HCA: Hermit Crab Association

My strawberry, Alpha, has molted recently and had just begun to eat his old exo when I come home today to find a catastrophe. Alpha was without a shell and left to die defenseless before his new exo could harden as Tau had taken his shell in his most vulnerable state. I panic and quickly make up an isolation tank with all the nessesities, plenty of extra shells, and his old exo. Worse news is that he isn't moving but he isn't dead because I can see a spot on his carapace pulsing. If anyone has any advice please help, I am panicking and can't bare to loose Alpha and I need a professional opinion promptly.

Resell him ASAP.


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Was he molting above the ground?


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He was molting on the surface and I assume you meant reshell as I will try that asap

current situation: limp and seldom movement but he is in a shell now


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Don't panic. I see you have reshelled him/her. Offer organic/raw honey for energy as well as the entire exo. Since the shell was stolen put a cap of dechlorinated msw and dechlorinated fw by him/her as well. Make sure humidity and heat are 80/80 minimum then cover the tank to make it dark and pray for the best. Leave alone. Good luck!


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Will do, thank you so much for the support. Will update his condition along the way


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Yw!


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Good luck

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hoping for the best! you can also use a tuppy container or plastic diy iso bottle to help ramp up his heat and humidity. i like a tuppy container with a damp wash cloth binder clipped over it.

best of luck!

Oh no... Good luck!!

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Day 2 update: Alpha still hasn't moved but he seems to be more responsive, I don't think he has eaten any of the honey or exo but his new one must be still hardening and it will just take some time. Thank everyone here in the forums for helping me through this and guiding me in Alpha's time of need


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Yw! He will eat it eventually- hold on to hope!


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Day 3 update: with a heavy heart I report that Alpha has been buried outside along with Xi. I checked on him this morning and he was completely limp, did not respond to touch, and his unhardened carapace was no longer pulsing. I cannot blame Tau for killing his tankmate, I blame myself for not compensating for Alpha's large size and giving him enough substrate to safely bury himself in. This catastrophe will not happen again as more sand will be added ASAP. I thank this community once again for the feeble attempt to save this little strawberry's life. R.I.P. Alpha


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Sorry for your loss.


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