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?
6” coconut fiber

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?
located at the top of the tank the temperature never gets below 75 and the humidity is 70-80%

3. Is a heat source used in the tank? If so, what?
a heating mat on the side of the tank it’s stuck to the glass

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)?
for the drinking water i use zoo med crab drinking water solution and it’s 2 drops/1 cup of water and the salt water i use the brand Thrive it’s a salt water conditioner and that’s 1tsp/1 cup of water

5. What kinds of food do you feed and how often is it replaced? replaced everyday it’s a variety of fruits strawberries, blueberries, cherries, blackberries and then i give them almonds, and occasionally i’ll give them either mint leaves or celery leaves and for protein either unseasoned meat or freeze dried meal worms


6. How long have you had the crab and what species is it, if known?
hes a purple pincher and i’ve had him since mid january 2021

7. Has your crab molted, and how long ago did it happen?
he has not molted

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 and for right now because i literally have not found any lids for my size tank i’ve been using plastic wrap obviously leaving a big enough opening for air

9. How many crabs are in the tank and about how large are they?
2 purple pinchers i don’t know any other way to describe their size except the opening of their shells are both an inch wide

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

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

12. How often do you clean the tank and how? [/i
i spot clean once a week and every other month i do a deep clean i replace the coconut fiber and clean all the bowls shells and climbing items usually in boiling water

13. Are sponges used in the water dish? If so, how are they cleaned?
no i don’t use sponges

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.
my hermit crab squirrely is usually the energetic one and even two days ago and yesterday morning that was the case but i got home last night and he was hanging with ur of his shell, i moved him to see what was wrong and he walked away so i assumed he was fine then ten minutes later he was upside down and his legs were out of his shell i didn’t want to disturb him but i also didn’t like him upside down so i put him right side up and left him alone. this morning i went to check on him and he was out of his shell but laying right next to it. i made him his own isolation tank and but three shells including his old one after cleaning it and left him there to see if he’d go back into one that was around 9am when i got home at 6pm he was still naked and hadn’t moved much. i went on here and looked at ways the get him back in and eventually had to manually reshell him. i couldn’t get him all the way in and i didn’t want to hurt him so he’s in a shell but still with his legs hanging out and not moving. i’m keeping him in his isolation tank to protect him from his brother. he’s also very pale which isn’t normal because he’s usually VERY vibrant please help me

.

1. What kind of substrate is used in your tank and how deep is it?
6” coconut fiber
Curly - Is your substrate moistened with dechlorinated water so it holds it's shape?

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?
located at the top of the tank the temperature never gets below 75 and the humidity is 70-80%

3. Is a heat source used in the tank? If so, what?
a heating mat on the side of the tank it’s stuck to the glass

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)?
for the drinking water i use zoo med crab drinking water solution and it’s 2 drops/1 cup of water and the salt water i use the brand Thrive it’s a salt water conditioner and that’s 1tsp/1 cup of water
Curly - Unfortunately, these aren't appropriate for hermit crabs, even tho they say they are. You will need a dechlorinator and a marine salt. Check the 'water' care sheet for full info:
http://www.hermitcrabassociation.com/ph ... 27&t=92553

5. What kinds of food do you feed and how often is it replaced? replaced everyday it’s a variety of fruits strawberries, blueberries, cherries, blackberries and then i give them almonds, and occasionally i’ll give them either mint leaves or celery leaves and for protein either unseasoned meat or freeze dried meal worms
Curly - Crabs need a variety of fruits, veggies, grains, leaves, and also need a source of calcium daily. Be sure to check the nutrition care sheet:
http://www.hermitcrabassociation.com/ph ... 25&t=92554

6. How long have you had the crab and what species is it, if known?
hes a purple pincher and i’ve had him since mid january 2021

7. Has your crab molted, and how long ago did it happen?
he has not molted

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 and for right now because i literally have not found any lids for my size tank i’ve been using plastic wrap obviously leaving a big enough opening for air

9. How many crabs are in the tank and about how large are they?
2 purple pinchers i don’t know any other way to describe their size except the opening of their shells are both an inch wide

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

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

12. How often do you clean the tank and how?
i replace the coconut fiber and clean all the bowls shells and climbing items usually in boiling water

