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3 dead, 2 days
Posted: Sat Feb 14, 2015 11:55 pm
by hulkums
I'm not sure if many of you remember Hulk, who passed around a month ago, or remember me. It was a hard time for me, I took a break from this website. But now I'm back, just for now. On Wednesday-Thursday, three of my beloved crabbies passed. Biscotti, on Wednesday. Then Double D and Sampson. I'm heart broken, and at a loss. I only have two left. The little baby I rescued from Petco, who was sick and missing a leg when I got him. He just came back up from a molt, and is perfectly fine. Active, healthy- but he just stripped his shell, and I've tried reshelling him but he keeps stripping. His name is Thumper. The other one is relatively new, named Tommy. It's a girl, I know that, but we just call her a he. He's an absolute sweetheart, so calm, adorable, and he's got the biggest eyes, the cutest things. I love them to death. After my main four died, the ones I've had for so long, I can no longer take care of them. I just can't handle the loss, I'm fifteen, and it's been breaking my heart. I want them to have a better home, and though I've tried my very best, I know it's just not good enough. But I don't know how to go about it, it's been so hard to even compose this post, to express just how much I absolutely love my crabs. Please help me, I'm lost, and so sad
Rest in Peace, my little baby crab Hulk x
Re: 3 dead, 2 days
Posted: Sun Feb 15, 2015 12:34 am
by wodesorel
hulkums, I am so very sorry for your losses! With some more details we can try and help you figure out what happened if you don't already know. Sometimes it can be little things that aren't hard or expensive to fix. As a community we try our hardest not to judge, since we all come from various backgrounds, and those of us who are older remember what it's like to be 15. We're here to help if we can! :grouphug:
3 dead, 2 days
Posted: Sun Feb 15, 2015 12:39 am
by YYWW
Hi there hulkums. I remember Hulk, and i remember you. I'm so sorry you're back with such grim news. Crabbing is full of mystery, which makes it hard for all of us to know what is ultimate right thing to do. The only thing we can do is our best. I'm sorry for your losses, but as this is the Emergency section, let's get to work regarding your conditions.
Help Request Template:
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Crabbers unite!!!
Re: 3 dead, 2 days
Posted: Sun Feb 15, 2015 10:00 am
by hulkums
Alright, thanks for the support! I'm going to fill it in right now
Rest in Peace, my little baby crab Hulk x
Re: 3 dead, 2 days
Posted: Sun Feb 15, 2015 7:53 pm
by hulkums
1. What kind of substrate is used in your tank and how deep is it?
I use a mix of playsand and Eco earth. 1/3 Eco earth, 2/3 play sand. It's about 6 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 I do, and they're located at the bottom of the tank, on the sand and against one of the little crabby furniture. Normally they read 85% humidity and 75 degrees fahrenheit
3. Is a heat source used in the tank? If so, what?
Yes there is, I have a large heating pad against the back wall of the tank, and a smaller one on the side wall
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)?
I leave fresh water and salt water out for them everyday. I use the dechlorinator API, and instant ocean
5. What kinds of food do you feed and how often is it replaced?
I feed them a mix of fruits and vegetables, sometimes scrambled eggs, sometimes freshwater shrimp, some dried fruits, any thing good for them and healthy. Replace it once every two days, unless it's a food that spoils easily
6. How long have you had the crab and what species is it, if known?
Um I've had my crabs for different amount of times. When hulk died, I had had him for about 7 months. The other three that died a month later, I had them for around the same time. The two I have left now, Thumper I've had for about two months, Tommy one month. All PP's
7. What type of housing are the crabs kept in, what size is it and what kind of lid is on the housing?
10 gallon glass tank, glass lid
8. How many crabs are in the tank and about how large are they?
Well I've only ever had 4 at a time, except for when I rescued thumper, it was 5 at that time. Two small-medium sized crabs at that time, the others all micro. Then I had four at a time again, and then I got Tommy, who was medium sized I'd say. Now there's only two left, Thumper is barely an inch, Tommy still medium sized
9. How many extra shells are usually kept in the tank, if any?
There's a lot kept in the tank aha more than enough
10. Have there been any fumes or chemicals near the crabitat recently?
No
11. How often do you clean the tank and how?
Pretty much once a week, I go through it all, check the sand, clean everything, etc.
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?
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.)?
I gave them playtime/exercise every day. Had them out for a bit, then bathed them, then put them back
15. Please describe the emergency situation in detail.
Well three of my crabs died in two days of each other, and now my little one thumper is sick. Please I don't know what to do and I know I'm gonna have to put them up for adoption
Rest in Peace, my little baby crab Hulk x
Re: 3 dead, 2 days
Posted: Sun Feb 15, 2015 8:51 pm
by soilentgringa
#14. If you were taking them out and bathing them daily, they could have been very stressed out. Sometimes if they have survived a molt or two they are more receptive to handling once they've gotten used to you. Honestly its probably best not to play with them or handle them unless absolutely necessary. I know a lot of crabbers handle their crabs and take them out a lot but I feel like we look like giant predators to them and mine all run for cover when I approach. I am sorry for your losses, I know you did your best to care for them.
Re: 3 dead, 2 days
Posted: Sun Feb 15, 2015 9:24 pm
by wodesorel
When was the last time they molted? Have they molted at all since coming home with you?
