HCA: Hermit Crab Association

. What kind of substrate is used in your tank and how deep is it?
Sand and EE about 9 inches

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, 80/80 temp sometimes goes down to 75 at night
3. Is a heat source used in the tank? If so, what?
UTHs and a moon bulb
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 and salt proper amounts of prime and instant ocean
5. What kinds of food do you feed and how often is it replaced?
dry foods and wet foods, wet foods replaced every two days dry every 5-7
6. How long have you had the crab and what species is it, if known?
i have had thing 1 for almost 7 years he is a large pp, galactus is a medium E i have had for 6 months
7. What type of housing are the crabs kept in, what size is it and what kind of lid is on the housing?
i just upgraded to a 40gb, i made these DIY glass lids and covered some of the holes with needlepoint canvas
8. How many crabs are in the tank and about how large are they?
5, 3 smalls 1 medium and 1 large
9. How many extra shells are usually kept in the tank, if any?
an entire caddy full
10. Have there been any fumes or chemicals near the crabitat recently?
no
11. How often do you clean the tank and how?
i usually dont do a lot of deep cleans but ill wipe the glass down, clean toys and dishes as necessary
12. Are sponges used in the water dish? If so, how are they cleaned?
no
13. Has anything new been added to your crabitat recently?
besides the tank itself no
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.)?
no
15. Please describe the emergency situation in detail.
I think i have escaped hermit crabs!! A day or so ago i woke up with this bad feeling in my gut like one of my crabs had escaped. The needlepoint canvas was at a weird angle and it looked like my smallest might have escaped. So i did what i never do and i took everything out and dug around. I ended up finding him, but i realized i never found galactus so i thought he escaped. I put water bowls with towels in them in each room of the house and looked for him but i couldnt find him. So i thought maybe its all in my head and he is just digging down and i missed him. So i readjusted the lids and canvas blocks to make sure no1 could get out. But i woke up this morning and the corner canvas block was flipped up onto the glass lid and open, which made me think someone got out, so i looked around and i didnt see thing 1 my large. So now i really started freaking out and i dug around again and i cant find him!! He is so big idk how i would miss him. I also dont know where in my house he would have or could have gone. I am scared they made it into the heaters. They are old fashioned gas furnaces but they just have the pilot lights on. And last night i had the electrical heater on so he probably would have gone there. But it gets worse because i live in utah the air is so dry im scared that galactus is already dead and that thing 1 is on his way and idk what i will do with myself if that happens. Another complication is that i found this rat living somewhere in my apartment and it came into my room one night and ate through my backpack. If they did escape i do not want them to have a run in with the rat or worse that the rat is hunting my crabs while they are in there tank. Is there a way i can find out if they are still in the tank? How can i go about finding them? I read the whole forum on finding lost crabs but i am at my wits end and freaking out a lot.

okay and i basically just took like almost all of the substrate out and i didnt find either of them, so they must have escaped.

and im finding all these little rat/hermit sized holes in the walls that they could have fit through, i feel like i have looked in almost every corner of my apartment and i have an online class i have to take for the next 5 hours or so so i cant be looking anymore. Where do they usually like to go? Would a rat try to hunt in my hermit crab tank? How long could they survive in a Utah dry air climate? What else can i be doing im about to tear up my whole apartment.

Whew this is scary! First off I would sit on the floor by your tank and lay down. Look under things- look at what ever they could have possibly reached to climb. And listen! Don't forget these guys make noise when they move or lank against stuff!
Good luck!

Yeah It is. And yeah i have been on my knees and stomach finding places i didnt even know exist in my apartment. I really hope they didnt go into the crawl space on the side of my house. And I am really really scared that the Rat got them. Because i cant get behind the wall to get at them if they even are still alive.

Positive thinking! Make some tea and meditate lol that way you can open up your crab sensing senses... Lol. Try to stay calm and hope for the best! I hope if a rat came looking that your hermies I hope they would pinch the crap otta it and it would run away and never bother them again! Positive thinking!!
My thought are with you!

I am so sorry you're going through this! It sounds like you're doing what you can to find them. Have you tried laying on your back in all the rooms to see things from "their perspective?" Idk if it would help but I'm kinda at a loss. I'm also worried about the rat. I don't know much about them but I'd think they're scavenger/opportunist eaters (and I could be completely wrong, like I said I don't know much about them. That's just my guess). Maybe thy escaped, the rat scared them and now they're hiding from it, making it harder for you to find them? Either way your crabs are in my prayers and my fingers are crossed for you guys! Oh and you'd probably have better luck or at least a better chance of you take a deep breathe (do whatever you need to do to relax yourself) and start fresh. When I'm panicking I almost always overlook the things I'm looking for. Good luck!


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Thanks guys, yeah I am doing everything I can. I have this online class that I am taking right now so that is keeping my mind busy but on breaks I am going back to looking. There are just so many spots in this apartment that go into the walls and to places I cant reach. And with the dry air and the rat and cold weather (for a crab) I am just losing it...

I'm just throwing this out there, just trying to brainstorm ideas... Have you tried turning up the heat in your apartment, turning your shower on with the lights off in the bathroom? I'm thinking if there's a dark, warm, humid (ish) room in the house maybe they'll go to it? And even if they don't the first time? Try it a couple of times in case they're just having gps problems?


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could also try putting out honey etc sweet smelling foods etc, water of course, damp towell etc. but, lay on your stomach in your apt and just rotate your head side to side, you can get a great idea of where and what they can fit into etc. also check etensively around the tank, sometimes they don't go far. in my experience they'll find the first hiding spot they can and hang out for a bit.

I am doing and have been doing most of these, i put some syrup (didnt have any honey) by the few places i think they might be hiding. But i think right now wherever they are, if they are still alive they are just kind of curled up in their shells in a corner somewhere. I feel like i might have more luck tonight when they are more active...but im still going to spend all day looking.

yeah you'll probably have better luck at night, heat it up a bit so its more inviting to come out, they could go for a week or 2, i could be wrong, but obviosuly the quicker the better, i mean they go down to molt for months at a time, i've seen a crab not eat for over a week, you'll find em.

I am less worried about food and water than i am about humidity and that rat. And i certainly hope so, i am going to end up staying up all night tonight until i find them.

yeah i meant to edit the post, the humidity should be ok for that short of a time, the rat, eh odds of the rat finding it, not likely, just hang in there, you'll find it tonight, under a bed, or under some trash or laundry a sock, who knows.

I guess you've read the post about escaped hermit crabs, but anywayz.
I would close all doors you can and put some smelly food in all rooms with flour or something similiar around it. That way you can figure out which room they are in and it will be easier to search.

Also I wouldn't worry much about the rat actually, I don't think it would dare to attack the hermits, and if it would I don't it would be able to hurt it. I guess it would be more interested in the hermits food!

I think the hermits will be alright. They should manage a long time outside the crabitat, and hopefully you will find them real soon!

Good luck with finding them!