what happened to my hermie?

[Guest]

so i had class earlier today. i left for class and before that i made sure that the hermies had food and water and everything necessary. when i came back i found one of my hermies out of its shell, and it looked dead. it wasnt moving at all, i reached into the cage to move the food bowl, and he twitched so i knew he was alive. what is happening? my hermie is alive and well now and in his shell again.

[tigermoon89]

It's possible that he could have been a victim of a shell fight, or had something poking at him inside his shell. It could also be something more serious than that.
Can you fill this out so that we can help you determine a cause:

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.)?
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[Guest]

1) Rock, about 2 in deep, lower in some places and higher in others, moving to a 15 gallon tank soon, with the natural fiber bedding type stuff.
2) No gauges
3) Small UV light directed to one side of the tank.
4) Fresh water source, in a certain area of the tank.
5) Feed them Land Hermit Crab Food, and sometimes bananas and carrots
6) Have had the crab for about 3 months, and I think its a pp but i am not positive.
7) A small 5-10 gal tank, plastic with vents and holes all in the top.
2 Crabs, The one in question is a small crab, the other is a medium.
9) I have 6 shells in the tank right now.
10) no
11) Yes cleaned thoroughly with running water and a toothbrush.
12) Yes cleaned with running water.
13) no
14) he has gotten himself into a new shell but its the same size as his old one. also i squirt the tank down twice a day to maintain moisture.

[tigermoon89]

Hermit crabs are often sold as "throw away" pets by pet stores. They are promoted as living for only a few months with very minimal care. However, this is not the case. With proper care hermit crabs have been found to live 30+ years in captivity. I can post a link with Carol's story for you if you'd like. (I have to hunt it down).

If you think about it, hermit crabs come from tropical climates (Florida for example) they thrive in that climate. In the wild hermit crabs have been speculated to live past 100 years old! In order for them to thrive in our care, they need their natural environment recreated:

The rock/ gravel is not recommended as it prevents the hermit crabs from digging down to molt. It can also get lodged in their shells and harm their soft abdomins. I would switch to sand (found at home depot or wallmart) or cocofiber (found at pet stores) substrate asap.

It's also very important to get a thermometer and humidityy gauge.
Hermit crabs require a 74-80F temp and 74-80% humidity in order to breathe through their modified gills. Without the proper humidity they will slowly suffocate. (You can use sphagnum moss to keep up humidity, Eco Earth Coco fiber bedding works wonders as well).

It is important to provide dechlorinated fresh and marine grade sea salt water (instant ocean mix for example). The hermit crabs need to be able to fully submerge themselves within the water. They will not drown as long as they have a way out.
The chlorine in tap water causes blistering on their gills and will cause them to slowly suffocate.
I would ditch the sponge, they harbor bacteria that can be harmful to the crabs.

Also, I would ditch the commercial food. It contains pesticides and preservative that will kill your hermit crab with prolonged exposure. Hermit crabs are not really crabs, they are related to insects so the pesticides will have detrimental effects on their health.
Hermit crabs can eat most of the foods that we eat.
Here is a guide to proper hermit crab nutrition:
http://www.hermitcrabassociation.com/ph ... hp?t=62686

You can check this out for more info on the set up/ supplies needed:
http://www.hermitcrabassociation.com/ph ... hp?t=77536

[tigermoon89]

Have had the crab for about 3 months, and I think its a pp but i am not positive.

If their big pincher is purple they are a purple pincher

This thread has pictures of Purple Pinchers:
viewtopic.php?t=76942