HCA: Hermit Crab Association

Hi all,
So I'm starting to worry that I'm doing something wrong with my hermits. I know I have the right conditions but I just can't manage to keep them alive. I really want to keep them alive but I don't know what is happening to them. I used to have 7, one came up half eaten one day, then one just completely disappeared with all the shells I know he could have been in empty and just tonight one just died and went all limp and weak and half out of his shell out of the blue. I went to the movies and came home to find him still in the same position but solid which I knew meant he had died.
What do I do, I don't want to harm my crabs, I only want what's best for them. I am doing everything I can and know is right but they just keep dying.


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1. What kind of substrate is used in your tank and how deep is it?
I use play sand in my tank and it is about 6 inches deep.

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?
I have a humidity and temp gauge located in the middle of the tank. The humidity usually reads 85% and the temp usually reads from 22-26 degrees (Celsius).

3. Is a heat source used in the tank? If so, what?
I have a heat mat located on the back of the tank.

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 both fresh and salt water in the tank (2 bowls of fresh, one pool of salt). I use aquatopia hermit crabs conditioning salt, I have a teaspoon of it for 250ml.

5. What kinds of food do you feed and how often is it replaced?
I usually give them coconut with a mixture of mangos or almonds or cranberries and I will give them either prawns or baby river shrimp as their protein. I have some cuttlefish in the tank with them as well.

6. How long have you had the crab and what species is it, if known?
I have had two of the crabs for a year and a bit and the other two now for maybe half a year at max. The one that died last night I had for just over half a year because I got him for my birthday.

7. Has your crab molted, and how long ago did it happen?
Two of the crabs have molted with me. One was at the end of last year and a bit into this year, the other was at the start of this year. The other crabs hadn't molted with me yet. The one that died last night molted with me not that long ago and he hadn't gotten his colour back, he was still greyish.

8. What type of housing are the crabs kept in, what size is it and what kind of lid is on the housing?
I have my crabs in a glass tank with glass panels on top, I have a towel on top of them to keep the heat and humidity in. It is about 130litres big I think.

9. How many crabs are in the tank and about how large are they?
I have four crabs in there now, two of them a fairly large, while the other two are smaller. The one that died last night was a larger one as well.

10. How many extra shells are usually kept in the tank, if any?
I usually have around 30 shells in the tank with a wide range of different sizes for them.

11. Have there been any fumes or chemicals near the crabitat recently?
There haven't been any fumes that I know of around the tank, I used to spray deodorant in my room where the tank is but I haven't done that for at least 6 months.

12. How often do you clean the tank and how?
I cleaned the tank not that long ago, I usually clean it at least once a year or when the sand gets really smelly and gross because they bury some of the food. I take the sand out and give it a wipe with water and a damp cloth.

13. Are sponges used in the water dish? If so, how are they cleaned?
I don't use sponges in the water bowls.

14. Has anything new been added to your crabitat recently?
There hasn't been anything new in the tank recently, I cleaned it about 2-3 weeks ago, the crabs seemed fine and like they normally are. Even yesterday morning the one who died was acting fine.

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.)?
Every now and again I will get a crab out and let them walk on my hands and arms but that is about it.

16. Please describe the emergency situation in detail.
I would like to know what I'm doing wrong and how I can fix what I am doing with my crabs because I don't like them dying. I want what's best for them and do not want to harm them further.


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I am so sorry for your loss. Sending you love and luck for you and your little friends.


♡ Rod ♡ Salty ♡ Bob ♡ Squirt ♡ Crabina ♡
»-♡-> Our Purple Pinchers »-♡->

I would chuck out the salt... its nothing more than expensive packaged table salt, and ideally you should look for a salt that is for marine aquariums. This ensures they are getting all the vital trace minerals that they need, which may be missing.

I would also reccomend increasing the substrate depth a bit as well, aussies are active diggers and appreciate deeper substrates.

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Thankyou, I will look into getting better salt. I will also add more sand in as well. My crabs spend most of the time underground so I rarely see them.


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Do you use a dechlorinator for your fresh water?

Have you checked out the food pyramid and safe food list, to give them more variety?

No I don't use a dechlorinator but I use bottled water to avoid chlorine in it. I will have a look at some other foods I can give them so they get a variety. Thankyou for your help


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Madi.crab wrote:No I don't use a dechlorinator but I use bottled water to avoid chlorine in it. I will have a look at some other foods I can give them so they get a variety. Thankyou for your help


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You still need a dechlorinator. One that removes chlorine, chloramine and neutralizes ammonia and heavy metals. The brand recommended is Prime.

Ok, what sort of salt should I use as well? I'll try to get some prime and salt with the proper brands online because I know they have it


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Madi.crab wrote:Ok, what sort of salt should I use as well? I'll try to get some prime and salt with the proper brands online because I know they have it


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Instant Ocean salt.

JJ has made recommendations before on a more common and not terribly expensive salt but I cannot remember which brand it was. The products we commonly use here usually aren't available or cost a fortune in Australia.

Aquaone is pretty common, and dirt cheap (and lowish quality... gets the job done) as for as marine salts go.

Instant ocean and redsea brands are available in Australia, but due to them being shipped over they cost an arm and a leg.

I personally reccomend blue treasure. I got mine off ebay, a large bucket enough to make a couple 100 liters easy! Free shipping, and in total cost me less than $80-90... works awesome for crabs - and easy to keep corals. So the inital cost is high - well in comparison to other brands - but the quantity you receive certainly gives you the most bang for your buck - and way cheaper than other brands per kilo...

Edit: I made the same recommendation here... I still using the same bucket that I mentioned last time, so it was $64... not $80 like I said. But still speak highly of it! https://www.hermitcrabassociation.com/p ... 2&start=30

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