concerned hermit crab owner

[hermit2015]

my daughter was doing a hermit crab check today and noticed that her large hermit crab was not moving very much. she did isolate him in a small tank. she doesnt think that he has been eating or getting in the water very much. he appears to be coming out of his shell. he is not moving very much at all and im not sure what to do. i am unsure if hes sick or trying to surface molt.
she has had him for about 1 1/2 years and i have not ever noticed him molting, however he has switched shells.
we have 6in of the ecoearth soil and about 3 in of sand. they are all in a 55gal tank. plenty of hiding spaces,fresh &salt water.

please help with ideas.im not sure what more to do.

[hermitcrabdc]

He could be suffering from post purchase syndrome. They go through a lot of stress when shipped to pet stores. Can you answer these questions so we can see if there might be anything affecting the situation viewtopic.php?f=27&t=46102

[hermit2015]

Everything that I know for answers are in my initial response.I don't see how this could be post purchase since she has had it almost 2yrs.
Is there anything else this could be.

[wodesorel]

There are several things we need to know before making an educated guess as to what's going on!

What's the temperature & humidity?
What have you been feeding them?
Has the tank been exposed to any kind of chemicals or perfumey things?
How big is he in relation to how deep the substrate is?
By 6in EE and 3in sand I'm assuming these are side by side and not mixed together?
What kind of sand is it?
What are you using to make the salt water?
Is the water dechlorinated?

[hermit2015]

Food is General pet store food.
He has the ability to bury completely on the soil.that was something we made sure of.
The soil and sand are side by side.
No exposure to any chemicals or anything.
The sand is crab safe sand
Zoomed salt water
Other than store food, we have a safe list of veggies that we give them also
This morning he is almost out of his shell and breathing very slow.I can see him trying to take deep breaths

[hermitcrabdc]

Everything that I know for answers are in my initial response.I don't see how this could be post purchase since she has had it almost 2yrs.
Is there anything else this could be.

Ah, sorry I read weeks not years

[hermitcrab101]

Food is General pet store food.
He has the ability to bury completely on the soil.that was something we made sure of.
The soil and sand are side by side.
No exposure to any chemicals or anything.
The sand is crab safe sand
Zoomed salt water
Other than store food, we have a safe list of veggies that we give them also
This morning he is almost out of his shell and breathing very slow.I can see him trying to take deep breaths

Just a note on the care, pet store brand hermit crab food often contains preservatives harmful to the hermit crab's health. You can read more about that here http://www.hermitcrabassociation.com/ph ... 25&t=92555 and one other thing zoo med brand salt doesn't give the water high enough salinity levels for your crab a better option would be to switch to a a brand made for salt water aquarium like instant ocean.

As for the crab hanging out of the shell it sounds like it could be a surface molt does the crab look like the pictures in this thread http://www.hermitcrabassociation.com/ph ... =8&t=82577 ?

[wodesorel]

There's things that could have built up over time. From what you're describing he sounds bad off and correcting things now might not be enough to save him, but it will keep the others from going downhill after this.

The are tropical rainforest creatures and needs temps above room temperature, and high humidity levels. They really should be around 80 degrees to be the most comfortable and active. For sure, they must be above 72 at all times if they are Purple Pinchers - higher if they are Equadorians. Below 70 degrees can be deadly, with below 65 for even a few days often a death sentence. Humidity needs to always be above 70% - lower than this and it starts to dry out their gills and they suffocate, sometimes very slowly, but once the damage is done it's hard for them to heal. You can get a cheap dual digital gauge from Walmart for around $9 in the thermometer section near the furnace filters. Knowing where their tank is at is vital, as most deaths occur from being too cold and dry, especially in winter!

Pet store food is not recommended as many have ironically bad chemicals in them. They require sources of good protein (unseasoned chicken, beef, pork - or fish/reptile freeze-dried food like crickets, shrimp, krill, etc.) and also fruit of any kind on a daily basis. Veggies are good, but they don't make up the bulk of their diet. They also appreciate things like oak and maple leaves if your yard isn't sprayed with chemicals. Here's an entire list of safe food, many of which you'll have in the house right now. http://www.hermitcrabassociation.com/ph ... 25&t=92557 and if you need to purchase food instead, here is more information about store bought food: http://www.hermitcrabassociation.com/ph ... 25&t=92555

Completely covered doesn't mean there's enough to molt in or it's the right kind. They need a substrate that is moist enough to tunnel but not dripping wet, and at least three times deeper than they are big. If it is calcium or hermit crab sand or reptile sand - it's dangerous to them!! It's calcium-based so it sticks them when wet and grows bacteria when kept moist . Playsand is what you want. It's well under $5 for 50 pounds at any hardware store. Mix it up with the EE until you have at least 6 inches of it in there - more if the crabs are bigger than an egg! You'll probably need 3 or 4 bags to get the depth up. The right substrate will also help to keep the humidity up.

Zoomed saltwater has potentially harmful dyes in it, and it also doesn't give them the types of salt they need. Hermit crab salts are just rock salt or evaporated sea salt but do not contain the same kind of elements that a found in sea water. They only have a couple elements, and sea water has over 70. It takes a salt product for marine fish to replicate this and get the hermits the nutrients they need. The most commonly found in pet stores is Instant Ocean.

They also need to have freshwater, as they actually drink more fresh than salt. Freshwater must be treated with a dechlorinator to make it safe if you don't have untreated well watet. Fish ones are cheaper. Many of us recommend Prime as it removes chloramine and heavy metals.

Everything is covered in order in our Careguide. That might be a little easier to read, and it has links to articles that are more in depth as well. http://www.hermitcrabassociation.com/ph ... 51&t=92457

[hermit2015]

I do believe he is surface molting. Today however I saw mites on him and he's not moving at all and stinks. Would this be a sign that he's probably gone.

[KellyCrabbieLove]

Yes.

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[Laurie LeAnn]

Ahhh sorry..it can take awhile sometimes before illness will hit a crab from poor type of conditions. I have had it happen and others on here to..it can take one thing and sometimes multiple things that will make a crab die..they say oh crabs are hardy pets...when in fact they are delicate creatures. Go over the care and facts sheets. Use a good brand of salt for their water. The ocean type ,can't remember the name right off hand or api ? I'm sorry my memory is going.. but go to the fish section it's there.. one is in a milk carton type container the other is a box. Use play sand from Lowe's or farm king and buy it inside..don't let them sell you stuff from out side. Tell them it has to be un contaminated by weather. I haven't fed mine store bought crab food in years since I found out it was bad. I go off the food list and organic foods. Save your shell! If you have another crab.just boil the empty shell