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! So I’ve been posting on here for a while. Basically I’ve bought about 7 hermit crabs over some time. 3 died at different times. I cannot even remember when I got these surviving four. As soon as I get them they disappear. Anyway one started coming out for popcorn. I’d hear her every morning while I was having coffee and later at night. Digging. She’ll scraping the glass. I’d see her a lot. Two nights ago I changed the food and water. Have her scrambled eggs. Last night I went to change both waters and it stunk so bad. I dumped the eggs in the garbage can. Had to put a wax melt in the garbage can to mask the smell after I had taken out the garbage. Lit some around the house. Went to see if I needed to change the food, and I had to change the waters. The smell is still there. I know one died. At least one. I have no idea anymore about the others. When I got them. When I last saw them. I have to get rid of the stuff inside and clean out the tank if they’re dead. Like I said…I doubt any are alive. How do I do this?


1. What kind of substrate is used in your tank and how deep is it? coco fiber and play 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? 70
Humidity 80ish degrees


3. Is a heat source used in the tank? If so, what?
UTH on the side

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)?
Salt and fresh. Flukers.

5. What kinds of food do you feed and how often is it replaced? every two days. Eggs, fruit, meat, cheese. They weren’t eating hermit crab food.


6. How long have you had the crab and what species is it, if known? can’t remember anymore.


7. Has your crab molted, and how long ago did it happen?
They’ve been underground for over 6 months

8. What type of housing are the crabs kept in, what size is it and what kind of lid is on the housing? 60 gallon tank. 40?


9. How many crabs are in the tank and about how large are they?
Should be four medium small

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


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


12. How often do you clean the tank and how? . I can’t. I don’t know where they are.


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


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.)?


16. Please describe the emergency situation in detail.


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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! So I’ve been posting on here for a while. Basically I’ve bought about 7 hermit crabs over some time. 3 died at different times. I cannot even remember when I got these surviving four. As soon as I get them they disappear. Anyway one started coming out for popcorn. I’d hear her every morning while I was having coffee and later at night. Digging. She’ll scraping the glass. I’d see her a lot. Two nights ago I changed the food and water. Have her scrambled eggs. Last night I went to change both waters and it stunk so bad. I dumped the eggs in the garbage can. Had to put a wax melt in the garbage can to mask the smell after I had taken out the garbage. Lit some around the house. Went to see if I needed to change the food, and I had to change the waters. The smell is still there. I know one died. At least one. I have no idea anymore about the others. When I got them. When I last saw them. I have to get rid of the stuff inside and clean out the tank if they’re dead. Like I said…I doubt any are alive. How do I do this?
Curly - When a crab dies underground, you often won't smell it at all. And their body will decompose pretty quickly. You don't actually *have* to clean out the tank or get rid of anything if there is a crab dead underground, nothing bad will happen to the remaining crabs in the tank because of it. When did you last see the one crab above ground? That one may very well still be alive underground, and the smell is still because of the eggs - especially if she dragged some bits of the egg around the tank.

1. What kind of substrate is used in your tank and how deep is it? coco fiber and play sand
Curly - Is it moistened so that it is 'sand castle' consistency, ie holds it's shape but not so wet that water pools in the bottom? How deep is it?

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? 70
Humidity 80ish degrees
Curly - 70 is a bit too low for humidity - if you aim for 80%, that give a bit of wiggle room for when it gets a bit less.

3. Is a heat source used in the tank? If so, what?
UTH on the side

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)?
Salt and fresh. Flukers.
Curly - Be sure to read through the 'water' care sheet. Fluker's isn't harmful but it doesn't provide all the mineral they need for long term health. You will want a dechlorinator that removes heavy metals etc (Seachem Prime is the most commonly used brand), and a marine salt (Instant Ocean is the most commonly used brand).

5. What kinds of food do you feed and how often is it replaced? every two days. Eggs, fruit, meat, cheese. They weren’t eating hermit crab food.


6. How long have you had the crab and what species is it, if known? can’t remember anymore.


7. Has your crab molted, and how long ago did it happen?
They’ve been underground for over 6 months

8. What type of housing are the crabs kept in, what size is it and what kind of lid is on the housing? 60 gallon tank. 40?
Curly - Do you have a lid? You can even use plastic wrap (ie Saran Wrap) to cover the top to help keep the humidity in.

9. How many crabs are in the tank and about how large are they?
Should be four medium small

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


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


12. How often do you clean the tank and how? . I can’t. I don’t know where they are.
Curly - That's okay, a deep clean is not needed very often, unless there is an emergency like a flood or bacterial bloom.

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


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.)?


16. Please describe the emergency situation in detail.

The substrate is at least 6 inches. Haven’t moistened it since I set it up because they were all underground. I was afraid to wet it that much. I have a screen lid. Plastic wrap over it. I just saw the one that is always around this morning. I smell it still around the house. I’ll take the eggs out. It was just such a strong fishy smell. And I haven’t seen the other 3 since I got them. It was such a strong fishy smell I was sure one of them died. The freshwater is gone every day. The saltwater every other or every third day.

The substrate is at least 6 inches. Haven’t moistened it since I set it up because they were all underground. I was afraid to wet it that much. I have a screen lid. Plastic wrap over it. I just saw the one that is always around this morning. I smell it still around the house. I’ll take the eggs out. It was just such a strong fishy smell. And I haven’t seen the other 3 since I got them. It was such a strong fishy smell I was sure one of them died. The freshwater is gone every day. The saltwater every other or every third day.

Hmmm...where is all the water going? Is there a chance that your water is leaking or wicking out of the bowls?

I don’t know. I’ll have to check. They’re not big dishes. The saltwater is the biggest.