13. Are sponges used in the water dish? If so, how are they cleaned?
no i don’t use sponges

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.
my hermit crab squirrely is usually the energetic one and even two days ago and yesterday morning that was the case but i got home last night and he was hanging with ur of his shell, i moved him to see what was wrong and he walked away so i assumed he was fine then ten minutes later he was upside down and his legs were out of his shell i didn’t want to disturb him but i also didn’t like him upside down so i put him right side up and left him alone. this morning i went to check on him and he was out of his shell but laying right next to it. i made him his own isolation tank and but three shells including his old one after cleaning it and left him there to see if he’d go back into one that was around 9am when i got home at 6pm he was still naked and hadn’t moved much. i went on here and looked at ways the get him back in and eventually had to manually reshell him. i couldn’t get him all the way in and i didn’t want to hurt him so he’s in a shell but still with his legs hanging out and not moving. i’m keeping him in his isolation tank to protect him from his brother. he’s also very pale which isn’t normal because he’s usually VERY vibrant please help me
Curly - A crab drops it's shell when it is too weak to carry it. A crab is susceptible to Post Purchase Syndrome until after at least it's first molt with us. They go through so much that they sometimes just don't have enough energy. You have a few things that can be improved in your tank. I agree that you need to keep him isolated from your other crab. Also try feeding some high energy foods.

ok thank you! i’ll check out those links i hope he gets better

and no i didn’t know to mix it with dechlorinated water i’ll start doing that from now on once i get the proper dechlorinator i usually just spray the tank with water

I'll put my suggestions under your answers. Hope this helps!

k8.chrysanthemum wrote: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?
6” coconut fiber

CL77- Is it 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?
located at the top of the tank the temperature never gets below 75 and the humidity is 70-80%

3. Is a heat source used in the tank? If so, what?
a heating mat on the side of the tank it’s stuck to the glass

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)?
for the drinking water i use zoo med crab drinking water solution and it’s 2 drops/1 cup of water and the salt water i use the brand Thrive it’s a salt water conditioner and that’s 1tsp/1 cup of water

CL77- A salt water conditioner won't have all the minerals crabs need. You should use a marine salt (like Instant Ocean) mixed with dechlor fresh water.

5. What kinds of food do you feed and how often is it replaced? replaced everyday it’s a variety of fruits strawberries, blueberries, cherries, blackberries and then i give them almonds, and occasionally i’ll give them either mint leaves or celery leaves and for protein either unseasoned meat or freeze dried meal worms

CL77- Are you offering a constant source of calcium? Eggshells, calcium powder, cuttlebone, and crab exo are all good calcium sources.

6. How long have you had the crab and what species is it, if known?
hes a purple pincher and i’ve had him since mid january 2021

7. Has your crab molted, and how long ago did it happen?
he has not molted

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 and for right now because i literally have not found any lids for my size tank i’ve been using plastic wrap obviously leaving a big enough opening for air

CL77- It's ok to completely seal the tank. They will get some air exchange when you do your tank maintenance every 1-2 days.

Here is a regular mesh lid for a 10 gal tank:

https://smile.amazon.com/Zilla-Reptile- ... for&sr=8-3

Here is a mesh lid with a trap door on the top:

https://smile.amazon.com/Zilla-Reptile- ... for&sr=8-5

9. How many crabs are in the tank and about how large are they?
2 purple pinchers i don’t know any other way to describe their size except the opening of their shells are both an inch wide

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

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

12. How often do you clean the tank and how? [/i
i spot clean once a week and every other month i do a deep clean i replace the coconut fiber and clean all the bowls shells and climbing items usually in boiling water

CL77- There's no need to replace the substrate unless there is an emergency like a bacterial bloom or flood. Also, never dig up crabs to replace sub, unless there is an emergency.

13. Are sponges used in the water dish? If so, how are they cleaned?
no i don’t use sponges

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.
my hermit crab squirrely is usually the energetic one and even two days ago and yesterday morning that was the case but i got home last night and he was hanging with ur of his shell, i moved him to see what was wrong and he walked away so i assumed he was fine then ten minutes later he was upside down and his legs were out of his shell i didn’t want to disturb him but i also didn’t like him upside down so i put him right side up and left him alone. this morning i went to check on him and he was out of his shell but laying right next to it. i made him his own isolation tank and but three shells including his old one after cleaning it and left him there to see if he’d go back into one that was around 9am when i got home at 6pm he was still naked and hadn’t moved much. i went on here and looked at ways the get him back in and eventually had to manually reshell him. i couldn’t get him all the way in and i didn’t want to hurt him so he’s in a shell but still with his legs hanging out and not moving. i’m keeping him in his isolation tank to protect him from his brother. he’s also very pale which isn’t normal because he’s usually VERY vibrant please help me


CL77- That's good you have him isolated. The best thing you can do for him is provide optimal conditions. Try to shoot for 80% humidity and 80°F to keep him extra comfortable. Grab a marine salt for the salt water asap. Also make sure he always has access to lots of protein and calcium. You can also try to give him a boost by offering honey and/or bee pollen.

