PP Switched Shells-Now Naked!

[parker_roo]

Hello! I'm hoping someone can help me out with my situation! Basically, up front, my hermit crab switched shells, and then left his new shell, resulting in a naked crab. So yesterday morning, I noticed that my hermit crab's shell was in a corner of the tank. I noticed it was empty, so I checked under the coconut hut, (this is her favorite spot) and I saw she was in a new shell. YAY, first shell change for me, since I am a new hermit crab owner. I did double check, and my crab, Sebastian, was in the new shell. The problem was, that the shell seemed way too big for her! I was worried, so after school yesterday, I went to a craft store and picked up some natural shells, that would be proper sizes for Sebastian. I boiled the new shells in salt water, and I placed them in the tank. There were 15 shells, in the corner of the tank, plied on top of a lid to a plastic container. I was wanting her to change, either back into her old shell, or into a better sized shell. Sebastian is mostly active at night, when I'm about to go to bed, she comes out to eat, but when I wake up, she has buried herself under the coconut hut. And every day, when I get home, she remains buried. So this morning, I noticed her old shell, and her new shell that was too big, were empty, next to the other shells. I then counted the shells, and there turned out to be 16! I may have miscounted when I bought them, but I recall putting in 15 shells, in the tank. So now there is 16, you can do the math, this means Sebastian just got out of her shell, and is now naked! Just like every other day, she remains buried during the day, so I cannot isolate her, or even see her. I'm hoping that I miscounted shells, but I noticed that the tunnel under the coconut hut, was much smaller than usual, so this is also a sign that she is naked. I read another post about another crabber, that had this happen to them. Questions about the crabitat were asked, so I am going to answer the same questions.

Help Template Questions:
1. What kind of substrate is used in your tank and how deep is it? A: I use eco earth, and play sand, both 5-6 inches 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? A: Yes, the norm is around 75*F-80*F, while the humidity is around 75%-83%.

3. Is a heat source used in the tank? If so, what? A: Yes, I use a 6" x 23" Ultratherm UTH, which is placed on the back side of the tank, on the outside. It is insulated with styrofoam.

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)? A: Salt water-Instant Ocean Sea Salt, and fresh water-Aqueon Water Conditioner (for tap water). And the ratios are as it says on the instructions, salt water-1gal:1/2cup, and fresh water-1gal:1ml

5. What kinds of food do you feed and how often is it replaced? A: At first I fed her All Living Things Pellets, but since, about two to three weeks ago, mostly fresh food. I have given them fresh, sweet potato, broccoli, carrots, peas, green beans, and corn. I have also fed her, cooked egg, egg shells, crushed almonds, and crushed flaxseed.

6. How long have you had the crab and what species is it, if known? A: I bought her at a gift shop at a beach around August 28, so I have had her for a month, and she is a PP.

7. What type of housing are the crabs kept in, what size is it and what kind of lid is on the housing? A: Housed in a 29 gallon tank, with a cardboard lid, with holes in it. Tank dimensions: 30.3" x 12.5" x 18.8"

8. How many crabs are in the tank and about how large are they? A: Right now, Sebastian is alone. Her friend, Ollie, is currently molting in another tank, they are both small.

9. How many extra shells are usually kept in the tank, if any? A: At first, about 5, and since yesterday, 15.

10. Have there been any fumes or chemicals near the crabitat recently? A: Nope

11. How often do you clean the tank and how? A: I put Sebastian in the a new 29 gallon tank, from a 10 gallon tank, about three weeks ago, so I have not cleaned the tank since I got it. When I did clean the tank, before I put the substrate in, I used a mild, natural soap, made out of corn and coconut, to clean the tank. I rinsed it with boiling water.

12. Are sponges used in the water dish? If so, how are they cleaned? A: Yes, one sponge in each dish. I have not cleaned them yet, they have not gotten extremely dirty. But would I just boil them, to clean them?

13. Has anything new been added to your crabitat recently? A: Yes, the tank is new, so almost everything is new to her, but she has been in the tank for about two to three weeks now.

14. 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.)? A: I know hot glue is not very good for them, but I have some sticks glued together, would that be fatal? And I have a ton of things for her to climb on, and as far as I know, she has not climbed one bit.

So there is all my information, if someone has any ideas for what to do in this situation, please let me know! Should I try to place her into the carrier crate I have? I don't want to hurt her if she is out of her shell. Please help! Thank you!

