HCA: Hermit Crab Association

I got my first crab a little less than a week ago and I have been trying to stay away from his tank as much as possible to give him time to get used to things. He has been digging down next to the window every day and then coming out at night (usually around 8:30) but last night as he was coming out my little sister saw and went running over and put her face against the glass to watch. He immediately went back down and then went sideways away from the window. He did not come out again last night and now it is 2 hours past when he usually comes out and he is still hiding. I put paper around the sides of the tank last night so he would feel safer for now and still have it there. I assume she scared him but is it normal that he was scared enough to hide for more than a day when he had been coming out every night before that? Also, do you think the paper around it actually makes a difference in his comfort or can I take it down? I was planning to leave it on till the morning but if he isn't coming out I don't know if it is worth it to leave it there.

hi,

i remember discussing with you when you first got your crabbie:)
depending on the kind of paper (like color or thickness) i’m not sure
but i’m sure he’s just getting used to his new environment
he might just be scared
so when your able to go out (i remember you saying ab the quarantine and all) another friend and if you don’t already have lots of plants and hideout
obviously not over crowding your tank but you know enough to make it look nice for him

Thanks, I feel like I'm asking a lot of questions (I think 4 in the last 6 days) but I just want to make sure I'm doing everything right for him. I have been reading around on this site basically all day everyday since I found it.

yeah i would just give him a little bit to adjust
and that’s why we’re here and i’m always on this site so if you have any questions i’m here

Thanks

So it's now been 5 nights since I've seen him. Do you think he's molting or still just hiding or is it really just anyones guess and I won't know till he comes up?

i just had a crab come up tonight that had been buried since i got him and that was like two months ago and he was molting
so it could honestly be awhile
he could be destressing and then molt while he’s down there
you will just have to wait
most of the new crabs i get go down and molt right away

Alright, sounds good, I find myself checking the tank all the time to see if he's back up yet. I also may have gone a bit overboard with the shells for him to find when he pops up, I have 17 of them in there. Should I take some out or is it ok to have a lot? I just wanted him to have all the options I could give him. (It's been long enough I can't remember the exact size, his current shell is somewhere between a dime and a nickel so I put a large variety in that size window and slightly larger)

some people chose to rotate their shells
since they are all sized for the same crab you can put like five or so in at a time and switch them out

Update: A few days ago he came out and climbed up the wall and sat there for about 5 minutes and went back down. Today he came out, changed his shell and ate a bunch of food and then went back down. A couple days ago I made a powdered blend of egg shells, freeze dried shrimp and mealworms, and dried fruits which he seemed to like much more than the solid pieces in there (he did not touch any of the solids but ate all the powdered mix). I'm happy to have his painted superman shell out of the tank and glad that he actually ate a noticeable amount because I have not seen him eat anything or seen any signs that he was eating. Even though I assumed he would eat when he was hungry it was nice to see he was doing ok.

aspearson wrote: ↑

Tue Sep 01, 2020 3:38 am

Update: A few days ago he came out and climbed up the wall and sat there for about 5 minutes and went back down. Today he came out, changed his shell and ate a bunch of food and then went back down. A couple days ago I made a powdered blend of egg shells, freeze dried shrimp and mealworms, and dried fruits which he seemed to like much more than the solid pieces in there (he did not touch any of the solids but ate all the powdered mix). I'm happy to have his painted superman shell out of the tank and glad that he actually ate a noticeable amount because I have not seen him eat anything or seen any signs that he was eating. Even though I assumed he would eat when he was hungry it was nice to see he was doing ok.

Now he comes out every night for several hours. I try to fight the urge to put my face against the glass because I can see it makes him nervous. It has gotten much easier now that I set up a camera next to the tank so I can watch him without scaring him. He finishes most of the powdered food I put out for him most nights but a few minutes ago he ate the solids for the first time and spent about 15 minutes picking at dried fruits, mealworm, shrimp and a few pieces of oatmeal (basically all the stuff in the powdered mix but the powder also has egg shells mixed in). I had been sticking to dried proteins and fruits for now because I could make them into a powder and until today he refused to go anywhere near the solids with plans to add fresh proteins, fruits and vegetables once he showed an interest. I also tried an organic baby food puree for a few days but he didn't seem interested so maybe I'll try it again another time.
Also, do most people here replace food at night while the crabs are out or during the day while they are asleep? I have been doing it during the day because if I open the lid or stand too close to the tank for too long while he is awake he retreats into the hide or into a hole and doesn't come out till the next night.

He's clearly feeling very curious tonight. Not only is he trying new foods but he's exploring the tank like crazy, but at a leisurely, maybe cautious, pace. Tonight was the first time he went anywhere near the water bowls and he climbed down my cholla wood (which apparently moves and i'll have to fix that tomorrow) far enough to put his toes in the water then turn around and he's going to parts of the tank he hasn't gone to before. So far he has never climbed up to the moss pit or checked out the crocheted jute twine bridge connecting my 2 raised platforms so let's see if tonight is the night.

Sounds like he’s getting comfortable now so I wouldn’t worry. My newest crab has a shy personality but my eldest gives zero fs! They will relax eventually.

I added a new crab to the tank on Saturday that is the same size as him, if not a little smaller. Since I added the new one it has been up exploring and eating every night but the old one has not come up since. I know it is probably fine but it has been stressing me out a little bit because the new one seems to dig in the same places the old one does but the old one still hasn't come up. I'm sure it's ok and he'll come up when he wants to because I know he isn't molting because he was up exploring not 12 hours before the new one got here but I think I'm just gonna be anxiously watching the camera until I see them interact with each other.