Why can't my hermit crab climb it's wall? Depression??

[Guest]

I never cleaned my driftwood as its fresh out the sea and salt water treated so I didn't really see the point in baking it and washing it in salt water. My net should be here by monday which is good then I can set it up in my tat. I have been waiting 2 weeks for it but now its finally on its way

[Julia Coenobita]

I have the exact same climbing wall as you, but haven't been using it because it got quite disgusting, I'll clean it soon. The nails are from molting, and in captivity they usually don't wear down because they aren't climbing on rocks all day. When my hermit crabs were new, none of them had nails (unless they had just molted), but now my hermit crabs all have them. It sounds like he may be too big or too heavy to climb the wall without "nails". Just wait until he molts, and he'll have them. I am sure your hermit crabs are fine. A depressed hermit crab is one that gets too stressed out, they will act like they are pre-molt and usually die. The most common cause of that is PPS (Post Purchase Stress). I doubt your crab has that. Who knows - he might be climbing it while you're asleep!

[Riley]

I have the exact same climbing wall as you, but haven't been using it because it got quite disgusting, I'll clean it soon. The nails are from molting, and in captivity they usually don't wear down because they aren't climbing on rocks all day. When my hermit crabs were new, none of them had nails (unless they had just molted), but now my hermit crabs all have them. It sounds like he may be too big or too heavy to climb the wall without "nails". Just wait until he molts, and he'll have them. I am sure your hermit crabs are fine. A depressed hermit crab is one that gets too stressed out, they will act like they are pre-molt and usually die. The most common cause of that is PPS (Post Purchase Stress). I doubt your crab has that. Who knows - he might be climbing it while you're asleep!

Aw, thanks so much. Really. That helps =) That's a lot of good information, so I'm glad to know that mine wasn't the only one bought without his helpful nails. Poor guy

He hasn't shown any signs of molting since I got him, but the last two days, he's built up a wall of sand inside his wooden cut out hut thing and he hasn't come out, though I hear digging. Maybe new nails are on the way! I do feel really bad for him, but it doesn't sound like he's got depression anywhere like PPS.

Thanks again~*~ I'm ordering a new climbing net with hemp just to help him out in case, after nails, it's still too hard.

[Guest]

Have you thought about trying to lightly shave it with an old cheese grater? I was asking about these mats at petsmart (i know, i know) and the girl i was talking to seemed to actually know some stuff and offered the suggestion of doing this to pull the fibers out a bit more than they are in order for them to get a decent grasp of it. I didnt end up buying it. Instead I got the lizard ladder and lizard hammock.

[Julia Coenobita]

That's an idea!

[Riley]

Oh!! Hmm. Maybe I -will- try that!

[Guest]

I have the climbing wall, too. At first I thought my large crab wasn't strong enough to pull himself up but after he pinched me I knew that wasn't the case. He's definitely strong enough! Anyway, I figured out that the reason he wasn't climbing it was just because the fibers weren't out far enough for him to grab. I just kind of roughed it up a bit with my fingernails and pulled at it until it wasn't so tightly together. Now he climbs it all the time! He tends to wedge himself behind it, too, but whatever floats his boat is fine with me Maybe that's all your big guy needs, too.

[Riley]

I have the climbing wall, too. At first I thought my large crab wasn't strong enough to pull himself up but after he pinched me I knew that wasn't the case. He's definitely strong enough! Anyway, I figured out that the reason he wasn't climbing it was just because the fibers weren't out far enough for him to grab. I just kind of roughed it up a bit with my fingernails and pulled at it until it wasn't so tightly together. Now he climbs it all the time! He tends to wedge himself behind it, too, but whatever floats his boat is fine with me Maybe that's all your big guy needs, too.

It seems to me we may have the s wall =) I maybe would have tried further to make the wall less tight for him, but I had a hermie emergency with the thing, and took it out immediately.

I had the wall secured to my glass with permanent tape that I placed on the back of it. Unfortunately, my middle crab, Zipper, somehow pulled the tightly secured wall from the class and climbed on the back of it. It was really scary because he got his legs stuck to the permanent tape =o It really freaked us off and I had to carefully pull him from it and work to get him out for 15 minutes. After that, I immediately ripped the wall off and took every piece of tape off. I've now ordered a handmade hemp net and corner net from the Hermit Crab Addiction store. I'm really excited and it'll be here in two weeks =D

[Guest]

It seems to me we may have the s wall =) I maybe would have tried further to make the wall less tight for him, but I had a hermie emergency with the thing, and took it out immediately.

