HCA: Hermit Crab Association

jesstheginger wrote:Hi!
I have had my hermit crabs since late September and all three are purple pinchers.
This morning when I woke up and went to check on them, I noticed one crab had dropped BOTH of its pinchers. I'm not really sure why.
I have a ten gallon tank with a log and coconut hut for hiding, fresh water and salter water, and a couple of climbing nets that I crocheted for them.
I have been using a mix of sand and eco earth in my tank, but over the weekend did a deep clean and replaced all of my substrate with regular sand until I can go to the store and get some EE. The sand is also really damp, sort of the consistency you would need for a sand castle.
Also, it stays fairly warm in the room where I keep them, so during the day I just have a lamp turned on by the tank so they have adequate daylight, but I turn it off at night so I can sleep; I noticed the past few days that it's been colder in the tank in the mornings than usual (about 65 degrees farenheight). Could it be because it's too cold in there? I have been meaning to get a heating mat to put under the tank but I haven't had time this week.
The humidity in the tank is pretty constant and anywhere from 75-80%.
I feed them a diet of oranges, bananas, fresh coconut shavings, lettuce, and many other fresh fruits and veggies. I also put a bit of a calcium supplement in there once a week and they scratch away at it and eat it.
Also, this is the only crab that has ever molted. He's medium size and it took him about three weeks to fully molt and come out. He finished molting about two months ago.
I've never really had any problems, and I've only ever had once crab die and that was because he was trying to surface molt and he died mid molt.
I've been keeping an eye on them over the past half hour or so, and the crab in question is able to come out of his shell and move around and walk.
I just want to make sure that this is something normal or something I should change in my habitat and that hopefully my poor crab won't die.

jesstheginger wrote:1. What kind of substrate is used in your tank and how deep is it?
Sand, about 4 inches. I recently just switched from a sand and EE mixture to just regular sand until my pet store can get more EE in.

GB: Minimum 6" or 3 times deeper than largest crab. Whichever is deeper. Moisten it with marine salt water to make it sand castle consistency.

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, they are stuck to the side of the tank, and they read about 80% humidity and about 80 degrees Fahrenheit.

GB: You need a digital hygrometer. Analogs are not reliable. You can get one from Amazon for about $10. Walmart used to carry them, they no longer have them for cheap. Acurite is the name brand. 80 is the minimum on temp and humidity. higher humidity is better. Hermits have modified gills and need humidity to breathe.

3. Is a heat source used in the tank? If so, what?
Heat lamp

GB: Lamps zap humidity. You mentioned getting an under tank heater. Just so you know, they go on the side or back of the tank above the substrate.

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)?
Salt water and fresh water, treated with water conditioner and salt water mixture

GB: Are you using a dechlorinater like Prime? Chlorine, chloramine and other heavy metals in the water can damage the hermits gills. Also what brand salt water mixture are you using? You need marine salt water, NOT aquarium salt. two different things.

5. What kinds of food do you feed and how often is it replaced?
Fresh fruits and veggies, calcium supplement; replaced daily or every other day depending on what it is

GB: Safe food list: http://hermitcrabassociation.com/phpBB/ ... 25&t=92557
Unsafe food list: http://hermitcrabassociation.com/phpBB/ ... 25&t=92556

6. How long have you had the crab and what species is it, if known?
About 5 months, purple pinchers

7. Has your crab molted, and how long ago did it happen?
Yes, only once about two months ago

8. What type of housing are the crabs kept in, what size is it and what kind of lid is on the housing?
I keep my three crabs in a ten gallon glass tank with a wire mesh lid covered with plastic to keep humidity in.

GB: too many crabs in a small tank. I crab per 5 gallons

9. How many crabs are in the tank and about how large are they?
3 crabs, they are all small /medium

10. How many extra shells are usually kept in the tank, if any?
A LOT of extra shells, at least 10

GB: The HCA recommends 3-5 shells PER crab. I recommend more. There are incorrect shells to buy. Here is the shell guide: http://hermitcrabassociation.com/phpBB/ ... 24&t=92552

11. Have there been any fumes or chemicals near the crabitat recently?
I don't think so. I recently did a deep clean and completely cleaned out my tank and washed the tank and toys with dawn dish soap.

GB: NO DAWN!!! Only use vinegar and or dechlorinated water to clean tank. No chemicals.

12. How often do you clean the tank and how?
I clean up junk and waste and buried food weekly or bi weekly if they're being crazy, and I deep clean about every two months. I take all of the substrate out and replace it with brand new substrate and I wash all of the toys with dish soap and disinfect them with peroxide if they're especially yucky.

GB: Yikes...NO SOAP or PEROXIDE. Only vinegar and dechlorinated water. No chemicals

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

14. Has anything new been added to your crabitat recently?
I crocheted a climbing net for them to climb on. One of my crabs absolutely loves it.

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.)?
I check them for mites every couple of weeks and take them out of the tank just to play with them and make sure they're doing okay every couple weeks.

GB: You only need to check for mites if you purchase new crabs. Playing with them isn't good bc they are prey animals. It stresses them out. (that's my opinion)

16. Please describe the emergency situation in detail.
Both of one of my crabs pinchers fell off this morning. I went to give them new food and water and I noticed both of them just laying there beside him. I picked him up and could feel him moving around in his shell, but sure enough both pinchers were gone. All of my crabs get along very well, and they've never gotten in a fight. None of them have changed shells so I don't think they were fighting over shells either. He's usually not a very active crab. He mostly just hangs out in one of the huts and comes out and walks around. He doesn't seem too interested in climbing or anything. I've had this crab the longest out of all the others, and he has successfully molted about two months ago as well. I am quite attached and afraid he might die.

mool wrote:I agree with GB on almost everything she says in this post and others, except that I've been using Dawn dish soap for about 9 years without apparent ill effect.

I wash everything that I wash (mostly food and water bowls) with Dawn every week. I also pop them into the dishwasher fairly often. The secret is to rinse, rinse, rinse after you wash and then smell them to see that they smell neutral before air drying and returning to cage.