Appendage Damage!

[piratetoothgir]

1. What kind of substrate is used in your tank and how deep is it?

I use EcoEarth, and it is 8” which will soon be 12-14” in depth.

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, the temperature is 83, and 78 at night. Humidity is always 80 or higher.

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

ZooMed UTH.

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 Salt are available for them. I use ALT’s Hermit Crab Salt. Probably going to switch very soon.

5. What kinds of food do you feed and how often is it replaced?

I feed veggies, and nuts for a main diet. I’m beginning to get them onto meats. I also offer them coconut oil and honey.

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

I’ve had him since November, and he’s a PP.

7. Has your crab molted, and how long ago did it happen?

Yes, around last December.

8. What type of housing are the crabs kept in, what size is it and what kind of lid is on the housing?

Acrylic tank, with a built in top. It has a cutout for the light bar. Currently a 26 gallon, but I am building a 150.

9. How many crabs are in the tank and about how large are they?

6 total crabs, which are ranging from 2 1/2” at the largest, and 1/2” at the smallest.

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

30+ spares.

11. Have there been any fumes or chemicals near the crabitat recently?

No, never before.

12. How often do you clean the tank and how?

I usually just change the arrangement of the dirt, and clean out the dishes. I also do move the plants a bit. Scrubbing off the excess water from condensation, and then saturating it afterwards.

13. Are sponges used in the water dish? If so, how are they cleaned?

No.

14. Has anything new been added to your crabitat recently?

Only a moss pit, and that was 2 weeks ago.

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 don’t bathe them, but I do handle them a bit each time. I try not to do it often, but I am careful when doing so.

16. Please describe the emergency situation in detail.

My female hermit crab, Stella has torn off my other crab’s first leg segment. She pinched onto his shell, and wouldn’t let go when I tried to separate them. He was moving afterwards, but not a lot. Soon after being put back into the terrarium, he ran off.

[Happyhermiehome]

Oh no! I'm pretty new to crabbing but it may have been a fight over territory? Im sure some more experienced crabbers will offfer u a more definitive answer but I would maybe ISO either the injured crabbie or the meanie crab to keep them apart till u can get them safely moved into your bigger tank.

[aussieJJDude]

It sounds to me like a shell fight. Is Stella and your other crab the same size - roughly?

The good thing is that limbs can grow back in the next couple of moults so he should be fine, just continue to offer shells - see if you can look into getting a couple of shells similar to his species (such as size) to decrease the chances of future shell fights occurring.

(You may want to look into swapping out the salt for some marine grade salts, which contain beneficial trace elements in which the crabs utilise. And defiantly get them on a balanced diet, since they are omnivorous scavengers and require certain kinds of proteins and fats in which vegetation does not offer.)

[piratetoothgir]

Yes, they are about the exact same size. However, the fight started while I was rearranging the terrarium.


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