HCA: Hermit Crab Association

projectfuark wrote:Hi! I purchased 2 hermit crabs about 2 days ago now and I asked about them yesterday
I'm so sorry if this is forum area to be posting this!
Just want some information from people with personal experiences then from info websites.
1. My quite hermit settled down quite quickly he seems to enjoy digging under coco peat, he comes out for some water and food and returns for pre much majority of the day and even night. I don't want to confuse this with molting.
Is this usual new crab behavior?

2. My extremely active one hasn't really settled down at all. He always seems to want to "escape" has been digging in this same sort of length along the very edge of the tank. I haven't seem him rest either and i'm starting to feel really sorry for him and worried. I've added more sand on one side of my tank but he always goes for the walls of the tank. I picked him up just once and he returned right back to this little area he has made himself. When he other one pops up he seems to go to it pretty quickly if he actually sees it and they seem to walk around but when other one goes back to burrow he will continue to walk right back to hes spot.
Should I be worried? I was told he was adjusting but it seems like something else.

3. Is it true they begin a molting phase fairly quickly after changing homes?

Just want some information from people with personal experiences then from info websites.
1. My quite hermit settled down quite quickly he seems to enjoy digging under coco peat, he comes out for some water and food and returns for pre much majority of the day and even night. I don't want to confuse this with molting.
Is this usual new crab behavior?

Crabs definitely have different personalities. They could also be different species. The range in the behaviors itself isn't concerning. If you want to fill out this template and post some pictures, we can really chime in with more information. This isn't molting, he is just might have PPS - post purchase syndrome. Crabs are also Di-urnal. They will come out during the day but are predominately nocturnal. If you see him soaking in the salt water or just digging and disappearing into the sand, that would be more indicative of a molt. But having said that, there are crabs that do surface molts or even in the moss pit.

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2. My extremely active one hasn't really settled down at all. He always seems to want to "escape" has been digging in this same sort of length along the very edge of the tank. I haven't seem him rest either and i'm starting to feel really sorry for him and worried. I've added more sand on one side of my tank but he always goes for the walls of the tank. I picked him up just once and he returned right back to this little area he has made himself. When he other one pops up he seems to go to it pretty quickly if he actually sees it and they seem to walk around but when other one goes back to burrow he will continue to walk right back to hes spot.
Should I be worried? I was told he was adjusting but it seems like something else.

Same as above

3. Is it true they begin a molting phase fairly quickly after changing homes?[/quote]

Most do, any where from with in a day or three to a few weeks. They either really need it and go immediately or they fuel up and go. It depends on their condition when they get to a new home.

By the way, welcome to HCA. There are a lot of really nice and helpful people here and the more information you give us from the questions template, pictures or the crabs and they tank, the more help and accurate opinions we can give you

If you get REALLY concerned you can repost in the Emergency section.

Are you an Aussie?

We have an Aussie crew here. The reason I asked is because they will have more experience with your breed of crab...
Can you go into your original post in edit mode and put "Aussie" in the title? That will get their attention faster.

Sounds like your little crab is stressed out. I would leave him alone for about 24 hours just to let him get used to his new home. Yes, most crabs do dig straight away to de-stress or in some cases, molt because shop conditions are bad. You should have attleast 8 inches of substrate (sand, EE or both) so he can de-stress or molt

Good luck - If you always call out Aussie in the title, a few will chime in every day. One of the moderators, AussieJJDude is also around a lot and has years with his crabs.

Hello welcome to HCA! I really glad to see another aussie member stop by and pop their antennae here.
I will try and aswer these following question the best as I can, as your original questions have been answered by singlemomwithcrab, qhich I believe is pretty much what I would say. At most I would add to it by saying that aussies can be little diggers and I had crabs who spend most - if not, all - of their time underground making a tunnel network. Probably your other tank likes it little spot where it chooses to dig, hence why it is digging there. Probably means nothing, just your crabs trying to make you worried!

projectfuark wrote:1. What kind of substrate is used in your tank and how deep is it?
Half Sand & Half Cocopeat about 7cms (purchasing a new tank next week for more)

Hmm, personally i would get that substrate depth deeper, your looking at lease 15cm so the crabs can dig down a sufficient depth and moult in peace - if it wants to. More substrate means less likely his tank buddies will find him and make a meal out of him. I was going to mention getting a better/bigger tank, but looks like you bet me to it. In choosing your next tank, you want to look at a minium of a 60 x 30 x 30cm tank to support your buddies for a while. I have noticed that aussies enjoy ther tank space a lot mroe compared to the other species found in the world, i recommend a 30 x 30cm2 tank space per (small) crab to keep them happy IMO.