I had the wall secured to my glass with permanent tape that I placed on the back of it. Unfortunately, my middle crab, Zipper, somehow pulled the tightly secured wall from the class and climbed on the back of it. It was really scary because he got his legs stuck to the permanent tape =o It really freaked us off and I had to carefully pull him from it and work to get him out for 15 minutes. After that, I immediately ripped the wall off and took every piece of tape off. I've now ordered a handmade hemp net and corner net from the Hermit Crab Addiction store. I'm really excited and it'll be here in two weeks =D

In relation to the crab getting stuck you could alternatively get suction cups with hooks, make some holes and attach it to the back of the tank that way. Then if anything happens the suction cups will just fall off no big deal seeing as ive seen a few of my hermies fall off their branches and things like that. They always sulk a little then carry on as normal.

There tough little guys really, and so adorable as well. The hemp nets are grade A amazing though i have no complaints about ours, though no hermies have tried to climb it yet.

[Riley]

In relation to the crab getting stuck you could alternatively get suction cups with hooks, make some holes and attach it to the back of the tank that way. Then if anything happens the suction cups will just fall off no big deal seeing as ive seen a few of my hermies fall off their branches and things like that. They always sulk a little then carry on as normal.

There tough little guys really, and so adorable as well. The hemp nets are grade A amazing though i have no complaints about ours, though no hermies have tried to climb it yet.

Yah. I suppose I could have done that, but I'm not sure the wall would have laid completely flat over the glass. =\ Who knows. It might've worked, but I never thought of it at the time.

Hermit crabs -are- quite tough. My tiny one has a tendency of running off people's hands, and so I'm always very careful around her, but one of my brother's college friends came over and wanted to hold her. She's a quick little thing, and though he had both of his hands out for her, and I was holding mine under his just in case, she somehow evaded both and crawled right off of his hand in a second. Let me tell you, -that- was really scary. She must have fallen five feet onto the wooden floors, poor little thing. Luckily she landed on her shell though, and even though I was extremely worried, I've watched her for three days now and it didn't effect her one bit. Man. xD

They still haven't climbed on your net?? Probably just checking it out still. I think mine will be on it before I can even attach it They've become a bit of climbing addicts, I'm afraid.

[Guest]

Well from what ive seen there has been no sign of climbing on the netting, to be honest there are only 3 of the 6 crabs up most of the time. No idea whats going on, i think they got a little stressed when having to move them into ISO while i deep cleaned out all the mites in the tat.

I'm sure they will enjoy it in time to come, i know they like eating hemp so i'm sure they like the smell of it.

I have noticed they don't come out if we stay up late, like last night 4am and only 2 crabs were around, if its totally dark there are normally a few more .

Tonight if we stay up as late i will cover them to make sure its nice and dark.

[Riley]

Well from what ive seen there has been no sign of climbing on the netting, to be honest there are only 3 of the 6 crabs up most of the time. No idea whats going on, i think they got a little stressed when having to move them into ISO while i deep cleaned out all the mites in the tat.

I'm sure they will enjoy it in time to come, i know they like eating hemp so i'm sure they like the smell of it.

I have noticed they don't come out if we stay up late, like last night 4am and only 2 crabs were around, if its totally dark there are normally a few more .

Tonight if we stay up as late i will cover them to make sure its nice and dark.

They eat hemps??? I never knew. Do you think they'll mess it up??
Sounds like a good idea with the covering. I'm sure they'll appreciate it =) I stayed up until 4:30 but I don't think they really cared.

[Guest]

I know they eat hemp seeds, so im pretty sure they will munch on a few fibers but they wont eat the whole net obviously.

I could be wrong though.

[Guest]

Riley- That's awful about the tape! Mine is just stuck up there with the little velcro patches they include so there's plenty of room to go around them. It is pretty impossible to get it to stay flat, and when BFG pulls it off the velcro doesn't separate, it just all pulls away together. I don't think it's sticky enough for him to get caught, though. At least I hope not !!![/quote]

[Riley]

Fizzmatix: hahahaha. That -would- be something. Come in, and suddenly the net you ordered is gone. Wow. Thanks for all your help, by the way. It's been really great talking and learning from you!

KrazyKraber- That's the reason I got the tape =) The velcro patches were so small, and not very sticky xD I don't think you crabs should have any trouble if the velcro does fall off. Maybe they'll step on it and it'll stick for a moment, but I don't imagine it wouldn't easily fall of of their little legs. Good luck with it all And the label said you could spray it for extra humidity.