HCA: Hermit Crab Association

I just got 3 crabs yesterday and the other two seem fine in the new tank, in fact one of them changed shells immediately. But one of them has not moved from his spot that I put him in the whole night. I checked on him constantly until I fell asleep. This morning I noticed a leg near him it looks like his because it's very dark! I also noticed one of my other crabs right next to him, but not on him. I moved him under some cork and put the leg near him in case he wants to eat it. I'm not sure if he's just stressed from the move or if he is being bullied. The one who is missing the leg is a crab I got from petco.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Hi there,

It seems as if the little guy is most likely stressed from the move and suffering from Post Purchase Syndrome, as they will generally drop their limbs to save energy while stressed. I recommend providing him with foods like cuttlebone, honey, or shrimp. (There's also a PPS thread with a lot of good information under the Crab Care forum.) Do not handle him, as this may make his situation worse.

Every time one of my crabs has been bullied, I usually hear the high pitched chirping sound they tend to make while in distress. That's something you probably would have noticed if you were checking in on him regularly.

Best of luck to the little guy.