.

Sent from my Moto G (5) Plus using Tapatalk

Oops, must have been doing my post while Curly already posted. Sorry!

Sent from my Moto G (5) Plus using Tapatalk

any help is greatly appreciated! thank you both for responding very quickly, from your understanding and the information i’ve given does it sound like he’s dying or could it just be since he hasn’t molted yet and the poor water conditions

so there’s a beekeeper down the street and she sells the honey and bee pollen i’ve already contacted her and im picking it up tomorrow i also added egg shells and what do you recommend as the best protein option for him

k8.chrysanthemum wrote:so there’s a beekeeper down the street and she sells the honey and bee pollen i’ve already contacted her and im picking it up tomorrow i also added egg shells and what do you recommend as the best protein option for him

It's a def possibility he may pass away.
That's great you can get ahold of some local honey and bee pollen so fast. Hopefully it will give him a little boost.
I like to run my eggshells through the food processor or coffee bean grinder to make them smaller and easier to eat.
I think you said you offer mealworms. That's great. My guys love those. My guys also LOVE eggs. You can scramble an egg in a bowl or coffee cup in the microwave. Just scramble the yolks and pop them in the microwave for appx 1.5 mins for 2 eggs. Let cool and dice up in small pieces. You can try hardboiled eggs too. My guys ignore the whites, but love the yolk.
Good luck, keep us updated!


Sent from my Moto G (5) Plus using Tapatalk

thank you for all the help i’ll definitely keep you guys updated

Yw!

Sent from my Moto G (5) Plus using Tapatalk

so yesterday i was super mothering and noticed EVERY detail on my little guy and he was extremely pale and his purple claw was open (not really significant but i noticed that) so this morning he still hasn’t moved he’s still hanging out of his shell a little but his coloring came back and his claw is now closed i’m home all day today so i’m going to be constantly monitoring him

CrabbyLover77 wrote: ↑

Thu Jul 08, 2021 12:22 am

It's a def possibility he may pass away.
That's great you can get ahold of some local honey and bee pollen so fast. Hopefully it will give him a little boost.
I like to run my eggshells through the food processor or coffee bean grinder to make them smaller and easier to eat.
I think you said you offer mealworms. That's great. My guys love those. My guys also LOVE eggs. You can scramble an egg in a bowl or coffee cup in the microwave. Just scramble the yolks and pop them in the microwave for appx 1.5 mins for 2 eggs. Let cool and dice up in small pieces. You can try hardboiled eggs too. My guys ignore the whites, but love the yolk.
Good luck, keep us updated!


Sent from my Moto G (5) Plus using Tapatalk

is there a possibility he surface molted and now he’s just in like recovery? his color came back overnight and his legs look hairy idk if that’s the right word or them haha he has no odor he hasn’t gotten up from his position but he’s moved his claw and now his feelers are popping out of hes shell like he’s inches forward or something i’m still keeping a close eye on him and keeping him in isolation

k8.chrysanthemum wrote:
is there a possibility he surface molted and now he’s just in like recovery? his color came back overnight and his legs look hairy idk if that’s the right word or them haha he has no odor he hasn’t gotten up from his position but he’s moved his claw and now his feelers are popping out of hes shell like he’s inches forward or something i’m still keeping a close eye on him and keeping him in isolation

If you never saw his Exo on the surface, then it probably wasn't a surface molt. Maybe he's feeling a bit better and that's why his color is coming back. I'll keep my fingers crossed for him.

Sent from my Moto G (5) Plus using Tapatalk

CrabbyLover77 wrote: ↑

Thu Jul 08, 2021 5:07 pm

If you never saw his Exo on the surface, then it probably wasn't a surface molt. Maybe he's feeling a bit better and that's why his color is coming back. I'll keep my fingers crossed for him.

Sent from my Moto G (5) Plus using Tapatalk

ok thank you