoothly next time. I’ll definitely be keeping an eye out for any straws in need of a new home:)
Urchin

[wodesorel]

Straws are HARD to come by. People generally do not rehome them on a whim. What was the reasoning behind them getting rid of it? Did they charge you a fee? I can't help but be suspicious something happened at it's old home that is causing major issues for it now. I pretty much never trust anything anyone tells me about animals on CL and FB because they always lie to make themselves look like better owners. Yeah, I'm cynical.