HCA: Hermit Crab Association

1. What kind of substrate is used in your tank and how deep is it?
-5" deep 50% playsand 50% coconut fibre

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, located 1" below top of tank, upper back right side. Current temp: 76' Current humidity: 82%

3. Is a heat source used in the tank? If so, what?
-yes, Exo Terra Night-Glo Moonlight 25W A19 Lamp. 25W is the max wattage for the fixture in the tank

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)?
-1 pool saltwater 1 cup treated water with 1 tsp FLUVAL SEA Marine salt dissolved
-1 pool 1 cup treated water freshwater
-we have 2 4L jugs of pretreated water that we use for rinsing, cleaning, refilling water, etc., and alternate to ensure rotation. Every 4L of tapwater is treated immediately with 10 drops of Aqueon Water Conditioner (neutralizes chlorine and chloramines, detoxifies heavy metals & ammonia)

5. What kinds of food do you feed and how often is it replaced?
-the following foods are typically sprinkled with All Living Things Variety Diet Hermit Crab Food. This food is ground with whole mini-shrimps
-all-natural peanut butter
-strawberries
-honeydew melon
-tomato
-Food is typically replaced every 24-48hrs

6. How long have you had the crab and what species is it, if known?
-June 1st, 2016, PP

7. Has your crab molted, and how long ago did it happen?
-don't believe he's molted, but he HAS changed shells

8. What type of housing are the crabs kept in, what size is it and what kind of lid is on the housing?
-10g glass aquarium w/resin lid & electric fixture

9. How many crabs are in the tank and about how large are they?
-2 crabs in tank
-smaller one (Rocky) - 1" shell opening
-larger one (Typhoeus) - 1.5" shell opening (he refuses to swap out of the conch shell the pet store had him in)

10. How many extra shells are usually kept in the tank, if any?
-4-5 shells

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

12. How often do you clean the tank and how?
-water rotated every 2-3 days, food every 24-48hrs
-substrate not changed. packing is good, no off smells, no mould/parasites, any visible poops are scooped out.

13. Are sponges used in the water dish? If so, how are they cleaned?
-no sponges. found to be of no benefit.

14. Has anything new been added to your crabitat recently?
-no

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.)?
-misted 2-3 times/day

16. Please describe the emergency situation in detail.
-worried that Rocky has died.
-he went under the bridge but did not dig under.
-we've been watching every day for the last 6 weeks for any movement, NO MOVEMENT OBSERVED. he's in the exact same position.
-Typhoeus has not made any attempt to get at him.
-his colour is extremely pale (light pink/grey), when he used to be orange.
-NO death smell observed.

Could he moulted? The reasons behind this is that he is really pale and that there has been no death smell. The death smell is normally a good indicator if a crab has died, but its not always the case. If possible try to fence him off his buddy just in case he is moulting. The fact that he hasn't moulted in 3 months is another reason why he could be moulting; as normally the new crabs moult after the first month or so.

aussieJJDude wrote:Could he moulted? The reasons behind this is that he is really pale and that there has been no death smell. The death smell is normally a good indicator if a crab has died, but its not always the case. If possible try to fence him off his buddy just in case he is moulting. The fact that he hasn't moulted in 3 months is another reason why he could be moulting; as normally the new crabs moult after the first month or so.

he's safe from his buddy under the bridge. How long do I not do anything? He literally hasn't moved in weeks.


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Mudflapsmomma wrote:

aussieJJDude wrote:Could he moulted? The reasons behind this is that he is really pale and that there has been no death smell. The death smell is normally a good indicator if a crab has died, but its not always the case. If possible try to fence him off his buddy just in case he is moulting. The fact that he hasn't moulted in 3 months is another reason why he could be moulting; as normally the new crabs moult after the first month or so.

he's safe from his buddy under the bridge. How long do I not do anything? He literally hasn't moved in weeks.


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It can take time for them to recover from a molt. Ive heard they literally CANT move for a little while after. It does strike me as odd that he hasn't molted yet though. I agree with JJ about the possibility of molting because mine all molted at the very latest two months after purchasing. There are cases where they've molted before purchase that allows them to go longer. It's more common than not. Just keep a close eye out for them. A freshly molted crab could potentially send the other crab into a feeding frenzy because of the smell. If you see anyyy sign of aggression I'd divide the tank immediately! Good luck!

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The fact that he looks like that it could be an indication that he is moulting. However, I've never had PP's so I can't accurately describe what they look like when moulting. Its a shame that the pic didn't come with pics of the ends of the legs. If possible - without disturbing him - does it look like he has some shiney black nails at the end of his legs? If so, he definitely has moulted!

Unfortunately i lost a crab recently who passed during a molt. There was no smell. I'm not going to give any advise on what to do here due to my lack of experience but hopefully experienced crabbers can offer you help on how to handle this i hope your guy is ok

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aussieJJDude wrote:Its a shame that the pic didn't come with pics of the ends of the legs. If possible - without disturbing him - does it look like he has some shiney black nails at the end of his legs? If so, he definitely has moulted!

I can't tell; they're pretty dug in. There does seem to be tiny hairs on the outside, but seriously, how many weeks do I let him just sit there with absolutely no movement?


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Mudflapsmomma wrote:

aussieJJDude wrote:Its a shame that the pic didn't come with pics of the ends of the legs. If possible - without disturbing him - does it look like he has some shiney black nails at the end of his legs? If so, he definitely has moulted!

I can't tell; they're pretty dug in. There does seem to be tiny hairs on the outside, but seriously, how many weeks do I let him just sit there with absolutely no movement?


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I waited 2 months and my poor kiwi passed

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I'm sorry for your loss


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nancat wrote:I'm sorry for your loss


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Thanks

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any advice from the pros here? it's been many weeks, and still absolutely no movement. how much longer do i wait until doing something? if i do something, how do i test for signs of life? toothpick to gently flex a limb? anything?

Mudflapsmomma wrote:any advice from the pros here? it's been many weeks, and still absolutely no movement. how much longer do i wait until doing something? if i do something, how do i test for signs of life? toothpick to gently flex a limb? anything?

Not a pro, but have a set up similar to yours. My crab doesnt move much. He has gone weeks without moving. If theres no smell, i think hes alive.

Well I wouldn't consider myself a pro but willing to offer my two cents.
Until the crabs starts to decompose, I would just leave it in there. For all you know, you could be looking at the exoskeleton of the crab while the crab in neatly tucked up inside the shell. I'd wait for the smell.