Not eating!

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu Mar 13, 2008 12:06 pm

hi i have only had hermit crabs for about 2 month. I got 2 PP's one is very shy and i have only seen him come out of his shell once, the other is great and was very active.

Recently the shy one dug himself under the sediment, he was there for 3 days, and i got worried and dug him out, thankfully he was fine and has dug himself under again. he has not eaten the whole time he has been under and I'm worried bout how long he can go without food.

Also the active crab has stayed in the same place since the other one dug under and hasn't been eating. Since I'm relatively new to this I'm probably worrying over nothing but is this normal?

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu Mar 13, 2008 12:09 pm

it's completely normal. It's hard to do, but try not to worry too much. They like to dig under for fun and to de-stress. I wouldn't dig them up since they will get stressed and want to dig under for longer. Don't worry about them not eating under there. My tiny PP, Pepe, never ate anything when I brought him home, dug under and molted and was under the sand for 5 weeks before coming up and now I see him all the time!

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu Mar 13, 2008 12:12 pm

it is perfectly normal. but i must say do NOT dig up ur Hermie again he's fine he's been distressing and molting longer then you've had him lol he knows what he's doing he might have food stored in his shell. as for the one who's just not moving since that first one went down again don't worry over it that Hermie's probably just distressing or sleeping....you know Hermie's are mostly out and about at night then they are during the day.

if u want to make sure they are eating and drinking pat down the sand around the bowls before u go to bed and check them in the morning I've a bet that there will be some little claw prints around them lol so just sit back and enjoy

we've all been there

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu Mar 13, 2008 12:13 pm

that's brill thank you. i have to say this site will be a life saver for me, its already my first reference if i have any questions. I will leave him under there until he is ready to come out and keep an eye on the other one. thanks again

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu Mar 13, 2008 12:14 pm

Crabs can go months without eating.

So don't worry too much about it. Their metabolism works differently than ours. I know it's hard to get used to, but you have to remember that they are A) Not mammals and B) Not even from the Chordata phylum. (Meaning they are not vertbrates.) He's probably going down to molt and, depending on size, can be down for months. So now that that is said, PLEASE don't dig him up. You should never dig up a crab. I know it's hard for you to just sit there and not know what is going on with your beloved pet, but it's crucial that you do not disturb then during this time as they are very vulnerable and easily stressed.

As for your other guy, he may just be lonely. Try feeding him some honey with crushed egg shells or cuttlebone and see if that will perk him up.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu Mar 13, 2008 12:16 pm

Raen_83 wrote: As for your other guy, he may just be lonely. Try feeding him some honey with crushed egg shells or cuttlebone and see if that will perk him up.

Or just go buy another hermie! Then you'll have 3!

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu Mar 13, 2008 12:18 pm

lol i was temped to get a third, going to see how these 2 guys go first. i added mushed banana with a bit of crushed hermit crab food over top of it to tempt him to eat.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu Mar 13, 2008 12:21 pm

Try the honey... Seriously.

They love it. Oooh, and sugar cane, too. But, to tell you the truth, the one thing that ALWAYS gets my guys running is a chicken leg bone cracked in a few places to expose the marrow.

Gross to me, heaven to the crabbies.

lol

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu Mar 13, 2008 12:27 pm

i will definitely try that. thanks

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu Mar 13, 2008 12:29 pm

No worries!

That's what we are here for.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu Mar 13, 2008 2:28 pm

Hopefully your guy's just under to chill out for a bit but if he's in for the long molt, try to stay sane.

It's not always easy!

bksbuddha · Post by **bksbuddha** » Thu Mar 13, 2008 8:15 pm

Agree w/everyone above...he could just be chilling out or he could be trying to molt. Try not to worry too much.

These guys will definately teach you a lesson in patience. You're not alone & if you have any other questions, please feel free to ask. [smilie=grouphug.gif]

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sat Mar 15, 2008 1:55 pm

sjamison059 wrote:hi i have only had hermit crabs for about 2 month. I got 2 PP's one is very shy and i have only seen him come out of his shell once, the other is great and was very active.

Recently the shy one dug himself under the sediment, he was there for 3 days, and i got worried and dug him out, thankfully he was fine and has dug himself under again. he has not eaten the whole time he has been under and I'm worried bout how long he can go without food.

Also the active crab has stayed in the same place since the other one dug under and hasn't been eating. Since I'm relatively new to this I'm probably worrying over nothing but is this normal?

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sat Mar 15, 2008 4:51 pm

Yes it is.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sat Mar 15, 2008 5:38 pm

i just came home from work to find that the other crab has dug down directly above the other one, would he be trying to eat him?

HCA: Hermit Crab Association

Not eating!

Not eating!

Re: Not eating!

Re: Not eating!