My crab Tatertot just got done with (what i think might be) a particular hard molting. He’d been very scarce then i found him and a very light shell, or so I thought. It turned out I just saw his exoskeleton because i found him 3 days later shell-less, but I semi-helped him back into his shell and he craweled into his hut. For the past few days I’ve kept an eye on him and I’ve seen he’s been drinking. (i think) But my problem is, is that I finally picked him up tonight and I noticed he’s missing a leg and his small claw! Is he going to be ok, can they grow limbs back? If so can I do anything to help?Also I’ve had him almost a year and a half and that he’s never (REALLY) molted before, but my other crab did (but he died). And that when I thought I found him and a light shell I actually thought I found him (dead) and an empty shell, but I found him 3 days later.
Please someone respond quickly, I’m very worried. I mean I already almost lost him once! Thanks.
My crab is missing a leg and his small claw, plz help!
Yes, hermit crabs can grow limbs back. 
Please fill out the help template (a sticky in the Emergency forum) so we can try and figure out what might have caused his defective molt. Thanks!
Please fill out the help template (a sticky in the Emergency forum) so we can try and figure out what might have caused his defective molt. Thanks!
4 PPs: Petra (11 years), Big Crab (7 years), Rambunctious Crab (7 years), John Smith (1 year)
3 Es: Pacman, Captain Janeway, Googely-Bear (2 years)
3 Es: Pacman, Captain Janeway, Googely-Bear (2 years)
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Guest
Topic author
I'll put it here too just so it is there.
1. Substrate used?
2. Humidity % level in crabitat?
3. Temperature of substrate in crabitat?
4. Temperature of crabitat?
5. Location of gauges?
6. What is your heat source?
7. Types of water available?
8. Dechlorinator used?
9. What do you feed?
10. How long have you had the crab in question?
11. Do you know the species?
12. Do you bath them, if so how often and with what?
13. What type of housing are they in? Tank? Plastic box?
14. What size is your tank?
15. How many crabs are in the tank? What size are they?
16. How deep is the substrate?
17. If you take your hermies out daily to exercise, do you mist their gill area first?
18. Has there been any cleaners, paints, perfumes, air fresheners, candles, or smoking near the crabitat?
19. How often do you clean/sterilize and how?
20. Any unusual odors?
21. Do you use sponges? Are they rinsed daily with dechlor water? Are they exchanged every 2 days for a sterile one?
22. Do you feed fresh food? When do you remove it?
23. Are your hands clean before handling?
24. Has there been anything new added to your crabitat recently?
1. Substrate used?
2. Humidity % level in crabitat?
3. Temperature of substrate in crabitat?
4. Temperature of crabitat?
5. Location of gauges?
6. What is your heat source?
7. Types of water available?
8. Dechlorinator used?
9. What do you feed?
10. How long have you had the crab in question?
11. Do you know the species?
12. Do you bath them, if so how often and with what?
13. What type of housing are they in? Tank? Plastic box?
14. What size is your tank?
15. How many crabs are in the tank? What size are they?
16. How deep is the substrate?
17. If you take your hermies out daily to exercise, do you mist their gill area first?
18. Has there been any cleaners, paints, perfumes, air fresheners, candles, or smoking near the crabitat?
19. How often do you clean/sterilize and how?
20. Any unusual odors?
21. Do you use sponges? Are they rinsed daily with dechlor water? Are they exchanged every 2 days for a sterile one?
22. Do you feed fresh food? When do you remove it?
23. Are your hands clean before handling?
24. Has there been anything new added to your crabitat recently?
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Guest
Topic author
Ok
Ok, good, do you think he'll make it?
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1. Substrate used? Zoo Med Vita Sand
2. Humidity % level in crabitat? I don't know (i don't have a humidity thermometer)
3. Temperature of substrate in crabitat? 70
4. Temperature of crabitat? 78
5. Location of gauges? I don't have gauges
6. What is your heat source? Light
7. Types of water available? Fresh Water (no salt, yet)
8. Dechlorinator used? None, we use filtered water. (is that bad?)
9. What do you feed? A mix of pellets, fruit&flower crab food (powder food) and crab cookies.
10. How long have you had the crab in question? Almost a year and a half
11. Do you know the species? No (he's small and we got him from petco)
12. Do you bath them, if so how often and with what? Yes, every 2-3 weeks, in filtered water.
13. What type of housing are they in? Tank? Plastic box? A plastic tank
14. What size is your tank? I'm not sure, its the biggest plastic tank you can buy at petco. (i know i need to get a reg. tank, my and i were thinking 5 gallon)
15. How many crabs are in the tank? What size are they? 1 (2 died a few months ago) small.
16. How deep is the substrate? 1 1/2
17. If you take your hermies out daily to exercise, do you mist their gill area first? I take him out once a week, and no.
18. Has there been any cleaners, paints, perfumes, air fresheners, candles, or smoking near the crabitat? No
19. How often do you clean/sterilize and how? I spot clean it every week or 2. And replace the sand every few months.
20. Any unusual odors? No
21. Do you use sponges? Are they rinsed daily with dechlor water? Are they exchanged every 2 days for a sterile one? Yes, 1 sponge and no.
