My crabs break rules

[anstrahan]

Hello everyone,

My family has been proud hermie owners since April of 2018. They were souvenirs of our myrtle beach vacation and have been through our recent move and rehoming.

My crabs have yet to molt.. and they dont seem to want to ditch their painted shells that they were in when we got them from the store. Ive got about 10 or so empty shells littered about.

Also, they snub my attempts at fresh fruits and veggies and instead love the pellets.. what the heck??

I had a hygrometer but it was lost in the move, but humidity is real high, water forms at the top and drips down the sides without me misting.

Lookin for advice though on improving their diet? And helping them ditch their shell? Where is a good place to find shells (without getting ripped off)

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[The Crab Maid]

What’s your setup? Crabs may take long or short periods to molt, they’re enticed with substrate to bury in. (I can’t tell depth from the pics, could be my phone.) Molt guide: viewtopic.php?f=23&t=92527

How many crabs do you have? You should have I think 3-5 shells per crab. And sometimes they’re just buggers. Shell guide: viewtopic.php?f=24&t=92552

Measuring shells: viewtopic.php?f=24&t=84333

Food - a lot of veggies, fruits, some (untreated) meats, eggs, etc. Nothing processed, most commercial hermit crab food is terrible. My guys love eggs, the rare cheese treat, and carrots. I keep trying new things, but crabs can be like people: the bad foods are tastier. Here is a good food list: viewtopic.php?f=25&t=92557

Bad food: viewtopic.php?f=25&t=92556

Commercial food: viewtopic.php?f=25&t=92555

[anstrahan]

We just got our 3 into a 55 gallon tank. Our real wood cave got moldy so we are replacing it with a plastic composite one. Its got the eco coconut fiber and playsand mix in there and to help humidity I have my freshwater bowl bubbling with an airstone.

My jerk crab swapped shells just after I made my post just to spite me.. but Ill spend time looking at the shell sizing list.

Again with food I try the fresh stuff but they ignore it. I guess maybe Ill just try different foods until they react?

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[JoeHermits]

You may also want to try stronger smelling foods. Overripe or rotting fruit may entice them to eat.


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[anstrahan]

You may also want to try stronger smelling foods. Overripe or rotting fruit may entice them to eat.


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I thought the idea was to remove food daily so they dont mold?

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[JoeHermits]

It’s more a preference than a requirement, since preventing mold is more for us than them.

If you want to prevent mold, remove anything rotting within twelve hours (offer when you go to bed and remove in the morning, for example).


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[The Crab Maid]

Shrimp, my guys love shrimp, raw or cooked. It’s smelly to entice but doesn’t last long.

Looks like you could add more substrate, it looks less than 6 inches. Is it wet (sandcastle consistency) for them to tunnel for molting?

[anstrahan]

Shrimp, my guys love shrimp, raw or cooked. It’s smelly to entice but doesn’t last long.

Looks like you could add more substrate, it looks less than 6 inches. Is it wet (sandcastle consistency) for them to tunnel for molting?

Yes, I used some of my kids' sand toys and had molds of crabs and sea shells in the substrate (I thought I was clever), but the crabs just destroyed them so oh well.

I generally havent mixed up the sand to check lower consistency, I left the top primarily eco whatever and left the sand at the bottom. How often do you mix up the substrate to ensure consistency?

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[The Crab Maid]

Yes, I used some of my kids' sand toys and had molds of crabs and sea shells in the substrate (I thought I was clever), but the crabs just destroyed them so oh well.

I generally havent mixed up the sand to check lower consistency, I left the top primarily eco whatever and left the sand at the bottom. How often do you mix up the substrate to ensure consistency?

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I mixed the EE and sand at the start, I check consistency weekly by digging lightly in several locations - though I have a crab down now so I need to be careful.

[anstrahan]

And you just.. mist until wet?

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[The Crab Maid]

And you just.. mist until wet?

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I actually dumped several gallons of water in - my tank is new, I was researching hermit crabs for a long time for a project (marine biologist) and decided to adopt. It took 4 gallons at first to mix and get the right consistency. I want to redo it with a flood guard bottom though. I mist occasionally, but my humidity stays over 80% and the sand keeps its consistency, I keep it pretty well sealed to avoid loss. The crab that went under was a small who I brought home a week ago, I have 6-7 inches.

[anstrahan]

Im noticing everyone seals but I have also read that oversealing leads to mold. I drilled holes in my plexiglass to encourage air movement... should I reseal these?

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[The Crab Maid]

Im noticing everyone seals but I have also read that oversealing leads to mold. I drilled holes in my plexiglass to encourage air movement... should I reseal these?

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That is up to you, if your temps and humidity are great I wouldn’t change design. I needed to seal to keep my humidity over 80%.

[curlysister]

You really need to get a hygrometer, you can't go by 'feel'. Then you'll know whether you need to seal the top more or not.
What is the temperature in the tank?
I agree that your sub needs to be deeper (at least 6 inches, or three times as deep as your largest crab, whichever is deeper), and moist enough to hold shape (sand castle consistency). Mixing the sane and EE together helps keep it moist and hold shape.
I also agree that crabs are like kids - they will choose the candy and crap over the vegetables every time LOL. Just stop giving the pellets and give a good variety of food from the safe food lists, links above. They don't eat a ton. I swear that for the first couple of years, the only way I knew my crabs were eating and drinking was that they were still alive. It seemed like I put in and took out the same amount of food. Now that they are bigger, I notice that food is gone.
What are you using for dechlorinator and salt? How deep are your pools?
I order shells from Naples Sea Shells, and I have thought about Richard's Sea Shells. When the crabs are small, shells are affordable. Mine are at the size where the shells are over $12 each! Be sure to check the shells guide, so you know you have the correct type of shells.