Dropped crab broken shell please help!!

[briannashermitcrabs]

My mom dropped my new hermit crab and his shell broke, how do we get him to change into a new shell? When we put him in the tank with shells will he automatically pick one or what should we do if he won't change into a new one?
My main concern is putting him in with my other crabs, should I keep him separate until he picks a new shell?

[HeyItsEggs]

Don't worry, my crab had a hole in its shell that was about a centimeter in size. It was on the top side. Let it change on its own. But, how big is the hole and where is it? A picture would help


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[briannashermitcrabs]

sure I can take a pic but how do I post it on here?

[daws409]

Best way to upload pics would be tapatalk app

Sent from my HTC6515LVW using Tapatalk

[LadyJinglyJones]

Hi!
Okay, I haven't dealt with this exact problem before, so if someone else more experienced weighs in, I'd go with what they say!

Firstly, I'd try offering the crab a few clean shells of the right size. Some people find that dipping a shell in dechlorinated salt water makes it more enticing to crabs. Go with lighter shells - if your crab is a PP, round openings (i.e. turbos, mexicans). Hopefully your crab isn't injured & can change shells itself.

Important to remember is that the abdomen of the crab is very delicate, and you want to be handling the crab carefully... I'd try to handle him as little as possible.

If he can't seem to get free of his broken shell, let us know!

Re: uploading pics

If you haven't got tapatalk, post pic to a third party host (i.e. tumblr, facebook, etc), click the picture on the site where it's posted > save the link for the picture itself > then click the "Img" button at the top of the message bar & paste the image URL beween the Img brackets.

[Happyhermiehome]

oh no! Will he dry out if his shell water leaks out?? I would make extra sure the humidity is up 80%+ and he can get in n out of the water dishes easily to keep his gills hydrated so he can breathe properly.I obviously have no experience with this issue either but I would definitely get a good selection of shells in there asap and put a towel over the tank. My crabs seem to like to change more often when it's dark and no one is looking.

[LadyJinglyJones]

Shell water leakage depends on the hole... if its a smallish hole, towards the top, it might not be such a big problem. Crabs stubbornly cling to shells with small holes some times.

Humidity being higher is good. Unless the hole is large he won't dry out right away, as the shell probably still offers some protection. How big a hole are we talking here?

If it's more of a crack, or is situated along the underside of the crab, I might be a bit more concerned.

Keep an eye on him. If he looks like he's trying to get out but can't, an intervention could be necessary... otherwise just provide better shells for now. (I think.)