HCA: Hermit Crab Association

I am a new crab er...about 2 weeks. For those past two weeks I have been doing a lot of research. My first two crabs were a pp and an e. My pp passed shortly after I brought him home. Since thethen I ha e bought two more crabs. Both PPs. They are buddies and even changed into matching shells. My concern is my little e though. She has been shy and fairly inactive since I brought here home and has stayed in her hut for the most part, which I have read isn't normal for an e. I have not seem her eat or even drink since she has been here and im usually up most of the night checking on them. My first pp that passed away became lathargic and stated to lose limbs until we realized he was dead. She seems lathargic to me and pretty unresponsive when I picked her up. I could however feel movement through her she but not much. She seems to sit with her legs hanging out of her shell. Is she destressing or should I be worried?

She may be preparing to molt. Many crabs become lethargic before they molt. I would recommend leaving her alone for a while, so you don't stress her out, but continue to keep an eye on her.

Good luck,
Bonnie

Could be premolt or PPS. If you can, I would isolate her in some way (separate tank or within the main tank using a 2liter bottle with lid off and bottom cut out), keep conditions right with food and both fresh and salt water in easy reach, and leave her alone as much as possible. Keep in mind she is adjusting to her new home as well.

Edit to add: Here are links to the care sheets for Es and PPs, just in case you haven't seen them yet.

Es: http://hermitcrabassociation.com/phpBB/ ... 51&t=92454

PPs: http://hermitcrabassociation.com/phpBB/ ... 51&t=92452
Welcome to the HCA!

Thanks guys..she has eaten some kiwi with peanut butter on top last night after I put her in front of it. I made scrambled eggs for them last night and put some under her hut. It went untouched. Waiting it out. I keep my tank at about 75 degrees so maybe that's an issue...though she was very active in petco and they kept their tank lower. Idk. I will keep posting.

I forgot to add. I've been on the lookout for a species buddy but they are hard to find in my petco. Will 4 crabs be ok in a 10 gallon? Or should I upgrade to 20 gallons?

Temp could be some of the problem as that's the lowest recommended. You may see more activity around 80-85F. Really tiny crabs may be ok for a time in that size but 20g or larger would definitely be better if you can fit/afford it.

Ok I will try to get the tank temp up. I have a humidifier pointing towards the tank wice helps keep the humidity up. I noticed with that off or on a lower setting the temperature is able to rise. How can I keep the humidity and temp up at the same time. Also my Ecuadorian crab is in the hut on the cooler side of the tank. Should I move her or the source of the heat in an attempt to make her more comfortable or leave it alone?

Somehow I forgot about the E part. Temps for Es should be 80-90F. Sorry about that.
It can be difficult to balance heat and humidity. Unfortunately, there's no set way that works for everyone. It will take some fiddling with the humidifier and your heat source. Do you use a heat lamp or UTH?
I wouldn't disturb her at this time.

Right now we are using a heat lamp that is on all the time and a day lamp that's on for 12 hours. Shes one the cooler end where the day light is. I think I might get a heating pad for underneath the tank but I've heard mixed reviews about them.

If you get a uth, put it on the back of the tank, never underneath. They are the best way to heat without losing humidity.

Should I get a zoo med? And what size?

You'll want the largest UTH that can fit on the outside back of your tank all or at least mostly above the substrate line. Brands found in pet stores are hit or miss. They work well for some crabbers, not so much for others. One brand that comes highly recommended here, but sold online only, is Ultratherm. I see mostly great reviews here about them and have my first one on order from Reptile Basics. In the past I've used pet store brands with very little results. You may also find you need to insulate your UTH with aluminum foil, cardboard, styrofoam, and/or insulation board.

I just bought a mini one for 1-5 gallons. I figured it may be too small but I also have that heat lamp. So I want one that will cover the entire back of the tank? I don't want the tank to get too hot...

most people get one to cover the whole tank; I went with one about 3/4 the size so I wouldn't have to worry about it getting too hot.

If it does provide too much heat, you can always put it on a dimmer or thermostat to control how much it heats. People usually have the opposite problem with heat mats though....they don't bump the heat enough. That's why we recommend the largest one that can fit. Smaller ones tend not to do much of anything on most tanks.