HCA: Hermit Crab Association

Hello!

I am a new crab owner- I purchased hermit crabs for my daughter at the Jersey Shore, not realizing what I was getting into with regard to crab care. Nonetheless I think I have set up a very nice crabitat- salt and fresh water, plenty of places to hide and climb, a mix of calcium sand and eco earth for digging, and good humidity and temperature conditions, plenty of shells. The tank is 10 gallons and is glass. I don't think its a stressful place at all, though I now know that the crabs are taken from the wild and its not so great to even have them in captivity. SO- I suspect that one of my crabs killed the other. One day, I found the crab missing two legs and near death. It died shortly after. I read that the crabs should not live alone, so I got a new companion- same breed and similar size. The day after the new crab came home, lo and behold one leg is missing. I separated the crab for a day, then tried to reintroduce them and as I watched them, nothing seemed too sinister- they got near each other and kind of touched feelers, but the older crab did sort of put a leg on the new crab's shell. Fast forward a week, I find the newer crab in the morning with a leg that's not detached but just looks funny- almost like its hanging out of the shell. When I came home from work its clear that he is dying and starting to fall out of the shell. So what do I do? I'm afraid to buy another crab and have him suffer the same fate. HELP!

Are you sure that its not PPS not killer crabs. Short time frame of ownership coupled with dropped limbs sound like PPS to me

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What is PPS? Rookie here! Is PPS something that would affect one crab and not another? Because my other crab (aside from possibly being a murderer) is thriving.

Post Purchase Syndrome. Thwy go thru a lot before they reach our homes. Sometimes the stress is just too much

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when hermit crabs go through a lot of stress they often lose a limb or two and maybe die. It happens when they get put in a new environment

So I read a little about PPS and what can be done- unfortunately I'm not really in the position to get another tank to mimic the pet store conditions and then gradually work up to ideal. Any tips on how to reduce PPS when integrating a crab from the pet store into my tank? Or should I just stick to my one survivor?

On a more positive note, I put some peanut butter in the food dish and left the ill crab near it- he came out and is eating. So maybe we have a survivor?

Meggrace5 wrote:

So I read a little about PPS and what can be done- unfortunately I'm not really in the position to get another tank to mimic the pet store conditions and then gradually work up to ideal. Any tips on how to reduce PPS when integrating a crab from the pet store into my tank? Or should I just stick to my one survivor?

On a more positive note, I put some peanut butter in the food dish and left the ill crab near it- he came out and is eating. So maybe we have a survivor?

I put mine straight into the main tank. I've never done the slow acclimating. I really don't know that there has been any difference for me but there is anecdotal evidence to suggest that that is helpful.

The only crabs that never made it through at least 1 molt with me had already been in awful conditions for so long that I don't know if it would have mattered at that point.

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Maybe try adopting some well established crabs that need an new home? I think this might reduce the chance of pps and your (not killer) crabbie might enjoy some company

Did you read our article on PPS? The adjustment method is only one way of doing it, and it has been falling out of favor in recent years. http://hermitcrabassociation.com/phpBB/ ... 67&t=92531

I would cautiously recommend staying with the one you have and getting it through a molt before considering more. It will be less stress on you and less to worry about if your current crab is in a weakened state!