HCA: Hermit Crab Association

Hi, I just got two blueberries because I couldn't resist them. Only one is being really active right now and I'll probably get pictures soon, once they're adjusted. I don't know a whole lot more after researching these guys, but they don't seem to need much more maintenance than my PP's. I got them ISO'd immediately when I got home. They seem healthy; one is already looking into new shells. :) They're adorable.

-How long should I leave them there?
-Should I bathe them a day or two for mites, or is that not a problem with blueberries? They were housed with both PP's and Strawberries at the mall. I've never bathed any before, so if there's a link on how to do this, it's be appreciated (:
-When I get the chance to sex them, is it the same protocol for this species as with PP's on their underbelly?

Thanks!

U should bath them in saltwater until u see no more mites on them, if they have 'em. I usually, when I get new crabs, bath all mine together so they get acquainted and "smell" the same.

I'd say keep an eye on them for mites, and if they do have them, then give them dunks upside down in both salt and fresh water until the air bubbles stop, then take 'em out so the excess water runs out. They're not gonna be happy about that, mind you lol

How long you keep them in there is up to you. It could be for a couple of days or a month. And when you do get to sex them, yes it's the same with the gonophores (or lack thereof) on the underbelly.

I would give them a bath to check for mites, then keep them in ISO at least a few days, maybe a week, to watch for any signs of mites. Any new crab can have mites, but it seems that the strawberries are more likely to have them and since yours were in with the strawberries it's possible. When you put them shell opening up in the salt water they will normally turn over and that movement usually forces air out of the shell and water in, often washing out any mite, but not always all of them. I do this with a bright light over the bowl and a magnifying glass to check the water carefully.

Okay, so I had them ISO'd all night with bubblers to keep my humidity up, and a UTH, and one had switched shells last night (Into one of the babylonion shells that I was betting one of them would pick). He seems so tucked in the shell; I see both his big claw and a couple feet hanging out, he is very tightly tucked in. I really wanted to get the bath done and over with, so I put him in salt water in a bowl in a separate box, and held him under for a bit and he didn't move. I only held him for about 10 seconds because I didn't want to drown him. I put him on dry towels right side up and he didn't come out.
Could he be destressing? Or surface molting? He seemed perfectly fine last night; I tried my best to make the ISO tank as good as my main tank, with what I had.
I knew that the mall they were in weren't prime conditions, but I really didn't think they'd go so soon. I put him in the dark of the cocohut for now.

When you first put them in the water they are unlikely to come out. It's safe to leave them for a minute or so, but stay right there. Generally, I put them in the water opening side up without holding on to them. If they don't turn over in about 30 to 40 seconds I turn them over to a normal position with opening down and again let them be for another 30 to 60 seconds. A healthy crab is not going to stay there and drown without coming out and trying to get out of the dish. That said, I'd only leave them about 2 minutes total if they don't come out of the shell. Since you tried the bath I would wait a day or two before trying again to not stress them.

As far as him not coming out, he's probably just stressed. I'd try to leave them alone for a couple days. If you have them in ISO then the only risk of any mites is to the iso tank as long as you are careful about not transferring any potential mites to the main tank. When I have new crabs in iso I always do all the work in my main tank for the day before I get in the iso tank. Mites can be transferred on skin and clothing.

I looked under the hut I put him under, and he was gone. So he must have dug under into the substrate. I hope this is a good sign! The other seems to be doing better.

I think its a good sign. That means he was strong enough to dig.
Good luck!

Where do you get your crabs from? They only sell PPs at my store.

@tinulienka They happened to be at a little stand in a mall in SoCal where I live. I'm there quite often so I know it's fairly new. They had PP's, Blueberries and Strawberries. They weren't great conditons; if i had a larger tank, which im hoping is soon, I'll probably "save" more.

An update on my crabs, they're both buried down in ISO, I haven't seen them in almost two days. But I'm still being positive.

I read on another site that any crab is a "new" crab until they've survived their first molt. Which I took to mean they should stay in ISO until they've molted - is this not correct?

It is true that they are sort of new until they make it through their first molt, but I don't ISO them all that time. For a medium or large crabs that could mean several months. If you had a couple crabs that were new and wanted to iso them through the first molt that might be OK, but I'd hesitant to iso one by itself. I put mine in ISO for about a week, long enough to check them carefully for mites and to be able to shell shop and gets lots to eat in peace. After that I integrate them into the main tank.

I plan to keep them in ISO for a week, or, at least until they decide to come up.

UPDATE: I looked in the ISO tank today, and one of them is up, but still not so active. I haven't seen them out of their shell. Still hoping for the best. :(