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?
A mixture of Eco Earth & Play sand from Home Depot. Roughly 6-7 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?
I do, they are located in an upper corner of my tank and they usually range from 70-80 degrees Farenheit (in winter I use a heating pad, I don't use it in the summer) and the humidity when the top is closed is around 70-80 as well.


3. Is a heat source used in the tank? If so, what?
I use a heating pad if it looks like the temperature is too low.


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)?
Both are avaliable and are in homemade bubbler pools. I use instant ocean to make the saltwater.


5. What kinds of food do you feed and how often is it replaced?
I replace the food about every two days, I try to feed them fresh fruits and veggie most of the time, along with dried mealworms/dried shrimp/eggs etc. I give them chia seeds w pretty much every meal.

6. How long have you had the crab and what species is it, if known?
This particular crab I've only had for about three days, four tomorrow. I don't know what species it is but I think its a PP.

7. Has your crab molted, and how long ago did it happen?
I'm not sure.

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 tank, it has a closed glass flip lid on top, but theres a bit of a small gap where the pool bubbler tube goes through.

9. How many crabs are in the tank and about how large are they?
Currently three (two?), all around medium size.

10. How many extra shells are usually kept in the tank, if any?
I have around 8-10 in the tank at once.

11. Have there been any fumes or chemicals near the crabitat recently?
Not that I know of, but it's hotter in my region now so I've had the fan on if that means anything.

12. How often do you clean the tank and how?
Change food and scoop the substrate surface every 2 days. Change the water every 4-5 days. I've fully changed out the substrate once and that was to move the crabs into a bigger tank.

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?
A new crab from the store (I know, this was probably my first mistake, I apologize) and a handwoven net/hammock made of jute.

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.)?
I have three crabs, two of them I have had for almost a year (I think it'll be a year in June). Those crabs were an impulsive buy from the beach, but after bringing them home I realized a lot more care was needed for them, so I adjusted and they've been doing well ever since (from what I've seen). They're almost always active at night and sometimes during the day, and I've never had any trouble with them fighting, they cuddle under some moss during the day as well. One of them is about 1.5 Inches across and the other is about 1 inch, so they aren't really around the same size. They've never been sick (to my knowledge) and I've never seen any evidence of molting from either of them. I think I also made a mistake here, I'm not prepped with an isolation tank as I've never needed one prior to this, but I want to fix that once I can.

16. Please describe the emergency situation in detail.
About four days ago I introduced a new crab (P) to the tank. I don't know any of my crab's sexes so I kind of just refer to them all as he's. He seemed okay for the first day, a bit nervous and wary of my other two crabs. My two crabs (C & V) eventually came out to see the fuss and there was a new crab. I watched them for about two hours because I was nervous about fighting. I looked up the differences between crabs fighting/playing/curiousity and I chalked it up to curiosity, especially bc I didn't hear any clicking sounds from any of them. C was more "curious" than V and would roll P over and touch his claws before crawling away, which I read online could just be C trying to get to know P. For the rest of the day P crawled around the substrate before settling underneath one of my coconut huts. C & V went around their regular business. I checked on P everyday before today and he was always under the coconut hut, but alive and moving.

Tonight I lifted up the coconut husk and saw P about halfway out of his shell! Not fully (as in not his abdomen) but pretty much all of his claws and his eyes are out of the shell. Two of his smaller legs are detached from him and I can't help but wonder if he is suddenly molting or if he died from stress or if C got too aggressive and pulled off his limbs. Everywhere I look says to assume that he is molting not dead, but he really does look lifeless. The tank smells like it normally does, a bit humid and crabby but nothing out of the ordinary. It smells the way it always does. If anyone has some advice I'd really appreciate it. I really really don't want to assume P is dead (I feel absolutely awful) but I'm also 90% sure it isn't the tank, as my other two crabs have not had any problems. I never heard fighting from the crabs but at one point yesterday I think I did see C walk over to the entrance of the coconut husk. I don't remember if I checked P before or after that on that day. I didn't think much of it and I'm really upset that I didn't.

Any help would be appreciated, I can take a picture of P if it might help. For now I think I'm going to leave him just in case there unless he starts to smell or mold.
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Your conditions sound really good. Nothing jumps out that could be a problem in the tank. It is a bit concerning that your two original crabs have not buried themselves for a few weeks to molt at any time - your sub sounds like it is at least twice a deep as your crabs, is it also moistened so that it holds it's shape?

As for new guy, losing limbs could be from fighting, or from stress (as in, his previous conditions). It's hard to say. For now, I would ensure he is isolated from the other two - this does not have to be an isolation tank (I have never had one either). You can cut off a 2 liter pop bottle so that you can push the bottom into the substrate (as long as all other crabs are above ground), and leave the cap off. That way, the crab still has all the proper conditions of the tank, but the other crabs can not get to him if he is weakened. I would put a bit of high energy food in there, like peanut butter and honey to see if he will eat a bit for a quick boost (you can even use a bottle cap for the food, and can give him a bit of water in there this way too).

Thank you for replying so quickly! My older crabs (C & V) sometimes bury themselves in the substrate for periods of time) but I've never seen evidence of an exoskeleton. My substrate used to be somewhat dry, and I only recently found out about having proper substrate consistency. In the past month I heard mixing saltwater with the sub is good when it's dry sometimes so that's what I've been doing so far. I can get a 2L bottle in the morning, for now I can block P off with some of the decor in the tank. Hopefully in the morning I don't smell anything too fishy in the tank, I've only had him for a few days but I get attached to the crabs really quickly.

My main concern is that P is really half out of his shell, and is kind of on his side. He also wasn't moving. I've never seen a molting crab before and it's hard to tell the difference from the pictures I've seen online (youtube & websites). His detached legs were also still tucked into him when I saw them, like he dropped them rather than my other crab C pulling them out and tossing them somewhere, though I did take some tweezers and took away the legs I saw were detached. I'm hoping it's just a sudden molt or something like that, & I of course don't blame C if something happened.

I'll check again in the morning and I will hopefully have an update. Thank you for the help and if anyone else has any advice (any at all, I've only had crabs for about a year so anything is welcome) I'd really appreciate it.
Thanks again

Hey everyone, I'm sad to say that P didn't make it through the night. He was in the exact same spot I left him yesterday, and the tank smell a bit off than usual. It wasn't super strong but it was a slight acrid smell. I took P out of the tank and his whole body fell out of his shell. There was nothing inside the shell and I didn't see any sign of a molt sack so I figure this wasn't a surface molt. I've never run into PPS before but I'm wondering if this was it or if I could have done more. I feel pretty bad that I couldn't help him adjust better. Hoping he's in a better place.

His abdomen is a bit shriveled and also has black splotches on it. I've seen my other crabs go into new shells before and their abdomens were always plump and white. Would anyone happen to know what the splotches are? Is it just part of decay or was P sick? I'm planning on boiling the coconut husk he was under later when I get home, but is there anything else I should do just in case? I don't think it was mites or ants or anything contagious (I hope!).

For the record I stayed up the majority of the night just watching the tank because I was worried my other crabs might try to get to P. They didn't but I did see them crawling around and using their hamster wheel, so as far as I know, the other two crabs are doing just fine.

Thanks for the help Curly & to everyone who might stumble across this post.

The black splotches are probably just decay. When they’re deceased their soft abdomens are usually the first to go.


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I am sorry to hear he passed away. If you had only had him for such a small amount of time, there was probably nothing you could have done.....the damage was already done previously.
There is really nothing you need to do with the substrate or anything else in the tank, after a crab passes away from post purchase syndrome.