HCA: Hermit Crab Association

Since you've come to the emergency forum, we know you want a fast answer to your question. In order for us to figure out the problem as quickly as possible, we ask that you answer the following questions as best you can. Some of them may seem odd, but they're all designed to give us the information we need to give you a good solution for your problem. The things in the [ brackets ] are there to make this post easier to read once submitted. Thanks!


1. What kind of substrate is used in your tank and how deep is it?
Coconut fiber and playsand, 6-8 inches

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, around 70-80 degrees(cool+warm), varying humidity from 75-85


3. Is a heat source used in the tank? If so, what?
depends if I needs heat mat or not, never any lamps


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 is available, I use instant ocean with the ratio on the box


5. What kinds of food do you feed and how often is it replaced?
staple: hermit crab pellets
Fresh vegetables/fruit, whatever is crab safe in my fridge
After 1-2 days(unless they make an absolute mess, then sooner)



7. Has your crab molted, and how long ago did it happen?
Emergency is about his molting*


8. What type of housing are the crabs kept in, what size is it and what kind of lid is on the housing?
29 gallon
Plexiglass lid, with many holes for ventilation

9. How many crabs are in the tank and about how large are they?
3 crabs, 1 small, 1 small/medium, 1 medium (this post is about the medium)

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


11. Have there been any fumes or chemicals near the crabitat recently?
None at all

12. How often do you clean the tank and how?
Wipe it down a lot(water), full clean only when needed (every few months), although I am considering stopping full cleans.

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

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

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.)?
Comment i will reply

16. Please describe the emergency situation in detail.

I was told to move this post to the emergency section (so I am sorry if it isn’t an emergency)

Also, I can do anything to my crab/in the habitat, all of my other crabs were immediately moved into a backup tank for the time being, until I have fully cleaned their old home

Hello everyone, I am very sad today because I have just discovered that my crab, Cookie, has most likely passed during molting. I had noticed he had gone into molt, and about a week later(right now) I just looked under the hut he had been underneath, and found him with a little bit of (what seems to be) mold on him.

I have created a quarantine tank for my other crabs for the time being. I went online and read a story about a crab possibly being alive despite having a little mold on them. I’m praying, but most likely he isn’t, or has not, made it.

I’m beating myself up over it, but I just need to know, is there anything I could’ve done? Is it my fault if he died in molt? I don’t want this to ever happen to my other crabs obviously. How can i make molting safer for my babies? I try to be the absolute best owner I can be, but I really don’t feel it right now. He has never had any issues with molting before, nor have any of my crabs. They have plenty of substrate 6-8 in(29 gal) and their humidity and heat is always perfect. I just don’t understand. Thanks for any replies

Ps: the reason I am so confused/worried is that it had only been about a week since I last saw him, and I didn’t think mold would grow so quickly. And he doesn’t smell remotely like dead crab. Can I safely move him into a quarantine tank just for maybe a week? I have travel size tanks that he could go in until I am 100% sure he’s gone. Again, any replies are greatly appreciated

.

I'm so sorry for your loss!

This is what I think might be your problem regarding molting.
First of all, I think it's best that you avoid crab pellets entirely, because they add bad chemicals to commercial crab food that is NOT beneficial to the crabs. And make sure you are not forgetting animal proteins,like freeze dried Blood worms, freeze dried brine shrimp, etc. Second of all, don't forget that a good supply of calcium is needed, especially during molting time. Egg shell, spinach, and cuttle bone are all examples of calcium rich foods.

I hope this helps!

Princess R. wrote:I'm so sorry for your loss!

This is what I think might be your problem regarding molting.
First of all, I think it's best that you avoid crab pellets entirely, because they add bad chemicals to commercial crab food that is NOT beneficial to the crabs. And make sure you are not forgetting animal proteins,like freeze dried Blood worms, freeze dried brine shrimp, etc. Second of all, don't forget that a good supply of calcium is needed, especially during molting time. Egg shell, spinach, and cuttle bone are all examples of calcium rich foods.

I hope this helps!

Princess R is right pellets are bad.

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Princess R. wrote: ↑

Tue Mar 19, 2019 4:51 pm

I'm so sorry for your loss!

This is what I think might be your problem regarding molting.
First of all, I think it's best that you avoid crab pellets entirely, because they add bad chemicals to commercial crab food that is NOT beneficial to the crabs. And make sure you are not forgetting animal proteins,like freeze dried Blood worms, freeze dried brine shrimp, etc. Second of all, don't forget that a good supply of calcium is needed, especially during molting time. Egg shell, spinach, and cuttle bone are all examples of calcium rich foods.

I hope this helps!

Omg! I completely forgot to add that stuff. I do have cuttlebones in their tank (they ADORE them) and I give them shrimp, too. No one has ever said anything about pellets before. Wow. I will definitely stop that then. I’ve never heard of giving them egg shells before, will definitely give that to my other crabs. Thank you so much for your help. :)

If you go to the 'food' section, there is lots of info about hermit crab nutrition. Safe and unsafe foods lists, nutrition pyramid, etc.

What brand of dechlorinator do you use?

