Emergency help

[Boley7]

We got our hermit carbs almost 3 weeks ago one we assumed had started m olting 2 weeks ago and hes not in a shell but has been in the same position and the same spot the whole time. The other one just lost his exo last night but he's still in his shell. Neither one has buried or anything the first one is on top of the sand.

[odelayheehoo]

I am sorry to hear about your crabs, could you please fill this out?
https://www.hermitcrabassociation.com/p ... 27&t=46102

[Boley7]

How do I fill that out ?

[Oliviet#1]

Copy and paste then type in each one

[Oliviet#1]

You should also repost this in a new topic in the emergency forum. Here is a link https://www.hermitcrabassociation.com/p ... m.php?f=27

[Boley7]

1. What kind of substrate is used in your tank and how deep is it? Sand about a inch and a half

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? No

3. Is a heat source used in the tank? If so, what? No

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. Salt is already mixed
5. What kinds of food do you feed and how often is it replaced? Hermit crab cakes and hermit crab shrimp changed everyday

6. How long have you had the crab and what species is it, if known? About 3 weeks not sure of species

7. Has your crab molted, and how long ago did it happen?we think they have one was 2 weeks ago but still in the same position the other since yesterday

8. What type of housing are the crabs kept in, what size is it and what kind of lid is on the housing?
10 gallon tank plastic lid
9. How many crabs are in the tank and about how large are they? 2 one small and one about med

10. How many extra shells are usually kept in the tank, if any? 4

11. Have there been any fumes or chemicals near the crabitat recently? No

12. How often do you clean the tank and how? Haven't had a chance yet

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? No

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.)?
No
16. Please describe the emergency situation in detail.the small one we assumed had molted but he came completely out of his shell and has bee in the same position for 2 weeks. Neither one has buried. The second one is still in his shell.

[Boley7]

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HCADirectors
Posts: 54
Joined: Fri Jan 18, 2008 5:37 pm
Location: The HCA
HELP REQUEST TEMPLATE: Questions that help us help you!
Post by HCADirectors » Thu Feb 08, 2007 11:52 pm

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 by coping and pasting this list into a New Topic. 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. Thanks!

1. What kind of substrate is used in your tank and how deep is it? Sand about a inch and a half

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? No

3. Is a heat source used in the tank? If so, what? No

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. Salt is already mixed

5. What kinds of food do you feed and how often is it replaced? Hermit crab cakes and hermit crab shrimp

6. How long have you had the crab and what species is it, if known?
About 3 weeks not sure of species
7. Has your crab molted, and how long ago did it happen?one we assume 2 weeks ago they other since yesterday

8. What type of housing are the crabs kept in, what size is it and what kind of lid is on the housing?
10 gallon tank with plastic lid
9. How many crabs are in the tank and about how large are they? 2 one small one med

10. How many extra shells are usually kept in the tank, if any? 4

11. Have there been any fumes or chemicals near the crabitat recently?
No
12. How often do you clean the tank and how? Haven't got to yet

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? No

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.)?no

16. Please describe the emergency situation in detail.the small crab we assumed molted 2 weeks ago he is in the same position and the same spot he didn't bury or anything he came out of his shell. The other hasn't buried either and as of right now he is still in his shell
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[curlysister]

There are a number of things that need to be improved in your tank. Be sure to have a look at the 'care sheets' section for excellent information about crabs and their care. I have added my advice in bold below.

1. What kind of substrate is used in your tank and how deep is it? Sand about a inch and a half
Curly - you need to have at least 6 inches, or 3 times as deep as your largest crab. It needs to be moist enough to hold shape, but not so wet that water pools. Many of us use a mix of 5 parts play sand and 1 part Eco Earth, mixed together and then moistened with either dechlorinated fresh or spring water.

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? No
Curly - It is essential to know the temperature and humidity of the tank. Crabs have modified gills and need around 80% humidity to breathe. They also require temperatures around 80 degrees. Digital thermometer/ hygrometer guages are more accurate than analog.

3. Is a heat source used in the tank? If so, what? No
Curly - once you have guages, you will know what you need to use for heat. Many of us use heat mats (aka - under tank heaters) which are mounted on the side or back of the tank, never underneath.

