Fall injury(potentially solved)

[50 Caliber]

Since you've come to the emergency forum, we know you want a fast answer to your question. In order for us to figure out the problem as quickly as possible, we ask that you answer the following questions as best you can. Some of them may seem odd, but they're all designed to give us the information we need to give you a good solution for your problem. The things in the [ brackets ] are there to make this post easier to read once submitted. Thanks!


1. What kind of substrate is used in your tank and how deep is it?
a play sand and cocoa fiber mix, about 8’

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?
Multiple around the tank, theres an 80-75ish temperature gradient and a humidity from 80-90

3. Is a heat source used in the tank? If so, what?
Several temperature controlled UTCs on one 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)?
Both, i use instant ocean and tetra water condition

5. What kinds of food do you feed and how often is it replaced?
I have a bunch of different name brand premixed foods i alternate between, the dorks love the most basic tetra pellets, but i still alternate to keep things fresh

6. How long have you had the crab and what species is it, if known?
For about 6 months, pp

7. Has your crab molted, and how long ago did it happen? it came up from, what was presumably molting, about two weeks ago


8. What type of housing are the crabs kept in, what size is it and what kind of lid is on the housing?
29 gallon tall, glass

9. How many crabs are in the tank and about how large are they?
Two of equal size(medium), one that was smaller, but was very lethargic when purchased, I havent seen it since it buried and presume it dead

10. How many extra shells are usually kept in the tank, if any?
About 6

11. Have there been any fumes or chemicals near the crabitat recently?
None

12. How often do you clean the tank and how?
I haven’t had a need to yet, or had a time when they were all above the surface.

13. Are sponges used in the water dish? If so, how are they cleaned?
None

14. Has anything new been added to your crabitat recently?
Several plants and enrichment items but they haven’t been in there for more than a few hours

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.)?


16. Please describe the emergency situation in detail.

One of my crabs managed to climb to the rim of the tank, and part way around it before falling onto the huts. I do not know how it managed to get up there. I think it may have spidermanned from the net wall to a temperature control probe, then to the rim. The impact was loud enough that it woke me up, i knew exactly what it was what i heard it and so immediately checked on it. It was inside his shell and didnt move for about 10 minutes, its tumbled off of small climbing elements before and never before been slow to “get back up”. It tried to move a little but stopped. i began researching, and about five minutes later i heard a click on the glass and looked over to see it walking around the huts. I disturbed it by moving, which is also abnormal, so i turned the red light off. When i checked again later it was gone, either buried or in a hut.
Judging from the behavior i assume its either injured or very shaken up.

Its my fault, as i added the net wall today. I did not at all think it could find enough purchase to climb around the rim of an aquarium.

I very much doubt there’s anything i can do for it now other than to wait it out and see if it recovers. Im completely hands off with my crabs unless theirs an emergency. I know my meddling wont change much, but i thought id ask just in case there was something i could do to either help or make its passing as comfortable as possible.

That will leave me with presumably one crab. I did a great deal of research and was a regular guest on this form long before I purchased them. But I managed to not realize just how terrible the hermit crab industry is. Now that I know i would very much rather not support it in anyway. I live in the middle of Idaho so there is not much chance of an adoption either out or in. I know theyre social and need company. I can give them a far better than average life in captivity, but its never going to be what they need or like the home they were taken from. If i get more, theres just the chance that more will die and the cycle wont end, but I dont want to have my last crab suffer in isolation. I dont mind any advice on that topic anyones willing to give.

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[50 Caliber]

Annnnd update.

Its up again and moving about like normal. Seems to be alright. I dont know what its deal is, I suppose ill just monitor it further and see if anything changes, for now all seems well.
Apologies for the needless post in emergency
These guys drive me crazy but oh how i adore them haha

[MotleyMusicana]

No worries for a needless post! Better to be sure! I've had hermit crabs fall before from similar and higher heights (used to have a 40 gallon with E's, currently have a 29 gallon with PP's). They've always been fine. When you say he fell on a hut, do you mean a cocohut? As long as it wasn't something sharp that could have done damage to his body, I think your little dude is probably gonna be a-ok. I think sometimes they just shock themselves by falling and need a minute to process. Keep an eye on him, look for bodily injuries. I'm assuming the shell isn't noticeably cracked. In the wild, hermit crabs climb trees to escape predators, and they fall in the wild just like they fall in captivity, sometimes from greater heights than you'll find in a tank.

You could give him some high energy food like honey, peanut butter or egg as a treat (along with plenty of calcium) to help him heal up if he is injured.
Sounds like you're really on top of things though!

[wodesorel]

Falls shouldn't have an effect unless there was something structurally wrong with the shell it was wearing. These guys fall from trees in the wild, down cliffsides, etc. Mine used to take nightly headers from the top of my old 3 foot tall tank.