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?
Tempt is at the front - 82F
Humidity is at the back - 76%

Looks really good, IMO I would bump up the heat a bit more. Aussies really love things hot and will happily live in an environment of 30c (86F).

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

Oh noes! Is this the place where the crab is digging? If so, then it probably just trying to get warm as possible - eg, the heat mat! It not really good to place a heat mat underneath the tank as it works fine with reptiles that have a cm or two of substrate but when you have 10+cm the substrate really insulates well, causing it to become one big oven!
This could kill a moulting crab as they might bury close to the heat mat where they will become cooked in no time. Best bet is to move it to the side above the substrate level, just stick it down with some sticky tape - or electrical - if the heat mat is the non sticky type. You may want to insulate the tank so that way the goes into the tank, instead of some of the heat going the opposite direction. Using things like tin foil, styrofoam and/or sun shields in cars... Use whatever you find easiest.

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)?
1 Fresh & 1 teapsoon of Salt Crystalz for my salt water

A good rule of thumb is not to use anything that is branded for hermies, most likely it isn't safe and could do more harm then good. I really suggest you buy marine grade salt - used for saltwater fish - as it closely mimics nature and has all the essential minerals that "hermit crab salt" does not - which is just table salt in a fancy package. I also made the same mistake of using hermie salt - for a month - and never observed them using the (salt) water dish. However, when switching to a marine grade salt the hermies would use it daily; in fact the first time I added it, one of my crabs ran straight to the pool and shoved the water into it's shell and mouth. (Lets just say it was a heartbreaking/warming site, and I don't want any other crab have to go what my guys did.)

5. What kinds of food do you feed and how often is it replaced?
Krabooz Munchiez Mix every 2 days

Umm, like above, hermit crab branded things aren't really safe for them. Most likely, this won't be either.
I really suggest you give your crabs some more variety in their diet; things like meats, veggies and fruit are eaten with enthusiasm. haha, my hermies absolutely love things like weet bixs, I suggest offering it on occasions and seeing if yours are weet bix kids like mine! But having a varied diet is important, even just putting aside some of your dinner - eg, having meat? Put aside some (unseasoned) meat for them, cooked or uncooked, it will be eaten.

6. How long have you had the crab and what species is it, if known?
2 days nearly 3. Not to sure now, they both have a light brownish/whiteish coloring

Their species are C. Variabilis, bet you my last paycheck! Pretty common in aus.

7. What type of housing are the crabs kept in, what size is it and what kind of lid is on the housing?
36cm in length & 38cm in height. (The image of it is attached i'm always looking to purchase a bigger one next week)

Goodie, they enjoy the leg room! Trust me. Plus it means that you can "cram" more stuff in there for them.

9. How many extra shells are usually kept in the tank, if any?
None

You really need some spare shells in there, or then there will be some serious aggression between the two crabs! Look for shells that a oval shaped opening when choosing, aussies prefer these a lot more. However, theres some aussies that enjoy o - shaped openings instead, so feel free to include them too and see if you have eccentric crabbies. Good shells to look for are whale eyes, babylonia shells, and pheasant shells to name a few - google images will provide you with the picutes if your unsure what they look like.

10. Have there been any fumes or chemicals near the crabitat recently?
Never

Thats good to hear! If your going to spray anything near the tank, try and keep it natural. I have learned the hard way.

11. How often do you clean the tank and how?
Looking to clean it once a month

Ok, how are you planning to do this? Its best to to overly clean the tank - eg, take it down and "start again" as there could be crabs moulting when you clean the tank which could have a negative effect of them. Most people here clean the tank by smoothing out the substrate and re-arranging the decor.

12. Are sponges used in the water dish? If so, how are they cleaned?
None

Great to hear. Sponges in water dishes are a complete waste of money. Some hermies enjoy picking at dry sea sponges, so I suggest getting some and see if yours enjoy them too. (This is optional!!)