hermies hiding

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Wed Nov 07, 2007 6:59 pm

as i say above my hermies have gone under their water bowl and won't come out i'm new to this so can i tell if their molting or if their is another reson for their unactivity.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Wed Nov 07, 2007 7:57 pm

how many

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Wed Nov 07, 2007 8:57 pm

How long ago did they disappear? How long have you had them?
Maybe they are molting, or maybe destressing. If you just got them, more than likely they're destressing....either way, please don't dig them up. If they are molting, digging them up causes great stress. They know what they are doing....

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Wed Nov 07, 2007 9:00 pm

You can usually tell whether hermies are molting or down for some other reason is if they come up at night to eat then go back down. If you notice holes reopened in the morning, then chances are they arent molting but are down for another reason. If no holes reappear, then they are probably molting. Remember, though, hermies can stay under a while before they need to come up and eat

Before your hermies went down did they have pre-molt symptoms? (cloudy eyes, lethargic, eating and drinking alot, urge to dig, ect.) I've heard a few people who had hermies who liked to molt under the water dish.

This is how i tell whether my hermies are distresssing or molting.

(I hope that made sense because i got a little confused writing it.

)

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Wed Nov 07, 2007 10:31 pm

I picked up the water dish a few dyas ago to clean it and I found the cavity one of my E's was sleeping in. He wasn't molting, but just resting. Thay do that a lot, it's no big deal.

Rhoney · Post by **Rhoney** » Thu Nov 08, 2007 7:37 am

My E Isadora (dont Es seem to dig ALOT

) has dug about 3 holes in a 12 hopur period, so if they come back up , its no big deal

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu Nov 08, 2007 11:57 am

my crabs used to do that alot back before i gave them other places to hide, suchas plants, cocohuts and whatnot. sometimes they just wanna hide and if there isnt enough above ground to hide in, then they will go below ground. also my sure your humidity and temps are correct. other then that, hermies live to make us frustrated.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu Nov 08, 2007 3:54 pm

My tank is a virtual ghost town right now. Good grief. I know how u feel.

hermietastic · Post by **hermietastic** » Thu Nov 08, 2007 4:11 pm

Hmmm... maybe if you fill this out we might beable to see if it is something else.

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

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?

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

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)?

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

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

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

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

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

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

11. How often do you clean the tank and how?

12. Are sponges used in the water dish? If so, how are they cleaned?

13. Has anything new been added to your crabitat recently?

14. 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.)?

hermiefanatic · Post by **hermiefanatic** » Thu Nov 08, 2007 4:28 pm

it could be ur temp and humidity. what is ur temp and humidity? temp and humidity should be 75-80

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu Nov 08, 2007 7:03 pm

thanks for all the answers now their both under their.
answers to questions
substrate sand 1 inch deep
two gauges temp 80 humidity 80
uth under the tank
fresh water
food crab pellets friut powder mix changed every couple of days
had them 2 mnths approx
their the purple pincher type
their tanks 2ft with mesh lid which is covered with a wood board
2 medium size crabs
no fumes loads of shells
sponge is microwaved
nothing new added to tank
hope this helps please fill free to tell me what needs changeing as i'm new to all this.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu Nov 08, 2007 7:09 pm

Hi Shelby:
While I wouldn't necessarily be worried about your hermies digging down under, I noticed some things about your tat I wanted to ask you about. First, you have fresh water on your list - but do you have salt water? They absolutely must have it - not table salt - but the kind you buy at a pet store like Instant Ocean or Oceanic. It is very important.

Also, I think you said your substrate is sand 1" deep. Your substrate needs to be much deeper, at least 2-3 times deeper than your largest crab so that when they do need to molt, they can dig down far enough to do so safely. Your sand also needs to be sand castle consistency as far as its wetness.

The crab pellets that are the commercial brands oftentimes contain chemicals that are actually quite harmful to your hermies. You may want to consider fresh fruit/vegetables/proteins. There is a list of safe/unsafe food on the pulldown over to the right of the screen. There are also some wonderful places to buy all-organic made foods for your hermies - NarNar (The Happy Hermit), The Crabbage Patch. I think they are inexpensive and much better for your hermies.

I hope this post doesn't sound critical - you are really off to a great start with what you have & we've all been in your position. It just takes some time to learn everything!

Good Luck!

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Fri Nov 09, 2007 9:06 am

thanks for your advise kharvey56 i will take on board what you have said and correct the things you have mentioned and i'm glad of the help.
i'm a reptile keeper and i have learned everything through people on forums and its good to no your their to ask.