HCA: Hermit Crab Association

I'm new here. I just acquired two hermit crabs. I am an animal lover to the fullest so I have read up everything to PROPERLY care for them. Well, I could not find extra shells anywhere and my mom and lil brother have hermit crabs so I asked her. She said yeah, come get them. I go there and they have the crabitat outside on the back porch, I guess it has been outside for a month or more. She thought there was 2 still alive. (pretty sure they were trying to kill them off) I freaked and started searching the tank for signs of life. I found 4 crabs alive.

I brought them home, bathed them, and put them in my 10-gallon aquarium with my 2. I know I need a bigger aquarium - I am going to go take my mom's cage today but it's all mesh (they don't know a thing about proper care) so my husband is going to put plexi glass all around it so it retains temperature and humidity.

The hermit crabs I saved are happy as can be. They have been out and about all night, eating, climbing, digging. My original 2 have already made friends. Out of the 4 crabbies, I saved yesterday, the smallest has not moved. Even when I bathed it. It doesn't smell, they are all PP and it has vibrant colors, not white, or molting, It just doesn't move. I set it in a spot last night in the tank and this morning while everyone was crawling around it was flipped on its back. I don't know if I startled it when checking on them or if another hermie bumped it while moving around. The tank is crowded but it is temporary.

So, what do I do? I don't want to keep a dead hermie in the tank as the others. Yet, I don't want to bury a live Hermie. I don't have a proper isolation tank that will hold temp and humidity.

If it were me.. I think I'd leave mr. shy\grumpy pants crab alone and in the tank a lil while longer and let him do his thing... He may just be a lil more insecure then the others and in shock a lil.. after all he did just move from an unfit home and into a new place that's crowded and bigger crabs and even new crabs... It's a lot to take in!! Ur crab will eventually decide to take shelter or eat or explore soon .. when she or he is ready and only then lol. Thats my most favorite time to watch my babies honestly.. when I first bring them home,bathed, and introduce them to there new home.. what they do the first few hours will tell u so much about their individual personalities .. they are so stinking cute!! Good luck and best wishes to u and ur new babies

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Or u could try putting a small shell full of fresh food, or raw meat in ur tank and set shy crab on top of the food.. leave the light off for a lil while if u have one as well. See if we can bring him out a lil lol.

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Hello! Welcome to the HCA! I would just leave the hermit alone to destress. You could do the soda bottle trick - cut a 2 liter soda bottle bottom off, take off the cap for air exchange. Push it into the substrate so that nobody can get to him/her, so he/she is somewhat isolated. In the soda bottle provide a capful of msw, fw, and organic raw honey. Good luck!

ooh. I didn't know they could eat organic raw honey. One of the ones I brought home last night that has been active the entire time, ate, and everything is missing. not in a hut, under drift wood, or anything. So i'm guessing she buried herself in the sand. I don't think she is stressed from how she was. So my guess is she buried herself to molt or do they bury themselves to sleep?

Tash222 wrote:ooh. I didn't know they could eat organic raw honey. One of the ones I brought home last night that has been active the entire time, ate, and everything is missing. not in a hut, under drift wood, or anything. So i'm guessing she buried herself in the sand. I don't think she is stressed from how she was. So my guess is she buried herself to molt or do they bury themselves to sleep?

They bury themselves for several reasons To destress, to cool off, and to molt Never dig up unless an absolute emergency

Heres a question. I know not to dig them up, I mean you just said not to. They are in a 10 gallon aquarium right now and yes, it is crowded. I am getting a new crabitat for them hopefully today (we are having issues with our truck - my husbands fixing it and it won't fit in the car) Now when I move everyone to their new home in the next few days - should I let the ones that are buried stay where they are? And then move them once they emerge?

That would be best. There are a few people who have dug around those that are under, but I personally get too nervous to do that!!


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