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. Salt is already mixed
Curly - Fresh water needs to be treated with a dechlorinator such as Prime. Pre-mixed salt water (even if it says it is for hermit crabs) is not adequate. You need marine salt like Instant Ocean, mixed with the declorinated fresh water (directions are on the box).

5. What kinds of food do you feed and how often is it replaced? Hermit crab cakes and hermit crab shrimp changed everyday
Curly - Commercial foods are not safe for crabs, even though they say that's who they are for. Check the 'food' section for info about safe and unsafe foods, as well as nutrition and the food pyramid. Crabs need protein and calcium daily.

6. How long have you had the crab and what species is it, if known? About 3 weeks not sure of species

7. Has your crab molted, and how long ago did it happen?we think they have one was 2 weeks ago but still in the same position the other since yesterday

8. What type of housing are the crabs kept in, what size is it and what kind of lid is on the housing?
10 gallon tank plastic lid
9. How many crabs are in the tank and about how large are they? 2 one small and one about med

10. How many extra shells are usually kept in the tank, if any? 4
Curly - The HCA recommends 3-5 extra shells per crab. There are proper and improper shells to buy - see the 'shells' section for more info.

11. Have there been any fumes or chemicals near the crabitat recently? No

12. How often do you clean the tank and how? Haven't had a chance yet

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? No

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.)?
No
16. Please describe the emergency situation in detail.the small one we assumed had molted but he came completely out of his shell and has bee in the same position for 2 weeks. Neither one has buried. The second one is still in his shell.
/Curly - Hard to say if the crabs will make it, unfortunately. You currently don't have enough substrate for them to bury, so they surface molted. If there was more than just the two of them, they would need to be isolated, but since they are both in weakened conditions, they probably won't harm each other. I would concentrate on improving the tank conditions first, and see if they make it. After they molt, they need to eat their exoskeleton. You can put a 'hide' or 'hut' over them so it's dark as well.

[Oliviet#1]

There are your reasons. Can you post a picture of your crabs so we can see what breed it is? You want to have AT LEAST five gallons per crab in your tank and have a ten gallon tank at minimum. In the wild some hermit crabs climb trees. Here is a link to Petco at their dollar a gallon deal for a ten gallon, 20 gallon high and low, and a 29 gallon if you want to get a bigger one. https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostor ... -aquariums
You should also have 6 inches of substrate or three times the height of your biggest hermit crab (whichever is bigger). That way they can burrow deep to molt or destress.hermit crabs live in high humidity because they have gills. If they don’t have a high enough humidity they can slowly suffocate and you know. You should get one or two digital thermometer/hydrometers to check the temperature and humidity. Most hermit crabs need it to be at least 75 degrees Fahrenheit, and 75% humidity. For both it is 75-85% or degrees. To keep them from shell fighting it is good to keep 3-5 shells per crab and for them not to be painted, or glazed. There can also be harmful things in the water so you should get a declorinator. Check out the crab care pages for more. A lot of people on here use prime, but I’m going to use aqueon tap water conditioner. If your heat isn’t high enough it is recommended to get an under tank heater for the back or sides of your tank. If your humidity isn’t high enough you can mist your tank (but not too much too often or you can cause a flood in your tank.), get bigger water bowls, make a moss pit, get a bubbler for your water bowls, and cover the lid(if the lid isn’t made of glass) with plexiglass, plastic wrap, or glass. For your salt water get an aquarium salt. A lot of people recommend Instant ocean. There is much more to it but here is this for now. Just keep in mind crabs in the wild can live up to 40 years and over 10-20 in captivity. Hope this helps!

[angelbearpuppy]

Also the one that is not in a shell needs to be reshelled or he can dry out and die if he hasnt already. If he is too weak to hold on to a shell and reshell him yourself. As it has been two weeks send he has come out of his shell I wonder if he is still alive.

[Princess R.]

Also the one that is not in a shell needs to be reshelled or he can dry out and die if he hasnt already. If he is too weak to hold on to a shell and reshell him yourself. As it has been two weeks send he has come out of his shell I wonder if he is still alive.

I hope he's okay. But Angelbearpuppy's right- Crabs need their shells.

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