Hermit dug hole under moss, not buried, no shell

[lunacrab]

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?
Playsand 4" deep

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?
12" up, digital, 76 degrees 94% humidity (just misted)

3. Is a heat source used in the tank? If so, what?
Under tank on side of tank

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)? Fresh non-treated (well water no contaminents) and salt water (I don't recall mixture ratio right now, sorry, but pretty sure I got it off this site).


5. What kinds of food do you feed and how often is it replaced? Mix of foods from our fridge - fruits, vegetables, raw unseasoned meats.


6. How long have you had the crab and what species is it, if known? I think it's a blue claw, but really don't know. Have had this crab for two weeks. Bought from a pet store. It did not have any front claws when I bought him.


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? 20 gallon, solid lid (non-screen)


9. How many crabs are in the tank and about how large are they? 3 - this one is very small (dime sized), others are right around a quarter.


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


11. Have there been any fumes or chemicals near the crabitat recently? No


12. How often do you clean the tank and how? daily to bi-daily surface sifting. Havent had them long enough to do a deep clean.


13. Are sponges used in the water dish? If so, how are they cleaned? Stopped within the last few days. I cleaned them daily under hot water, when I used them.


14. Has anything new been added to your crabitat recently? No.


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.)? I put them in the water to bathe until about 4 days ago, but stopped. I do not handle my crabs other than to move them when sifting.


16. Please describe the emergency situation in detail. My small crab (who always seemed to be in a bigger shell so he could hide all the way back) evacuated its shell, dug a hole under a clump of moss, and hid underneath. When I lifted the moss (not knowing he was there), he moved and was looking up. This crab I got a couple weeks ago from a pet shop, where they were obviously not in an ideal environment. When I got him home, I realized he had no front claws. I've been feeding honey/unsweetened applesauce/peanut butter and have seen him eat. I've covered him with a cut plastic bottle to keep other crabs away. I did not put another shell under the bottle.

I appreciate any and all help

[lunacrab]

Okay, so I was panicking and tried something before I got a response. I put the hermie and a shell that I felt was the right size in a cup that was barely big enough for both of them. After about 40 mins he put himself in and I returned him to the cage. Will keep checking on him.

[curlysister]

Sounds like you did pretty much exactly what the 'naked crab' care sheet recommends if a crab is out of it's shell! Yay he went back in! Keep a close eye on him, in case the other crabs bother him while he is weak. Unfortunately, crabs go through so much before we get them, that they are often weak. And a weak crab will drop it's shell in an effort to conserve energy, but unfortunately without a shell they will die. Keep feeding high energy foods like the peanut butter and honey to help keep his energy up.
Your conditions look good. Try putting the thermometer/ hygrometer closer to the surface where they spend most of their time - how is the humidity when you don't mist?
Also be sure that you are giving a source of calcium - egg shells are a good source, as is cuttle bone from the bird section of the pet store.