HCA: Hermit Crab Association

Boy this is tricky to figure out!!


1. What kind of substrate is used in your tank and how deep is it? 6 inch deep - play sand/eco-earth mix

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? 85% humidity/80 F

3. Is a heat source used in the tank? If so, what? UTH on back of aquarium

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)? Fresh and saltwater mixes

5. What kinds of food do you feed and how often is it replaced? Fresh fruits/veggies/grains/meat (often organic)

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

7. Has your crab molted, and how long ago did it happen? NO

8. What type of housing are the crabs kept in, what size is it and what kind of lid is on the housing? 29 gallon aquarium lidded and saran-wrapped to keep humidity in

9. How many crabs are in the tank and about how large are they? 3 (medium-sized)

10. How many extra shells are usually kept in the tank, if any? 3 per crab (more on the way in the mail)

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

12. How often do you clean the tank and how? Haven't yet

13. Are sponges used in the water dish? If so, how are they cleaned? 2 sponges in each water dish, rotated with extra sponges every other day, allowed to dry and then microwaved

14. Has anything new been added to your crabitat recently? Everything (it's a new tank)

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.

So a little over a week ago, I purchased 3 PPs from the pet store. Started everybody out in a 10 gallon tank with the same information listed above (and upgraded half-way into the week into a 29 gallon). One crab (I'll call him Pinchy1) was probably the most active at night and actually did sit out during the day last Thursday in his food dish, eating for about maybe 2 hours or so. Then he went and tucked himself away against a moss log, not really buried. The other 2 Pinchys had been burying themselves.

So when I ended up setting up the new tank, I moved Pinchys 2 & 3 but when I picked up Pinchy1 (who was still in his same spot as before), there was no sign of movement. The other Pinchys I could hear scuttling back into the shells further and then they ended up coming out and were happy to explore new tank. Okay, so Pinchy1 didn't move (at all, no noises, no leg movement, nada) and I initially set him in the new tank but decided to put him back in the old tank and use it as an ISO tank (so same substrate mix and now have his own separate water dishes and heat and have been keeping it dark). I put some sand around him so I could monitor if he moved - which he hasn't within the last 4 days. Tried smelling, but didn't really notice anything foul (but how would I know?! I've never done this before!!). He's not hanging out of the shell - but again, not buried, just hiding in the shell. Is this seemingly typical for PPS? Or maybe a molt? I feel like molting immediately after getting to a new environment seems....maybe not typical?? Maybe he's just...dead... :(:(

Any thoughts/ideas would be appreciated.

I would put him in isolation, if you smell a fishy stench he is dead.

Aww... I wish I were an expert, sadly not yet. Maybe he's surface molting? From what I've read, I say just let him be. Leave him in ISO with adequate heat, humidity, food & water. He will either do something eventually or will start to smell and sadly have departed. I think you would know if he passed on. The smell is VERY strong. Best of luck!
-All Smiles

1. Sounds good, just make sure that your sub is also 3x as deep as your largest crab is tall.

4.You didn't mention what brands you use, so I will just mention make sure the dechlorinator is on the safe list, and that you are using a salt for marine aquariums such as instant ocean, kent, or oceanic.

10. Just make sure they are of preferred type. (Turbos for PPs and Round openings. )

13. Sponges in the dishes aren't necessary, and grow bacteria, though it sounds like you wash them often enough I doubt they will have a negative effect, they really aren't necessary. If they are natural sponges they won't hurt anything, and the crabs actually like to munch on them dry, but if they are not natural sea sponges I recommend removing them for the same reason.

From your template, I think your crab is suffering from post purchase syndrome. A quick forum search will go more in depth, but basically it is a blanket term for new crabs coming from sub-par conditions going into good conditions fall ill for no apparent reason. The best thing to do is keep your conditions good and leave the little guy be. Hopefully with time he will make it out of the woods. Remember these crabs go through a lot from capture, transport, to pet store, to your home. This process is harder on some than others. It sounds like you have a good start going, so keep up the good work!

Well, maybe against better judgement, I picked him up from inside the ISO and was able to smell the fishy smell, so RIP Pinchy1.

I'm very sorry to hear about your loss.