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?

Hi, for context: original three hermits - one died, one is not moving, and one barely moves and hasn’t molted

Just bought two more, they’ve been fine, one sometimes moves and the other is somewhat active.

Not very deep, we are balling on a budget, so sorry!! I’m sorry we also don’t have any clue the substrate but it’s prob from pet smart and it’s sand and those brick dirt things. We just bought some better stuff tho!


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?

Just bought one for both!!


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

Heat lamp but just bought a heat pad and will remove heat lamp immediately!! It’s yellow.

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, fluckers hermit headquarters. 4 drops of fresh to 8 fl oz, and 1 teaspoon of salt to 8 fl oz.

5. What kinds of food do you feed and how often is it replaced?

When the tank is cleaned so like monthly but they barely eat and we refill as needed. We’ve given avocado and thrive food medley. The same they feed them at petsmart.

6. How long have you had the crab and what species is it, if known?

4 months, no clue

7. Has your crab molted, and how long ago did it happen?

The one that died: once
Dying: twice

The most recent molting was a week ago after his bro died. One of our original 3 hasn’t molted in 4 months.

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

We moved them to a 20 gallon tank when we got two more to make it 5. We had a reptile lid BUT we just tapped over all the holes.

9. How many crabs are in the tank and about how large are they?

4 now but it was 5, they are all about a tablespoon

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

6

11. Have there been any fumes or chemicals near the crabitat recently?

No

12. How often do you clean the tank and how?
We are really confused on how to clean it. We did it about every two weeks where we clean all the bowls, replace the food, tidy up and monthly we change the sand and dirt.

13. Are sponges used in the water dish? If so, how are they cleaned?
Yes, every two weeks. Should I keep it in there???

14. Has anything new been added to your crabitat recently?
Two new crabs, climbing stuff, new sand, leaves, moss

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.)?

Not playful at all, def hate us and are miserable.

16. Please describe the emergency situation in detail.

Hi, I am the owner of five hermit crabs, and one of them recently passed away. I came home and he was out of his shell and didn’t move for a week. Recently, my other hermit crab moved into that shell and then spent the last two days sitting all day in both water dishes. Today, we notice that he lost one claw and one leg in the water dish. He looked like he was looking at one of the shells this morning because his claw was in it, but then stopped and hasn’t moved in six hours. Even his antennas haven’t moved and he’s halfway out of his shell. We also haven’t touched him today. We have three others and two have been quite lethargic for about two weeks, but we’ve seen them move. Also, none of our hermit crabs are that active like we’ve given them toys and they haven’t touched them.

Please please we will take any advice!! We’ve had them for four months and haven’t had any problems until now. The only recent change was adopting two more and moving them into a bigger tank. Thank you in advance!

.

I did respond to your other thread but I’ll add more here. The biggest issue I see is that they aren’t able to dig down to molt, which is usually the biggest culprit of Post-purchase Syndrome (PPS) and related deaths

If budget is a concern then play sand is your best bet, it’s only a few dollars for a twenty to fifty pound bag. Substrate should be about three times the height of the crabs so a couple bags of playsand will give you enough substrate. You can mix in the coconut fiber you already have, and I recommend it because it helps the sand maintain moisture better

Otherwise I would also get some gauges to monitor temperature and humidity. Keeping those up is helpful when caring for tropical invertebrates


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1. What kind of substrate is used in your tank and how deep is it?

Hi, for context: original three hermits - one died, one is not moving, and one barely moves and hasn’t molted

Just bought two more, they’ve been fine, one sometimes moves and the other is somewhat active.

Not very deep, we are balling on a budget, so sorry!! I’m sorry we also don’t have any clue the substrate but it’s prob from pet smart and it’s sand and those brick dirt things. We just bought some better stuff tho!
Curly - If you are on a budget, like JoeHermits said, play sand is your best bet. It's cheap and sold in 50 pound bags. You can add some of the brick dirt (it's coco fiber) if you want, but you don't have to. It is important that you wet the substrate with dechlorinated tap water, so that it is 'sand castle' consistency - it should hold it's shape but not have water pooling in the bottom. And as JH said, it should be 2 to 3 times as deep as your largest crab.
Calcium sand is not safe, even tho it's often marketed and sold for hermit crabs.

