12yr old PP hermit dead or alive?

[Blackdragonfly]

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?
Sub is coco core/sand lava rock mix (bio active)


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?

Yes temp 85-87 humidity 75-80 ave
3. Is a heat source used in the tank? If so, what?

Yes heat pad under it, day light & blacklight @ night
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)?
Non chlorinated, salt & fresh

5. What kinds of food do you feed and how often is it replaced?
Veggies, fruit, greens black soldier fly larva

6. How long have you had the crab and what species is it, if known?
7 years purple pincher

7. Has your crab molted, and how long ago did it happen?
Yes, many times, previous to this time about a year

8. What type of housing are the crabs kept in, what size is it and what kind of lid is on the housing?
She is in a 20 gallon glass enclosure with the screen top that has been sealed up to preserve humidity, but light from the light lamp.

9. How many crabs are in the tank and about how large are they?
1 med

10. How many extra shells are usually kept in the tank, if any?
Lots of extra shells 10 or more

11. Have there been any fumes or chemicals near the crabitat recently?

No
12. How often do you clean the tank and how?
I only spot clean it because it’s bioactive

13. Are sponges used in the water dish? If so, how are they cleaned?

There is a sponge in both the saltwater and the freshwater that I change out about once every couple weeks
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.)?


16. Please describe the emergency situation in detail.
My hermit crab named Betty is about 12 years old, She doesn’t molt very often and hasn’t for about a year. She was showing behavior that she was going to mold, but she would never dig down. I even tried to put her in isolation, but she went crazy surfing so as she is the only crab in there, I just put her back in her regular enclosure.

Prior to molting, she was acting strange very lethargic, not eating or drinking very much. I figured this was just molting behavior. Then one day she laid down under her plant with her leg in front of her and her claw underneath her and has not moved in two months.

I did put a hide over her, but every once in a while shine flashlight in there to see what’s going on. There’s smell and the ice pods are not bothering her.

Today based on a ton of research, I’ve been doing I made the choice to really look at her because I figured she was gone. I picked her up and her legs are very opaque like what you would see when they were about to molt, but her large claw is very dark colored. She did not fall out of her shell and again she doesn’t smell her enclosure smells humid, and there is the leftover food that the Isopods have drug off. I have been spraying her regularly and changing food and water.

I just want to know if there’s someway to know for sure that she’s gone or not and how long is the longest amount of time it can take to molt especially surface molt?

.

[JoeHermits]

If she had surface molted there would be an exoskeleton near her (or parts of one). Not moving for two months sounds like death.

A little trick you can do is hold onto a leg and gently pull. If you start pulling the crab out of the shell without any resistance it is most likely deceased


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