HCA: Hermit Crab Association

or other problem during the new crab, de-stressing period?

I figured out that about 26% of our new crabs have passed in their 1st two wks home, most-likely from PPS. Does this seem like a high percentage or about normal? We honestly wouldn't have as many crabs as we do w/out the pet store guarantees.

I'm curious what other people's experiences are w/ regard to this. I'm sure experience in housing a new crab as well as experience in how to choose a healthier crab affect the numbers.

Thanks.

I got 4 originally and I now have 3, so a 25% death rate for me.

My clypeatus and compressus seem to be the lowest (being the specii to which I am used) but I haven't really counted for a long time.

My perlatus has the highest mortality rate for me. Of the 5 I have owned starting 2003, 4 large/mediums died within 1-2 months, including the most recent; the fifth, a small-mini, and also my the first perlatus I had seen here in California (mixed with a bunch of South-East Asian invertebrate by-catches with the reptiles of a local pet store) lasted for about 6 months.

My brevimanus on the other hand, seem to adjust well, if only mine didn't get eaten by tankmates so easily But this time, I'm not taking chances...

Out of the eight crabs I have previously owned, only one Strawberry died of PPS. My Ecuadorians and PPs seemed to be fine.

Interesting Mudcrabdude. Brevimanus are worst for me, although I can't really say for sure because I got my 4 brevimanus all at once from the same pet store. If I had gotten them from somewhere else maybe it would have been different?

Your numbers seem about right Monica. One thing that really helped me cut down on the PPS deaths was to ISO the new crabs at first and try to match the pet store's conditions and ramp up gradually.

Here's a link to an article by Chestersmom on how to do that:
http://coenobita.org/xoops/modules/arti ... .php?id=14

This is how I treat my new crabs from bad conditions to prevent PPS:

Basically, you should determine the conditions at the pet store and try to match those in an ISO tank with shallow substrate so the crab can't dig down immediately. Then you raise the humidity by 10% every 5 days until the crab is at the appropriate levels. Then you give the deeper substrate so the crab can dig down if he wants.

For example, suppose your crab comes from a bone dry tank with no guages. You would then try to guess the humidity. In my part of the country, its usually about 50% relative humidity.

So this means that I would start the crab out in an ISO tank at 60% and 72F.

In 5 more days I would increase humidity 10% to 66%.

If in another 5 days the crab is looking good, I once again increase it 10% to 72% and up the temps to 78F. Now the temps are where they should be. Another 5 days and the humidity will be in acceptable ranges too and only then will I add enough substrate to allow the crab to dig down. By this time, he's beefed up and adjusted well so he has a chance at success if he needs to molt.

I've hardly ever lost a crab from bad conditions when I've used this method. But I haven't yet figured out a method for pet stores which have good conditions since I don't know what kind of conditions the crabs were kept in at the supplier's. After they've been at 80/80 at the good pet store, I didn't want to jerk them all the way back down.

starmaiden wrote:Interesting Mudcrabdude. Brevimanus are worst for me, although I can't really say for sure because I got my 4 brevimanus all at once from the same pet store. If I had gotten them from somewhere else maybe it would have been different?

I guess luck also I suppose. The one I also have is already "hurt" (I picked it out of the tank, when I got home I noticed the big pincher has a big gash on the underside that seems closed. Probably what stimulated it to eat a lot in the first month I got it and has fasted since and now has been showing premolt signs, I think...). But still it outlasted my perlatus.........

starmaiden wrote:I've hardly ever lost a crab from bad conditions when I've used this method. But I haven't yet figured out a method for pet stores which have good conditions since I don't know what kind of conditions the crabs were kept in at the supplier's. After they've been at 80/80 at the good pet store, I didn't want to jerk them all the way back down.

Yeah, the suppliers also need to come in the equation. There was this video circulating recently in the online news (needless to say, it's a bit infamous in our forum circles) and that made me a bit suspect of the current batches of perlatus coming in to this side of the Pacific...then again, maybe it's not just the current batch of perlatus but the other species as well. I guess it teaches us not to be greedy, I suppose.

Don't know a percentage, but I've lost two crabs from PPS. I think I've had 14 crabs... That's an average of 14%. Am I right?

I have bought 14 crabs and lost one about a week after purchase and that was at the very beginning when my tank conditions were not near what they are now.

3 out of 19 crabs. What's that? about 15%

[/u]

20% sounds about right. I haven't calculated it in awhile.

I guess this is a lucky area for variabilis hermies. I have never had a PPS death, and dont know of any aussies that have.