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?

Just bought one for both!!
Curly - Excellent! What are your readings? Aim for around 80F and 80% humidity. Crabs have modified gills, so they need high humidity to breathe.

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

Heat lamp but just bought a heat pad and will remove heat lamp immediately!! It’s yellow.
Curly - Heat lamps do tend to zap humidity, but people in humid climates often have no issues with it. If you now have a heat pad, be sure to put it on the back or side, not underneath the tank.

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, fluckers hermit headquarters. 4 drops of fresh to 8 fl oz, and 1 teaspoon of salt to 8 fl oz.
Curly - While these may not be harmful to your crabs, they likely don't remove everything you need removed from your tap water, and don't provide all the minerals needed for long term health. Here's our Water care sheet:

viewtopic.php?f=127&t=92553

5. What kinds of food do you feed and how often is it replaced?

When the tank is cleaned so like monthly but they barely eat and we refill as needed. We’ve given avocado and thrive food medley. The same they feed them at petsmart.
Curly - Crabs need a variety of foods, including animal protein (meat) and calcium. Commercial foods often don't provide all the nutrition that crabs need, and they may include preservatives that may not be safe long term. Here are our Nutrition and Commercial Foods care sheets:

viewtopic.php?f=25&t=92554

viewtopic.php?f=25&t=92555

6. How long have you had the crab and what species is it, if known?

4 months, no clue

7. Has your crab molted, and how long ago did it happen?

The one that died: once
Dying: twice

The most recent molting was a week ago after his bro died. One of our original 3 hasn’t molted in 4 months.

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

We moved them to a 20 gallon tank when we got two more to make it 5. We had a reptile lid BUT we just tapped over all the holes.

9. How many crabs are in the tank and about how large are they?

4 now but it was 5, they are all about a tablespoon

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

6
Curly - HCA recommends 3 to 5 extra shells per crab. Here is our Shells care sheet:

viewtopic.php?f=24&t=92552

11. Have there been any fumes or chemicals near the crabitat recently?

No

12. How often do you clean the tank and how?
We are really confused on how to clean it. We did it about every two weeks where we clean all the bowls, replace the food, tidy up and monthly we change the sand and dirt.
Curly - You don't need to change out all the substrate that often. Some of us do it yearly or every couple of years. The exception is if there is a bacterial bloom or flood. HCA recommends washing and replacing the water bowls twice a week, but I only do it once a week.

13. Are sponges used in the water dish? If so, how are they cleaned?
Yes, every two weeks. Should I keep it in there???
Curly - No, sponges just harbor bacteria. If your water dishes/ pools are deep, be sure that the crabs have a way to climb out.

14. Has anything new been added to your crabitat recently?
Two new crabs, climbing stuff, new sand, leaves, moss

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.)?

Not playful at all, def hate us and are miserable.

16. Please describe the emergency situation in detail.

Hi, I am the owner of five hermit crabs, and one of them recently passed away. I came home and he was out of his shell and didn’t move for a week. Recently, my other hermit crab moved into that shell and then spent the last two days sitting all day in both water dishes. Today, we notice that he lost one claw and one leg in the water dish. He looked like he was looking at one of the shells this morning because his claw was in it, but then stopped and hasn’t moved in six hours. Even his antennas haven’t moved and he’s halfway out of his shell. We also haven’t touched him today. We have three others and two have been quite lethargic for about two weeks, but we’ve seen them move. Also, none of our hermit crabs are that active like we’ve given them toys and they haven’t touched them.

Please please we will take any advice!! We’ve had them for four months and haven’t had any problems until now. The only recent change was adopting two more and moving them into a bigger tank. Thank you in advance!