Re: 3 dead, 2 days
Posted: Tue Feb 17, 2015 9:34 am
by hulkums
soilentgringa wrote:#14. If you were taking them out and bathing them daily, they could have been very stressed out. Sometimes if they have survived a molt or two they are more receptive to handling once they've gotten used to you. Honestly its probably best not to play with them or handle them unless absolutely necessary. I know a lot of crabbers handle their crabs and take them out a lot but I feel like we look like giant predators to them and mine all run for cover when I approach. I am sorry for your losses, I know you did your best to care for them.
yeah I get it
I did only take them out though because they weren't scared of me, my Hulk loved to come out. When I would be doing their food and such Hulk used to come over and crawl on to my hand and clung on to my finger, kind of like he was asking for me to take him out
Rest in Peace, my little baby crab Hulk x
Re: 3 dead, 2 days
Posted: Tue Feb 17, 2015 9:35 am
by hulkums
wodesorel wrote:When was the last time they molted? Have they molted at all since coming home with you?
they had all molted relatively recently? My small ones molted at least once a month. Hulk had molted a few weeks before he passed. Sampson hadn't molted, but she was medium sized and when I bought her she was freshly molted
Rest in Peace, my little baby crab Hulk x
Re: 3 dead, 2 days
Posted: Tue Feb 17, 2015 9:57 am
by wodesorel
No, no, I want to know if they molted with YOU. New crabs from the store suffer from Post Purchase syndrome all the time. If they hadn't molted in captivity yet, there is a very high chance that you did nothing wrong, and that they died because of what they went through during collection and transport. Even if they did molt, if it wasn't a good one and they were weird after, it would still be classified as PPS.
From our Guides:
HCADirectors wrote:What is Post Purchase Syndrome?
Post Purchase Syndrome (also known as PPS) is a catch-all term used to describe the many reasons why newly purchased hermit crabs will often suffer from health problems and even death. All hermit crabs are wild caught, meaning that they undertook a huge journey from the beach or forest where they lived at the equator to finally end up in your tank. During this journey they would have passed through many hands and many locations, which means there were many opportunities for something to happen to them. Even if the store you purchased them at had ideal conditions, the damage may already have been done before the store ever received them.
Symptoms include leg loss, lethargy, not eating, not responding, slowing down, sitting in one location for days at a time. Sadly, even perfectly normal crabs will sometimes be found dead with no warning. Hermit crabs have a way of hanging onto life for weeks after a life-threatening occurrence. The damage that caused the death could have happened weeks or months ago.
The threat of PPS is over once the hermit crab molts successfully for the first time.
What causes it?
We don't know much about hermit crab diseases and parasites, but it's likely that they do suffer from both. Because of the stress of their collection and journey, and the fact that they were exposed to hundreds (if not thousands) of other crabs from different locations and who were of different species, they could have been exposed to something they had no natural immunity to. Both diseases and parasites can take over a stressed immune system, leaving the crab unable to fight off the infection.
They could also have been seriously injured during their journey, with no way for us to know if they are hurt until it's too late. (Aside from broken limbs, which most hermit crabs recover from completely.) Some hermit crabs are able to molt and repair any major damage they sustained, while others end up too badly hurt or just do not have the strength to heal.
Another issue could be dehydration or starvation from not being able to obtain enough food or water during their time in captivity. With so many crabs being packed so tightly together, the competition for resources is high, and many pet stores don't offer proper food or water for them to replenish themselves. These types of deprivations can cause permanent damage, and a weak crab may not be able to eat or drink once it gets home.
Temperature and humidity are important for them to stay healthy. If they had been kept too cold or too dry for too long it could have caused permanent damage. Low humidity especially can severely injure their gills. Often times there's no way to find out what the conditions were or how long they had been kept that way before they got to the store where you purchased them. If crabs were shipped during winter, they may have frozen during transport.
Hermit crabs need to be able to molt. If they put it off for too long a certain hormone builds up in their system, and if it builds up over time for too long the hermit crab can die from it. Since we have no way of knowing how long it had been since their last molt, this could also be a cause of PPS.
And finally, captivity is probably very hard to adjust to. Some hermit crabs may not be able to make the transition from the open world they came from to the tiny glass tank that we keep them in. There have been cases of hermit crabs who seemed to sink into a depression and simply gave up trying.
There are no veterinarians for hermit crabs. There also isn't much research into their health. We can only guess for now what the actual causes are, but all of the above are very likely scenarios and would explain why so many new hermit crabs pass away even when given perfect care. The HCA is always on the look out for new research that could explain why PPS occurs and how we can treat it successfully, and we will update as we learn more.
Re: 3 dead, 2 days
Posted: Tue Feb 17, 2015 6:34 pm
by hulkums
wodesorel wrote:No, no, I want to know if they molted with YOU. New crabs from the store suffer from Post Purchase syndrome all the time. If they hadn't molted in captivity yet, there is a very high chance that you did nothing wrong, and that they died because of what they went through during collection and transport. Even if they did molt, if it wasn't a good one and they were weird after, it would still be classified as PPS.
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Yes, YES. I'm aware of what you mean and I am very aware of PPS :/ all of my crabs except for Sampson molted successfully with me, and acted completely normal afterwards. Thank you though; I'm assuming now that Sampson had PPS
Rest in Peace, my little baby crab Hulk x
Re: 3 dead, 2 days
Posted: Wed Feb 18, 2015 9:19 pm
by Sydthesquid345
Do you think thumper was taking his shell off because there were bugs of some sort? I know this probably not the case but it's always a possibility.
Re: 3 dead, 2 days
Posted: Thu Feb 19, 2015 7:46 am
by hulkums
Sydthesquid345 wrote:Do you think thumper was taking his shell off because there were bugs of some sort? I know this probably not the case but it's always a possibility.
I actually tried to look at that and see! I couldn't see anything but to be safe I boiled all the small shells before putting them back in. He still would stay in one. He passed away, and now I urgently need a home for my one remaining crab
Rest in Peace, my little baby crab Hulk x