HCA: Hermit Crab Association

I just woke up this morning to find my ruggie upside down and naked in my salt water pool. his shell was laying right next to him, which I do not understand because I have a plant in there that he should have easily been able to get out of. the shell shop is right above it so im thinking maybe he fell but its not that long of a fall. I am assuming he is gone because he is stiff... I haven't done anything with the body, hoping that I still have a chance... I am shocked. has this ever happened to any of you?

I'm so sorry for your loss. I have no experience with Ruggies but many crabs, especially Es I think, make their way to the sw to pass. I don't know why, I think it provides them with some relief to soak in it. Again, I'm sorry for your loss. :grouphug:

Losing crabs really hurts, really sorry for your loss

My mother's large PP decided to pass in the FW dish, shelless, not that it helps any, but maybe it's common. I'm sorry for your loss.

thank you everyone. I just hate it when they die... I try so hard to save lives, and when I loose one it just feels like I messed up somehow. which I know cannot be true because I do everything pretty much by the book. its just weird, knowing that you did everything but still some lives can not be saved....

About 2 months ago, my boyfriend and I woke up to one of our E's naked and dead in the salt water bowl. There was no way he drowned. The bowl is easy to get in and out of. It was horrible to see though. But it must be common. I wonder what causes it...

This seems to happen often(its even happened to me once) and i think there may be a reason why crabs decided to pass in the water bowls. If they loose their shell whether it was stolen or a piece of sand got stuck init and started poking the crab uncomfortably, they don't have the shell water keeping their abdomen moist anymore. If you think about it, a crab is used to it's abdomen sitting in a small pool of water in it's shell 24/7. When it no longer has the shell, its first priority might not be a new shell. It's first priority might be water of some sort to keep the abdomen moist so it doesn't dry out. Again, this is just a theory, but it's all i've got.