HCA: Hermit Crab Association

enchaintix 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?
I'm not super sure but I use sand and it's a couple inches

CL77-Is it moistened to sand castle consistency using dechlorinated fresh or salt water? Also, the depth of your sub should be at least 3x the height of your largest crab. Are you using play sand? The calcium sand sold for hermits isn't safe. It can harden when wet and trap crabs in their shells (it happened to one of my crabs a few years back).


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 in the middle of the tank on the back side70 F

CL77-70°F is a bit too low. Crabs will be less active at this temp. Shoot for 75°F+. What is the humidity? Crabs need moisture in the air to breathe. It should never fall below 70%, but shoot for 80%+.

3. Is a heat source used in the tank? If so, what?
There is a heating pad placed below the tank

CL77-For hermits, you shouldn't place a uth under the tank, it's a fire hazard. Trying to heat through all of the substrate can cause it to overheat and cause a fire. It should be placed above the substrate line on the back or sides of the tank. If your uth has adhesive, you cannot remove it and restick it. That is also a fire hazard, as internal wiring could be damaged from unsticking it.

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, I use flunkers and since it's a small dish I use just a little solution for the salt

CL77-Those types of solutions aren't sufficient for hermits. You'll need to use a marine salt, like Instant Ocean, for their salt water.

5. What kinds of food do you feed and how often is it replaced?
Basically all types of zoo med are replaced in how it varies, if it's not eaten it'll be replaced in about 48 hrs

CL77- Unfortunately, many foods marketed for hermits aren't great for them long term. Variety is key. You'll want to offer a constant source of protein and calcium. Crabs can eat many of the things we eat. Check out the safe food list for more ideas.

6. How long have you had the crab and what species is it, if known?
I've had 2 for close to a year and 2 others for 1-2 months

7. Has your crab molted, and how long ago did it happen?
A crab just shedded it's exoskeleton, others aren't molting.

8. What type of housing are the crabs kept in, what size is it and what kind of lid is on the housing?
It's a tank, the lid has holes so they can breathe

CL77-How large is the tank/how many gallons? You want to be sure it's not overcrowded. You can completely cover a mesh lid in saran wrap to seal in moisture. The crabs will get air exchange when you open the lid to do tank maintenance.

9. How many crabs are in the tank and about how large are they?
4 are in it, 2 are the size of a dime and the other two are probably slightly bigger than a quarter

10. How many extra shells are usually kept in the tank, if any?
2 for the little ones and 2 for the big onws

CL77-HCA recommends 3-5 shells/crab. So you should have at least 12 shells. Purple pinchers prefer shells with round openings, like turbos. Make sure to check out the shell care sheet for appropriate shell choices.

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

12. How often do you clean the tank and how?
I clean the tank often but it will vary sometimes, I tank some sand out and scoop the poop and add more sand.

CL77-No need to do deep cleans unless there is a bacterial bloom or flood. Surface cleaning is fine. If you add sand, just be sure to not pack it down if there are any crabs underground.

13. Are sponges used in the water dish? If so, how are they cleaned?
There is a sponge in the fresh, I've just been replacing it when it gets too dirty.

CL77-Wet sponges harbor bacteria, so you'll want to take that out. It's ok to leave natural sponges in there dry for the crabs to munch on though.

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.

So I noticed one of my larger crabs began molting recently, she(?) had been tunneling herself in the sand and she never did that so I knew she was molting. I left her alone and then about 2 days ago I thought she was dead, so I picked her up and her exoskeleton came out of the shell and she seemed fine. Fast forward to today and my mom just showed me her in a bag with the exoskeleton and said she was limp and outside of her shell. I put her back very quickly because she kept moving. I'm pretty young so I'm not an expert on crabs but I love them a lot. I read more and just put the exoskeleton around her because i read that they eat it for nutrients. She's very limp but I am seeing that she is twitching sometimes but eyes aren't moving, dad tried to say that she's dying a painful death but I don't want to act too fast if she's still alive.

CL77-It sounds like this was a surface molt, which isn't normal. There may be something wrong in the environment that is causing issues. If your crab is still alive, you will need to isolate her from the others. You can do that by placing her in a small plastic container with holes in the lid, and putting that in the tank. This will iso her, but also keep her in the same tank conditions. Keep her exo or another form of calcium with her. It doesn't look promising, but all you can do now is provide good conditions and wait.

In addition, be sure that:
-Temps are at least 75°
-Humidity is over 70%
-You are using a marine salt for the salt pool
-Have the appropriate number and type of shells available
-You remove the sponge from the pool
-The substrate is moistened to sand castle consistency and is deep enough
-Your tank is large enough for your 4 crabs
-You're providing a variety of foods, including protein and calcium daily

.

CrabbyLover77 wrote: ↑

Sun Jul 14, 2024 4:51 pm

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





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enchaintix wrote: ↑

Sun Jul 14, 2024 4:59 pm

Thank you for this, I sort of slacked on the information because I was in such a rush, I wouldn't be as worried if something was wrong with my tank but one of my smaller crabs very recently successfully molted so I'm hoping nothing is wrong in the tank. I do provide four food types in the dish at once. She had buried herself enough into the sand and has recently resurfaced after she shedded her exoskeleton. I also had no idea about the fire hazards so thank you for pointing that out, nothing had happened in two years so I have just let it be since I'm not able to get the preferred items.