HCA: Hermit Crab Association

1. What kind of substrate is used in your tank and how deep is it?
Sand, 1ft deep - I just did a deep clean and found 7 dead crabs. I believe this guy was molting and was dug up during the clean. He was in a shell, but I just found him about 20 min ago without a shell, exo sloughed off to the side and his abdomen going up and down heavily (like breathing). I've had hermies for 3 years and have never had a die off. We moved to Houston about 7 months ago and ever since we moved, things have not been great with the crabs but I'm not sure why. I know I posted recently about standing water at the bottom of the cage that I found after a crab died, but I haven't figured out why that happened. I decided to do a deep clean b/c the sand was looking icky where he died, even though I cleaned all the ick out, and ended up finding a huge die off of crabs. Humidity and temp both look good, food is the same as I've always fed them...we had a springtail infestation, which is why I got the isopods, which is the only new thing that's been added in the past couple months. Springtail population is back to normal.

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, one is a digital thermometer in the corner where the heat lamp is, the probe about 1/2 into the tank (55g tank); reads about 79-80 consistently. Have another analog gauge near the sand that reads 80-85 degrees/80% humidity.

3. Is a heat source used in the tank? If so, what?
3 UTH along the back of the tank and 1 heat lamp with 60watt black bulb on one end.

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)?
Distilled and distilled mixed with ocean salt mix.

5. What kinds of food do you feed and how often is it replaced?
fresh fruit on occasion, mostly dried foods from The Hermit Crab Patch, some worm castings, cuttlebone, bark; food is changed every 2-3 days

6. How long have you had the crab and what species is it, if known?
PP...it's one of our big ones, but I'm not sure which batch it's from...so from 6months to 3 years

7. Has your crab molted, and how long ago did it happen?
He was molting when I did the deep clean referenced in Question 1. Clean was done this past Sunday.

8. What type of housing are the crabs kept in, what size is it and what kind of lid is on the housing?
55g tank, tank hoods with tape (to keep lids shut tightly and cats out) with towel over hood openings and down the back a bit.

9. How many crabs are in the tank and about how large are they?
15 - tiny to med/large

10. How many extra shells are usually kept in the tank, if any?
tons

11. Have there been any fumes or chemicals near the crabitat recently?
no

12. How often do you clean the tank and how?
I surface clean the sand when I feed them, so every couple of days. Before I did this deep clean, I had a cleaning crew of isopods, but they are gone now.

13. Are sponges used in the water dish? If so, how are they cleaned?
no

14. Has anything new been added to your crabitat recently?
only the isopods, about 2 months ago

15. 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.)?


16. Please describe the emergency situation in detail.
The crab was molting when I dug him up during a deep clean this past Sunday. He seemed fine when I put him in the cage, climbed around and ate, sat in the salt water for a bit. I came home a little while ago and he was naked in a little terra cotta pot with his abdomen kind of hanging out of the pot. The abdomen was moving and the little appendages on it were swishing around. I took him out immediately, leaving him in the little pot and put him in an iso container with fresh sand and 3 shells. I gave him a short bath in lukewarm distilled water to get the sand off his ab and noticed that his exo was still actually attached. It finished coming off in the water and he is totally pink and very soft. I tried my best to get him into a shell, but I didn't want to touch him directly as he's really soft. Right now he's halfway in a shell, in the little iso tank with shells and his own heat source. I'm not sure what else to do with him.

Photos - you can see the pink crab with the purple leg of the exo. This is after I tried to get him in a shell.

Poor guy! I'm sorry. I don't think there is too much you can do. I would make it dark for him by putting a towel over the pot. Put honey and peanut butter on a q tip and put it right near his mouth parts. Make sure he has several shells near him. Hopefully his exo that fell off in the water is near him too? You could try very gently lifting him with a spoon to try to get him in a shell. I'm afraid it doesn't look good for him. But, I hope he can finish his molt and pull thru for you!!

Yep, his exo is right in front of him and I did put some honey in with him, but I'll put it on a qtip near his mouth parts. We don't eat peanut butter, but I have almond butter...would that work?

Yes, almond butter is good too. Good luck, hang in there.

If he's still alive come morning and still not in his shell properly, wet him and his shell down with chlorinated freshwater and slide him in until he looks like a normal crab at a sitting stance. It's important that he gets supported properly and soon as possible. He may end up a little deformed since there was pressure on his softened body where there shouldn't have been after a molt.

This stuff happens sometimes. All you can do is hope!

He actually is still alive and looks perkier this morning, though still not all the way in his shell. He looks like he's munching on something - either his exo or the honey I put in last night.

I will try the suggestion to get him all the way in his shell.

Thanks everyone!

Well...cautious good news, I think. I got him mostly into a shell and felt him pull it and hold on when I lifted him by the shell slowly and carefully (with a spoon in front of him in case he started falling out) to get him to another part of the iso tank, where his exo was. He's currently sitting in front of his exo, shell still "on" and looks ok for now. He seemed to have more energy than yesterday and it looked like the honey was gone from the qtip. I will put a mixture of almond butter and honey in there today, along with some water.

Thanks for the tip on the water in the shell - he seemed to respond to that well, and it helped wet his ab to get him to slide into the shell.

*fingers crossed*

He also seems to like when I talk to him, so I'll continue to do that too.

I have no advice, I just wanted to say I'm glad to hear he's starting to do a little better. I hope he continues to improve for you!

That is awesome news!

No advice, just wanted to comment that I hope he pulls through!

I'm so happy to hear the good news!! Hope he continues to improve!

How is he doing? I have been keeping an eye on this post. I hope he is still improving.