What kind of hygrometer/ thermometer do you use? If you have 'many' holes in the lid for ventilation, I would worry that the humidity might not be high enough. Have you calibrated the hygrometer?

Deep cleaning is not needed, only spot cleaning poop and food debris. Is your substrate moist enough to hold it's shape but not so wet that water is pooling in the bottom?

Did the crab molt on the surface? They should bury themselves completely, and not come up until they have eaten their exo and have hardened. What did you set up for the other crabs? It is likely easier to iso the one crab in the existing tank. Use a 2L pop bottle, cut down, lid off, to put over top of the crab.
The cause of death is likely not contagious to the other crabs. Unless you have a bacterial bloom or a flood, you don't need to remove the substrate and deep clean the tank, even if a crab has died.

curlysister wrote: ↑

Tue Mar 19, 2019 10:03 pm

If you go to the 'food' section, there is lots of info about hermit crab nutrition. Safe and unsafe foods lists, nutrition pyramid, etc.

What brand of dechlorinator do you use?

What kind of hygrometer/ thermometer do you use? If you have 'many' holes in the lid for ventilation, I would worry that the humidity might not be high enough. Have you calibrated the hygrometer?

Deep cleaning is not needed, only spot cleaning poop and food debris. Is your substrate moist enough to hold it's shape but not so wet that water is pooling in the bottom?

Did the crab molt on the surface? They should bury themselves completely, and not come up until they have eaten their exo and have hardened. What did you set up for the other crabs? It is likely easier to iso the one crab in the existing tank. Use a 2L pop bottle, cut down, lid off, to put over top of the crab.
The cause of death is likely not contagious to the other crabs. Unless you have a bacterial bloom or a flood, you don't need to remove the substrate and deep clean the tank, even if a crab has died.

Yes I have lots hygrometer I have a bunch. One is a flukers one. Yes they are calibrated. I know that the humidity is high, when I put my hand in there, I can feel humidity.

No he didn’t molt on the surface, but he went under in a way that when a looked under a hut, I could see him. I can’t really explain it, like he’s under the part of the hut that was stuck in the substrate. In the moment I got really scared for my other crabs, I set up almost a replica of their current tank, just in a 10 gal. I am going to remove the other crab I think and move them back in there. Is there any way I can do it safely if he isn’t dead? I always like to make sure because I know molting crabs often seem dead. I just don’t understand, they’ve all molted perfect in this same tank many times. I feel so awful, but thank you for your advice.

Please don't feel to bad, Choandchip, I think we've all felt that feeling where "it's all my fault that it happened". From what you said it looks like you've really worked hard to keep your crab's healthy and happy. I'm not sure how long ago you got your crab, but his experience in the store could have been too stressful for him, or maybe he's not dead at all. All I'm trying to say is, what ever happens, please don't take it too hard upon yourself. It could have had nothing to do with you.

I wish I could help. I have never had this happen to me before and I haven't heard of this. Please don't blame yourself. I think that it would be best to leave your crabbies where they are and wait and see what happens. I meant to do some research about this but then life got into the way,sorry about that. Please don't feel bad about this. At least you did research to give your crabbies a good home unlike other people. I will be praying.

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Princess R. wrote: ↑

Wed Mar 20, 2019 3:54 pm

Please don't feel to bad, Choandchip, I think we've all felt that feeling where "it's all my fault that it happened". From what you said it looks like you've really worked hard to keep your crab's healthy and happy. I'm not sure how long ago you got your crab, but his experience in the store could have been too stressful for him, or maybe he's not dead at all. All I'm trying to say is, what ever happens, please don't take it too hard upon yourself. It could have had nothing to do with you.

Thank you, it means so much. I will be isolating him with the pop bottle method, and getting my other crabs safe and sound. Thank you for your replies and suggestions :)

Cococrabgirl! wrote: ↑

Wed Mar 20, 2019 4:43 pm

I wish I could help. I have never had this happen to me before and I haven't heard of this. Please don't blame yourself. I think that it would be best to leave your crabbies where they are and wait and see what happens. I meant to do some research about this but then life got into the way,sorry about that. Please don't feel bad about this. At least you did research to give your crabbies a good home unlike other people. I will be praying.

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Thank you so much. I will be figuring everything out and making sure my other crabs are completely safe, because that is my number one priority. Thank you so so much again.

Choandchip wrote: Thank you so much. I will be figuring everything out and making sure my other crabs are completely safe, because that is my number one priority. Thank you so so much again.

Your so sweat! And you are welcome! I think that is a good plan to do the bottle method. I will be praying!

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your'e welcome, Choandchip. I hope that your Cookie gets better.

Baloo has been down for appx 4 months. I can see his shell above the sand. The sand is 6 inches deep. Before he rested at this final spot, he had been up for two weeks after being down for 1.5 months. While he was up, he was lethargic and never really moved or ate. His color seemed dull. I moved the sand that had been pushed on top of him and touched his shell last night to see if he had gone into the tunnel that had been dug beside him. Nope. When do I concede and dig him up? I know he could molt up to 6 months due to his size so I've been really careful. Humidity 95, temp 82, substrate keeps drying out but is moist enough for tunnels (need guidance in the moistening of substrate), variety of organic foods and seeds.