Naked Adopted Crab in Improved Conditions?
Posted: Sun Apr 14, 2013 10:36 pm
Edit: I started a new emergency thread with the same title.
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https://hermitcrabassociation.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?f=38&t=103189
Thank you very much for the suggestion. I tried it reposting, let's see if I hear back from anyone else. Thanks again for your help!RockyGurly wrote:Hi Lia, you'll probably get more help if you start up your own thread in emergency, since it's easier for people who can help to find.
I'm sure a more experienced member could help you out more but the crab might be stressed out. Your tank seems quite crowded. Normally the giant ones aren't housed in anything less than a 55gallon I believe...maybe even bigger (I have no jumbos so not quite sure). Is the hermie still naked? My advice is the best thing you can do is get your habitate conditions perfect. If you check out the care guide section on here it'll tell you everything you need to know to make conditions optimal. And if the hermie is still naked maybe separate it in a tubberwear with a lid (keep the tubberwear in your main tank though and make sure that the lid is either cracked open for air or has lots of holes in it for air) with some salt water access and some shell choices (don't put the tubberwear upside-down over the hermie). And I'm sure by the time you do that and read up on optimal conditions someone else more experienced on here will come on to help you. Good luck!iluvhermies wrote:My littlest hermie got out of her shell last night, when I found her she was naked and trying to bury herself in the sand next to one of my giant hermies. She molted probably about a month ago. Her skin appears to be very light right now, kind of greyish-tan. I have done the following to get her back in to her shell:
1. Washed the shell in dechlorinated water, and soaked her in the same.
2. Gently tucked her back in to her original shell, abdomen first. - She immediately vacated and began trying to bury herself in the substrate. At this point another of my small hermies came over and inspected her shell by turning it around and around over and over.
3. I re-washed the original shell and another shell of a similar size, rinsed her off, placed shells and her in an upside down cup. This morning the cup was overturned, the original shell was moved far away from her, and she was half buried in the dirt. When I mist her, she moves her legs.
I use 1/2 dirt and 1/2 sand substrate, there are at least 3 - 4 inches to bury in. The temperature is reading around 65 - 70 degrees. I use a warming pad, a heat lamp, and a space heater that turns on and off intermittently to warm the tank. The humidity reads around 40 - 50% when the lamp is on, but if I switch it off it jumps to 90%+.
I use fresh and salt water in the bowls, the treatment is "All Living Things" brand. The food is "Hermit the Crab". Food is refreshed every 2 - 3 days.
I have had this hermie for 6 months. My crabs are housed in a 10 gallon glass tank with a screen lid that I have covered in plastic to help retain humidity. There are a total of 7 crabs in the crabitat. Two are giant, one is large, the other three are medium-small. There are approximately 6 empty shells of varying sizes in the tank. I haven't yet cleaned the tank, but intended to this month (every 6 months is the plan, I've only had these guys for 6 months) until my hermie went naked. No fumes or chemicals near the tank.