HCA: Hermit Crab Association

Oh no, I've done something terrible to my littlest baby crab! Last night, I was changing the water dish. I felt a lump of sand on the underside, so I took it to the sink to give it a good wash before rinsing it with dechlor water. As soon as I turned on the water, I heard the clank, and found that the sand lump was really The Bat. He was rinsed in chlorinated water and even fell into some in the sink.



I immediately took him out and poured dechlor water over him then quickly took him and plopped him into the dish of salt water to rinse him off. I feel just terrible. I should have been more careful. He is so small, though, he's the one who hangs upside down from the lid of the tank. Somehow, I just missed that he was hanging off his water dish.

Do you guys think he is going to become ill? He got quite a drenching in the tap water. Poor little baby crab, he's my favourite.

IMO, He should be just Fine. It is the Long Term Exposure to "Chlorinated" Tap water that is Harmful. Unless he fell into Straight Bleach(Chlorine). U did a Great Job of Rinsing him the Best ya could.
Really, I wouldnt fret too much.

he should be fine. i argree with OIF_VET its only from long term exposure and think about it: in the wild crabs drink out of rain pudddles, pet bowls, ect, he will be fine.

Oh, thanks, guys! I have worried so much about him. He really is such a cute little guy, and I feel much better after reading your answers. Thanks again!

I agree....he should be just fine. I have, on occcassion, made the same mistake. All my "errors" have survived my "oops"!

Kathy, that makes me feel even better, to know that someone else has done this, too. I'm so relieved to hear that yours were fine after this.

I'm glad someone else worries about these sorts of things, too. I clean out the food dish by emptying its contents directly into the toilet bowl. Angela likes to sleep in the food dish. She also tends to get buried in there if someone large decides to dig near or under the dish. We have had several near misses so far.