HCA: Hermit Crab Association

Hello, I am a fairly new Hermit Crab owner. We have had our crabs since April of this year. We have one very small crab and one medium size crab. Both crabs have buried themselves for a week or more several times. We have several shells in the tank, but neither has ever changed shells. Last Monday, my husband noticed the larger crab was under a moss ball, out of his shell, not moving, and ashy colored. I quickly jumped online and several different sites indicated it could be molting, but not burrowed for whatever reason and not to move it. Two days later, he picked up the smaller crab and she slid out of her shell in a very similar state. Upon further research, my husband said the sand was a bit hard and they probably weren't able to burrow. He is the primary caretaker of the crabs, they were a gift to my daughters from a friend and I did some research to learn how to take care of them properly. There is a family in my neighborhood I just discovered had Hermit Crabs and they recommended this site. I perused the FAQ's but I am still very nervous about moving them and do not know what to do or how to help them. Nothing in their environment has changed except for the few days last week when we were able to open the windows. We realize now several errors we made when setting up and misting their space, but don't want to do anything now that might risk their health. There is no odor coming from the cage, but neither has moved in over a week. They are both an ashy grey color and out of their shells. What do we do? PLEASE HELP!!!

First off I'm sorry to hear about the situation. http://www.hermitcrabassociation.com/ph ... hp?t=46102 could you please fill out this template so I can get a better idea of your tank stats and set up? Unfortunately if they have been shell less for more than a week they likely have passed.

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HELP REQUEST TEMPLATE: Questions that help us help you!
PostAuthor: HCADirectors » Thu Feb 08, 2007 10:52 pm

Since you've come to the emergency forum, we know you want a fast answer to your question. In order for us to figure out the problem as quickly as possible, we ask that you answer the following questions by coping and pasting this list into a New Topic. Some of them may seem odd, but they're all designed to give us the information we need to give you a good solution for your problem. Thanks!

1. What kind of substrate is used in your tank and how deep is it? We have 4-6 inches of sand across the cage and about 2-3 inches of coconut fiber along the 4 inch side

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, on the back of the inside of the tank. the temp is usually 71 degrees F and the humidity is usually 55-65%

3. Is a heat source used in the tank? If so, what? yes, a heater on the side of the tank purchased for hermit crabs at petco

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 have a bowl of fresh water with a sponge in it treated with All Living Things dechlorinator and a bowl of salt water treated with All Living Things Saltwater Conditioner. 1 tsp per 8 oz

5. What kinds of food do you feed and how often is it replaced? I feed them hermit crab food from FMR bought at petco. and hermit crab fruit salad by ZooMed bought at petsmart

6. How long have you had the crab and what species is it, if known? We have had them since April of this year and i do not know the species

7. Has your crab molted, and how long ago did it happen? I am not sure. Both crabs have burrowed for one to three weeks multiple times. I did not bother them while they burrowed

8. What type of housing are the crabs kept in, what size is it and what kind of lid is on the housing? I bought the Hermit Crab 10 Gallon tank set up from PetSmart with a wire lid.

9. How many crabs are in the tank and about how large are they? 2 one is about the size of a penny the other about the size of a quarter

10. How many extra shells are usually kept in the tank, if any? 6

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

12. How often do you clean the tank and how? I am not sure, my husband has been keeping the tank as I just recently had back surgery, but he just left for two weeks. I believe he uses a spray daily and was scooping or sifting the sand every week or so.

13. Are sponges used in the water dish? If so, how are they cleaned? Yes. I clean them by running hot water over them and squeezing them out, then dipping in a bowl of treated water and squeezing them out, then letting them dry completely

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.)? We have not really taken the crabs out to play with them very often. as i said, i recently had back surgery and did not let my daughters take them out to play unsupervised as i have cats. Either my husband or I spritz the tank daily with treated fresh water. There is a moss ball in the cage in addition to everything else they like to hide under.

16. Please describe the emergency situation in detail. Both crabs are out of their shells and not moving. I thought them to be molting and unable to burrow but it has been a week. I am very concerned, do not know what could have happened. Nothing has changed in their habitat. I have checked myself and asked several other people to check and there is no foul or fishy smell coming from the tank to indicate they have passed on.

I know this is horrible to ask, but have they passed? It does not sound like a surface molt to me and although possible it would be unlikely for 2 to surface molt at the same time like that. Some of the conditions you mentioned are less than favorable. I don't mean that rude in any way, just factual. Setting up a tank is a learning process for all new crab owners. The substrate needs to be deeper and sand castle consistency for molting. The temperature needs to be at least 80 as well as the humidity. Hermit crabs have modified gills and need the humidity to breathe. They will suffocate without proper humidity. The fresh water and salt water need to be deep enough for your largest crab to submerge in. Ditch the sponges. A lot of food marketed for crabs is crap. They eat more of a balanced diet like a human. Veggies, fruits, protein, calcium, nuts etc. You can read a lot about food on this forum. Unfortunately a lot of tanks marketed for hermit crabs are crap. A wire lid won't keep in the heat or humidity. Crabs can be picky about shells. I suggest reading the info in the section about shells. I have had a crab for pass with no odor. I'm thinking you should check on them and let me know if they are alive and if that's the case we'll go from there.


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I agree these crabs have most likely passed. I am so sorry. We will help you learn to care for them if you'd like though. :/ Just let us know.