22. Do you feed fresh food? When do you remove it? No
23. Are your hands clean before handling? Yes
24. Has there been anything new added to your crabitat recently? No
====================================
1. Substrate used? Zoo Med Vita Sand
2. Humidity % level in crabitat? I don't know (i don't have a humidity thermometer)
3. Temperature of substrate in crabitat? 70
4. Temperature of crabitat? 78
5. Location of gauges? I don't have gauges
6. What is your heat source? Light
7. Types of water available? Fresh Water (no salt, yet)
8. Dechlorinator used? None, we use filtered water. (is that bad?)
9. What do you feed? A mix of pellets, fruit&flower crab food (powder food) and crab cookies.
10. How long have you had the crab in question? Almost a year and a half
11. Do you know the species? No (he's small and we got him from petco)
12. Do you bath them, if so how often and with what? Yes, every 2-3 weeks, in filtered water.
13. What type of housing are they in? Tank? Plastic box? A plastic tank
14. What size is your tank? I'm not sure, its the biggest plastic tank you can buy at petco. (i know i need to get a reg. tank, my and i were thinking 5 gallon)
15. How many crabs are in the tank? What size are they? 1 (2 died a few months ago) small.
16. How deep is the substrate? 1 1/2
17. If you take your hermies out daily to exercise, do you mist their gill area first? I take him out once a week, and no.
18. Has there been any cleaners, paints, perfumes, air fresheners, candles, or smoking near the crabitat? No
19. How often do you clean/sterilize and how? I spot clean it every week or 2. And replace the sand every few months.
20. Any unusual odors? No
21. Do you use sponges? Are they rinsed daily with dechlor water? Are they exchanged every 2 days for a sterile one? Yes, 1 sponge and no.
22. Do you feed fresh food? When do you remove it? No
23. Are your hands clean before handling? Yes
24. Has there been anything new added to your crabitat recently? No
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Guest
Topic author
..............
I'm (obviously) no a new owner but I've been getting my advice from 2 ppl who have had crabs for a few years, I should get my advice from a new place huh?
Okay, I'll try to help you out here.
1. Is that calci-sand? Calci-sand doesn't work very well as a substrate.
2. Get a humidity gauge ASAP. It is very important to have gauges that are calibrated (the Crab Care FAQ has instructions for calibrating gauges). The humidity should be in the 75% to 85% range.
5. You should get humidity and temp gauges as soon as you can,
7. Hermit crabs need sea salt water for molting, and for inside their shells. As soon as you can, get some marine salt (the kind made for fish) and give them salt water in a non-metallic water dish.
8. I think that filtered water is okay as long as it doesn't have any chlorine or chloramines.
9. Check the labels and see if the foods have copper sulfate or ethoxyquin. These preservatives can cause bad molts. You should also give them fresh fruits and veggies, and meats with no salt or seasoning. A lot of members here use NarNar's food that she sells on Ebay. It's really good for the crabs, and it isn't very expensive.
14. Crabs need a minimum of a 10-gallon tank, or even larger depending on what size they are. A 5 gallon is not big enough for a permanent home.
15. You should get your crab a buddy soon! Hermit crabs are social and don't like to be alone.
16. Is that at least 1.5 times as deep as the crab? Hermit crabs normally dig under the substrate to molt, so the substrate needs to be at least 1.5 times as deep as your largest crab.
17. You should mist his gill area first, so it doesn't dry out.
21. Bacteria love sponges and the sponges need to be rinsed out daily and replaced every two days with a sterile one. You can reuse sponges after you let them dry completely, and put them in the microwave for a little while.
I hope this helps you! If you need more help, post here or pm me or a different member.
1. Is that calci-sand? Calci-sand doesn't work very well as a substrate.
2. Get a humidity gauge ASAP. It is very important to have gauges that are calibrated (the Crab Care FAQ has instructions for calibrating gauges). The humidity should be in the 75% to 85% range.
5. You should get humidity and temp gauges as soon as you can,
7. Hermit crabs need sea salt water for molting, and for inside their shells. As soon as you can, get some marine salt (the kind made for fish) and give them salt water in a non-metallic water dish.
8. I think that filtered water is okay as long as it doesn't have any chlorine or chloramines.
9. Check the labels and see if the foods have copper sulfate or ethoxyquin. These preservatives can cause bad molts. You should also give them fresh fruits and veggies, and meats with no salt or seasoning. A lot of members here use NarNar's food that she sells on Ebay. It's really good for the crabs, and it isn't very expensive.
14. Crabs need a minimum of a 10-gallon tank, or even larger depending on what size they are. A 5 gallon is not big enough for a permanent home.
15. You should get your crab a buddy soon! Hermit crabs are social and don't like to be alone.
16. Is that at least 1.5 times as deep as the crab? Hermit crabs normally dig under the substrate to molt, so the substrate needs to be at least 1.5 times as deep as your largest crab.
17. You should mist his gill area first, so it doesn't dry out.
21. Bacteria love sponges and the sponges need to be rinsed out daily and replaced every two days with a sterile one. You can reuse sponges after you let them dry completely, and put them in the microwave for a little while.
I hope this helps you!
If you need more help, post here or pm me or a different member.4 PPs: Petra (11 years), Big Crab (7 years), Rambunctious Crab (7 years), John Smith (1 year)
3 Es: Pacman, Captain Janeway, Googely-Bear (2 years)
3 Es: Pacman, Captain Janeway, Googely-Bear (2 years)
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Guest
Topic author
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Guest
Topic author
Thank You!
Thanx so much! Tatertot will be ok right? I mean how long until he can grow his legs and claw back? Also he can still eat right? because I thought thats what his small claw was for.
He will still be able to eat. He can use his big claw. And he will still be able to get around just find without his walking leg. I don't know how long it will be before he will regrow his leg and pincher. You should see gel limbs growing before he molts to grow them back. Make sure your substrate is deep enough.
When you get a tank, you should also get him a buddy. And remember gauges and things too.
When you get a tank, you should also get him a buddy. And remember gauges and things too.
4 PPs: Petra (11 years), Big Crab (7 years), Rambunctious Crab (7 years), John Smith (1 year)
3 Es: Pacman, Captain Janeway, Googely-Bear (2 years)
3 Es: Pacman, Captain Janeway, Googely-Bear (2 years)