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? 8 inches. Coco fiber abd play sand. Mixed. Got the ratio from a member.


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 is 83. Humidity about 70


3. Is a heat source used in the tank? If so, what? 1 under tank and 2 sides.


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. Flukers.

5. What kinds of food do you feed and how often is it replaced? . Fruit, shrimp, dry food. Replaced about two times a week or one


6. How long have you had the crab and what species is it, if known? land crab I believe. One whose pincer fell off about 6 months


7. Has your crab molted, and how long ago did it happen? . No


8. What type of housing are the crabs kept in, what size is it and what kind of lid is on the housing? 30 gallon tank. Mesh lid covered in plastic


9. How many crabs are in the tank and about how large are they? 3. 2 bigger (medium?) ones and a smaller one (but not a baby)


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


11. Have there been any fumes or chemicals near the crabitat recently? . Just to clean in the next room once a week.


12. How often do you clean the tank and how? . I cleaned it once when I changed substrate.


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


14. Has anything new been added to your crabitat recently? . The chola wood, heat, moss, more humidity.


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 bathe them 2 to three times a week in a salt soaking back. I do take them out every other night or every three night.


16. Please describe the emergency situation in detail. . My crab stopped coming out of the shell last week or so. Not in the bath. Not with the other crab. Not at playtime. I was checking on him this weekend. Last week his color was good. Yesterday and today he’s pale. Not reactive to touch or water. I picked him up gently to put him closer to the heat and his pincer fell off. He’s limp but not limp. Not coming out of the shell. His claws are out just a little bit more than normal. Is he dying? Can I do something?


.

1. What kind of substrate is used in your tank and how deep is it? 8 inches. Coco fiber abd play sand. Mixed. Got the ratio from a member.
Curly - Did you change out the calcium sand for play sand? I recall a previous post that you had coco fiber and calcium sand.

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 is 83. Humidity about 70
Curly - 70% is a bit low for the humidity, closer to 80 would be safer.

3. Is a heat source used in the tank? If so, what? 1 under tank and 2 sides.
Curly - A UTH should never be underneath a crab tank - it is a fire hazard. They should be on the back or sides.

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. Flukers.
Curly - Be sure to read the 'water' care sheet. Flukers is not appropriate for long term health of your crabs.

5. What kinds of food do you feed and how often is it replaced? . Fruit, shrimp, dry food. Replaced about two times a week or one
Curly - Crabs need a varied diet, including protein and calcium daily. Be sure to look at the 'nutrition' care sheet.

6. How long have you had the crab and what species is it, if known? land crab I believe. One whose pincer fell off about 6 months


7. Has your crab molted, and how long ago did it happen? . No


8. What type of housing are the crabs kept in, what size is it and what kind of lid is on the housing? 30 gallon tank. Mesh lid covered in plastic


9. How many crabs are in the tank and about how large are they? 3. 2 bigger (medium?) ones and a smaller one (but not a baby)


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


11. Have there been any fumes or chemicals near the crabitat recently? . Just to clean in the next room once a week.


12. How often do you clean the tank and how? . I cleaned it once when I changed substrate.
You had changed it out to eco earth and calcium sand....did you clean it out again so it's play sand?

13. Are sponges used in the water dish? If so, how are they cleaned? . Yes. Soaked in dechlorinated water
Curly - Sponges are not needed, and only harbor bacteria. You can put them in dry for crabs to munch on, but not in water bowls.

14. Has anything new been added to your crabitat recently? . The chola wood, heat, moss, more humidity.


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 bathe them 2 to three times a week in a salt soaking back. I do take them out every other night or every three night.
Curly - Bathing crabs is not needed. Provide a fresh and a salt water pool, and they will take what they need for water. I would not recommend handling your crabs until you've had them a while and they have settled into good conditions and aren't stressed anymore.

16. Please describe the emergency situation in detail. . My crab stopped coming out of the shell last week or so. Not in the bath. Not with the other crab. Not at playtime. I was checking on him this weekend. Last week his color was good. Yesterday and today he’s pale. Not reactive to touch or water. I picked him up gently to put him closer to the heat and his pincer fell off. He’s limp but not limp. Not coming out of the shell. His claws are out just a little bit more than normal. Is he dying? Can I do something?
Curly - Crabs drop legs/ pinchers in a last ditch effor to conserve energy to survive. I can't remember how long you've had your crabs, but they go through so much before we get them that they are susceptible to 'post purchase syndrome' until at least their first molt. You do have a few things that need to be improved in your tank to give them the best chance of a long life. If he does not have his big pincher and is weak, he will be vulnerable to the other crabs. I would isolate him (can use a container inside the main tank so he's got heat and humidity), and give him high energy foods like a bit of honey and natural peanut butter.

I cleaned out the tank with the hose. Got rid of all the old substrate. Mixed in only play sand and coco fiber. I thought wet sponges were for humidity. I’ll dry them out. I think I have new ones. I thought they needed baths. It’s so hard. I read so many different things. This crab used to be active and social with the other ones. I would take them out and put them on a blanket to do their own thing. One isn’t even afraid of us. I’ve had the crab with no pincer at least since the fall or end of summer. The other two we got before Christmas or around there. One of the newer ones has been under the substrate since about a few weeks after we got him. Substrate is 8 inches so I have no clue where he is. I have a little tank kit- the starter kit. I’ll see if that fits in the tank. I really want him to make it. Do you think he will?

Sorry about your crabby. I do what Curly does for crab care info, I just stick with one source. I joined the HCA in 2019 and never looked at any other site's care info since. My oldest crab that I've had for over 10 years really began to thrive once I started following HCA advice, so that was enough for me to stick with them. That's not to say other sites/people are wrong, but it's so much easier to care for your crabs when your not ping ponging between different opinions.

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Ah, now I see that Jan 27 you were re-mixing the play sand and eco earth. So your one crab must only have been down for two weeks now.
Have you had a look at our care sheets? Tons of info in them that will be helpful. Start with the 'basics' then go from there to water, nutrition, etc.
Like CL said, there will be different ways to care for crabs - to avoid all the different advice, I decided to stick with only one group's recommendations. I've been following HCA for over 12 years, and so far so good!

I did look at the care sheet… I followed advice here. I put the crab I was talking about in the isolation tank (the cheap starter kits) with soil, fresh and saltwater, peanut butter and hard boiled egg slice. I put that in the big aquarium so he’d get heat and humidity. I don’t think he’s eating. He’s in the sane spot. But I don’t smell any fishy smell n

I smell a vinegary smell…

Can you post a photo of him?

How do I upload a picture? I’d love to show you.

He’s not at all loose in his shell. He doesn’t smell putrid. He’s got some color as of just now

To post a photo, you can either use a file sharing program, or the Tapa Talk app.

Here he is…


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curlysister wrote:To post a photo, you can either use a file sharing program, or the Tapa Talk app.

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Here…


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