[gotta-crab-em-all]

The two things that immediately stuck out to me, although I don't think they would cause streaking, is the food and water.
If you're only offering eggs as a source of animal protein, that isn't enough. They need a variety and need protein offered every day. For protein, I alternate between offering shrimp, lobster, cooked unseasoned chicken, cooked unseasoned hamburger, peanutbutter, and scrambled eggs. The food mixes I make for them that they have constant access to also have dried crickets, mealworms, and rivershimp, pecans, and walnuts as part of the mix.
You'll also want to do away with the sponges. Sponges harbor loads of bacteria and they're completely unnecessary to have. If you're concerned that the crabs cant climb out of the water dishes after submerging, you can make a ramp out of plastic canvas mesh so they can climb out.

As for the streaking itself, it is possible that you miscounted the shells and I definitely hope that's what happened! With my crabs, there's only a hole if they've come up from underground. When they dig down, they leave a big fluffy mound of substrate from digging down. Do you see any mounds anywhere? Its possible that the hole you're seeing is from her coming up from underground at some point. Keep a close eye on the tank so that you'll see her when she comes up. If she is naked, its important to get her back into a shell, which you do by gently uncurling her abdomen and backing her up into an appropriately sized shell until she grabs onto the inside with her tail.

Definitely keep us updated!

[Rebecca C]

Hello there,

I second everything that gotta-crab-em-all said, but I wanted to add, that the water dishes, both salt and fresh water should be deep enough for your largest crab to fully submerge in. They should also be replaced every other day, whenever you see debris (substrate or poop) in them, or whichever comes first. Without the Chlorine in the water, bacteria, and other things a free to develop and grow in it, so you want to be replacing them both regularly.

As for the glue on the sticks, I wouldn't chance it. I believe there is a safe type of glue to use around the crabs, but I do not know what that is, off hand. I think it can be found in some pet stores, but someone who knows more about this should answer that for you.

[parker_roo]

Hey, thank you both for your suggestions. I am more worried now, Sebastian did not come to the surface once last night. I smoothed the substrate around the food dishes, and they were not touched! I don't think she is molting, because she finished molting about three weeks ago! And for the food, I know I need to provide more protein, I have been broke, so I couldn't buy any food for them, besides using the food I have at home. I now have some money, and I plan on buying that turtle medley, that you mentioned, and some cuttlefish bone. So I will keep you guys updated, so that you are able to help me out. And thank you again, to both of you for all your help!

[Rebecca C]

Hey, thank you both for your suggestions. I am more worried now, Sebastian did not come to the surface once last night. I smoothed the substrate around the food dishes, and they were not touched! I don't think she is molting, because she finished molting about three weeks ago! And for the food, I know I need to provide more protein, I have been broke, so I couldn't buy any food for them, besides using the food I have at home. I now have some money, and I plan on buying that turtle medley, that you mentioned, and some cuttlefish bone. So I will keep you guys updated, so that you are able to help me out. And thank you again, to both of you for all your help!

You're welcome, we are happy to help. It is possible that she is molting again, crabs sometimes molt more often than others, especially smaller ones. Just try to stay positive and keep an eye out for when she resurfaces, so you can help her into a shell, if she needs it.

[parker_roo]

Alright, so I have come to the conclusion that she is molting. I would not have even thought of that, because to my knowledge, she finished molting about three or four weeks ago. For a small hermit crab, is it possible for them to molt more than once, in a time span of a month and a half? I know smaller hermit crabs can molt every two to three months. Am I wrong? Can they molt sooner than that? She started molting around the first week of September, and now she is back buried into the substrate. Would molting be the reliable conclusion? Like I said, I could have miscounted the shells, and she may be in a shell. But if she isn't, would a hermit crab ever molt outside of their shell? And with my other hermit crab, Ollie, he has been molting for about a month, and he is also a small PP. I am thinking he could be dead, but how long should I wait, before I check if he is dead? Maybe another month? I just don't want him to be in the old tank, rotting. I am hoping and praying that he is not dead, and that he just is taking his time molting. But if anyone has any feedback on my questions, please respond! Thank you so much!

[gotta-crab-em-all]

I had a small crab take 4 months to molt, so don't write Ollie off for awhile. A month isn't a very long time to be down :3 And I have had small crabs only wait 3-4 weeks before molting again, so it is possible.

[aldebaron0626]

About the protein, I'm not sure whether you are in the US, but Walmart has dried shrimp for less than $2/can. Nothing added. Wardley Hermit Crab Premium Food.

[parker_roo]

Thanks, I actually bought the Flukers Turtle Medley, that has freeze dried river shrimp, crickets, and meal worms from Petsmart for about $5. It is a good amount, that will last me for a while. But now that I know I can get the shrimp from Walmart, I will definitely do that in the future. So far Ollie is still molting, and Sebastian is also molting. Everyday, when I get home, I get excited thinking, "Today's the day!" But they are both still underground. I miss playing with and watching them. I just wish they would be done molting, but it is my first molt, so I will just have to wait patiently. I will keep you guys updated! Thanks again!