HCA: Hermit Crab Association

HermitLover99 wrote:All information located below.
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? Mostly Eco Earth, and some sand! It’s at a slope, so at the shallow end 1 inch, and at the deep end 4 inches. Enough for all crabs to bury, completely.


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? Temp - 78 degrees. Humidity - Lowest - 50%. Highest - 80%.


3. Is a heat source used in the tank? If so, what? No, the room in which they are in is very warm.


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 freshwater, and saltwater. I use Zoo Med for that.


5. What kinds of food do you feed and how often is it replaced? I feed pellets, fruit salad, dried veggies with calcium. A sprinkle of spiralina powder, sometimes. I also feed fresh fruits, and veggies when available. I change their food daily.


6. How long have you had the crab and what species is it, if known? A few days. I think he/she is a purple pincher, but he/she could be a blueberry.


7. Has your crab molted, and how long ago did it happen? I’m not quite sure, but her colors are very vibrant, right now.


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, with a screen lid.


9. How many crabs are in the tank and about how large are they? 3, they are medium size, I would say.


10. How many extra shells are usually kept in the tank, if any? I just go them, so none of right now, but I ordered some which should be here within days. Hopefully, I’ll have 10 in the tank.


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


12. How often do you clean the tank and how? Every few months. I spray out the whole tank, and let sit in the sun. Then, I spray down everything with dechlorinated water, and add more Eco Earth, and sand.


13. Are sponges used in the water dish? If so, how are they cleaned? No, not currently.


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, this crab is very shy, though.


16. Please describe the emergency situation in detail. My crab named Bubbles lost half of one of her legs, and half of her small pincher. This could have happened previously, since I just got him/her, but she is very shy, and my larger crab Waves gets all up on her, sometimes. I’m not quite sure what I should do. Thank you.


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HermitLover99 wrote:All information located below.
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? Mostly Eco Earth, and some sand! It’s at a slope, so at the shallow end 1 inch, and at the deep end 4 inches. Enough for all crabs to bury, completely.

CL77- If your crabs are small, 4" of sub is ok. Any larger than that and I'd recommend the standard 6"+ of sub. However, all of the sub needs to be at least the 4"-6". This makes it so there is room to molt everywhere and not just in part of the tank. Crabs can't molt properly in 1" of sub (unless they are very very tiny). Is the sub moistened to sand castle consistency?

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? Temp - 78 degrees. Humidity - Lowest - 50%. Highest - 80%.

CL77- Humidity should never fall below 70%. Wrap your mesh lid completely in saran wrap to keep the humidity in.

3. Is a heat source used in the tank? If so, what? No, the room in which they are in is very warm.


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 freshwater, and saltwater. I use Zoo Med for that.

CL77- What dechlorinator are you using for your fresh water? The ZM conditioner for salt isn't sufficient for crabs. It doesn't have all of the minerals they need. You should use a marine salt, like Instant Ocean, to mix in with your tap water.

http://hermitcrabassociation.com/phpBB/ ... 27&t=92553

5. What kinds of food do you feed and how often is it replaced? I feed pellets, fruit salad, dried veggies with calcium. A sprinkle of spiralina powder, sometimes. I also feed fresh fruits, and veggies when available. I change their food daily.

CL77- Many pellets contain preservatives not healthy for crabs. Are you feeding any proteins daily? Protein and calcium should be available at all times. In addition to sprinkling foods with calcium, try keeping cuttlebone in the tank, or a dish of calcium powder, eggshells, crab exo, etc.

6. How long have you had the crab and what species is it, if known? A few days. I think he/she is a purple pincher, but he/she could be a blueberry.

7. Has your crab molted, and how long ago did it happen? I’m not quite sure, but her colors are very vibrant, right now.

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, with a screen lid.

CL77- Be sure to wrap that lid completely in saran wrap to keep the humidity high.

9. How many crabs are in the tank and about how large are they? 3, they are medium size, I would say.

10. How many extra shells are usually kept in the tank, if any? I just go them, so none of right now, but I ordered some which should be here within days. Hopefully, I’ll have 10 in the tank.

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

12. How often do you clean the tank and how? Every few months. I spray out the whole tank, and let sit in the sun. Then, I spray down everything with dechlorinated water, and add more Eco Earth, and sand.

CL77- There's no need to do a complete substrate change unless there's an emergency, like a bacterial bloom or flood.

13. Are sponges used in the water dish? If so, how are they cleaned? No, not currently.

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, this crab is very shy, though.

16. Please describe the emergency situation in detail. My crab named Bubbles lost half of one of her legs, and half of her small pincher. This could have happened previously, since I just got him/her, but she is very shy, and my larger crab Waves gets all up on her, sometimes. I’m not quite sure what I should do. Thank you.

CL77- Try and follow my suggestions asap so she can repair her limbs. She needs the correct sub depth everywhere to be able to molt properly. Change the salt water to a marine salt (and use a good dechlor for both fresh/salt water), and be sure to always keep the humidity above 70%. Keeping tank conditions optimal will help her pull through. Make sure she has lots of protein and calcium to eat too. You can also offer her a little boost by providing honey and/or bee pollen.

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