HCA: Hermit Crab Association

I've been here not for a while, but now I'm really sad ther are 6 crabs already died, and every time when they are under the ground for a molt.
I think that because I always find them death under the ground
There are now 6 crabs death, 3 bleuberry's I dont have no more left now , 1 strawberry, and 2 ruggie's. the bleuberry en the strawberry where new one's that I had ordered somewhere, but my ruggie's not, she lived at a while with me.
The others that still life are older, I realy hope that they dont go died, first I was thinking that it just where the new one's, but why my ruggie's
Does anybody know what is going on?
I'm from Belgium
Temp is 25° a 29°
humidity about 80, 90
I heat with heat lamps.
Only thing that I have change is that I had some coupple of ventilation on the ventilation strook , so that there always airflow in the tank is for the windows.
Food, All differend dried food that I had ordered and look at the list what they may have.
There are differend plastic plants in the tank but they where always there.
I hope that you understeand me a little bit :p

Ow my substrate is about 7 inch, and it is cocopeat, I change about 3 weeks, only the top layer.

I think we all can remember how beautiful your tank was, and we could easily see how well taken care of they were. I'm so sorry for your loss. Can you fill out the emergency questionnaire so we can get a better idea of what's going on? Maybe post a few newer pics as well. Something has to be happening if they are all dying while buried under. What are the circumstances when you find them? Are they being attacked? I'm sure we all want to help, so give us as much info as possible. We'll figure it out! And don't worry about your English! You're doing great!!


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

I would think about switching substrate as soon as possible, even if you have to dig up the molters. You have such a nice tank I don't believe it's the tank or the decorations but maybe the water in or he soil itself has something wrong with it. Have you had any good molts in this substrate yet? Can you get play sand where you live? Maybe you can switch to 5:1 playsand:Peatmoss or cocofiber.

the automatic sprinklers, does the water coming out of there smell funny? I had this pump spray bottle but I found the grease to lubricate it was coming out into the water into my tank sand. So there's many ways bad water can make it into the tank either their water bowls or the substrate.

I first gonna answer kuza, when I find the first dead crabs I had refresh the whole substrate, I had one's half playsand but may crabs dint like the sand, so I was go back to the cocofiber, it are blocks that I have that you have to put in water and then thay swall too allots of cocofiber.
My water sit in a yerry can for my sprinklers but its a clean can, I use tha can for years for my frogs, the water in the yerry can came from the tape.
Other water where my crabs from drinking came from bottles from the store.
When I find the crabs under the ground they hanging out of the schell, maybe because they are dead I dont know.

1. What kind of substrate is used in your tank and how deep is it?
Coco fiber about 7 inch

2. Do you have gauges in the tank to measure temperature and humidity? If so, where are they located and what temperature and humidity do they usually read?
I have 2 for the temperature one close to the lamp thats abouts 32° one for away that about the 25° a 29°, the humidity is about the 80 a 90

3. Is a heat source used in the tank? If so, what? yes 2 heatlamps and one for the night.

4. What types of water are available (fresh or salt) and how is the water treated (what brands of dechlorinator or salt mix and what ratio is used to mix it)? fresh and salt, the salt is made by osmose and I use a refractormeter for the salt for the salt is 1025, the salt I use is H2 ocean pro +, the fresh came out a bottle.

5. What kinds of food do you feed and how often is it replaced?
I use dried food, about 4days I replaced it.

6. How long have you had the crab and what species is it, if known?
I had them about a half year the bleuberry's an the strawberry, the ruggie's about a year are longer.

7. What type of housing are the crabs kept in, what size is it and what kind of lid is on the housing?
I think it is 80 gallon, just all glass with ventilation.

8. How many crabs are in the tank and about how large are they?
Now 10 because 6 died differens size

9. How many extra shells are usually kept in the tank, if any?
many shells wow euhm to many :p
10. Have there been any fumes or chemicals near the crabitat recently?
Not that I know, is smoking in the living a bad idea?because the tank is at the living.

11. How often do you clean the tank and how?
about 3 weeks only the upper layer.

12. Are sponges used in the water dish? If so, how are they cleaned?
No sponges

13. Has anything new been added to your crabitat recently?
only fans on the fentilation strooks

14. Is there any other information you would like to share that might be helpful (anything that is regularly part of your crab care, playtime, bathing, etc.)? I really dont know ow wait I remember all little white insect one the substrate It where mite's that came from my frogs food, from the flies, I had a mite's plague, I had it under controle now, but sometime I still see them in the tank with my crabs, my frogs stand right next on my crabs.
Maybe this is something, I dont know

Yes I do have good molts, I have 3 little one's they molt allot, maybe they have luckly? that are 3 violanscens .

Here are some pictures

My violenscens first orange he is already al little bit purple this is one of the guys that molts allot :p


Maybe is the plastic net not so good? its something that used for filters for fish so I dont think its toxic? I used it to in the drinking scales for to climb out.
I used a gleugun to stick it to getter.

What kind of bottled water is it? Have you de chlorinated it? Only distilled water is ok to use right from the bottle, I believe.

If the sprinkler water is coming from the tap, that might explain the problem. If chlorinated water or hard water is moistening the substrate, that might affect a crab when it's most vulnerable-at molting. Another thought is that the substrate might be too moist from regular sprinkling. I think that's an outside chance, but possible. The soft exoskeleton might be absorbing something bad out of the tap water.
I don't think this is particularly bad, but my crabs do seem to like a 5-1 or 4-1 ratio with sand Eco earth.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Where is the 7 inches of substrate?
I would suggest distilled water and throw out all food amd salt and try a new one for all. (but would be a guess).
Are you positive they are not alive.

kuza wrote:What kind of bottled water is it? Have you de chlorinated it? Only distilled water is ok to use right from the bottle, I believe.

Its natural spring water meant for human consumption, is it better to use reverse osmose water?

Careyenz wrote:If the sprinkler water is coming from the tap, that might explain the problem. If chlorinated water or hard water is moistening the substrate, that might affect a crab when it's most vulnerable-at molting. Another thought is that the substrate might be too moist from regular sprinkling. I think that's an outside chance, but possible. The soft exoskeleton might be absorbing something bad out of the tap water.
I don't think this is particularly bad, but my crabs do seem to like a 5-1 or 4-1 ratio with sand Eco earth.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

I do have reverse osmose water, is it better to use that? it doesnt contain anything so maybe i will need to add calcium etc ?
is it even needed to keep the tank moist ?

crabapplesouthclaw wrote:Where is the 7 inches of substrate?
I would suggest distilled water and throw out all food amd salt and try a new one for all. (but would be a guess).
Are you positive they are not alive.

The 7 inch is on the ventilation strook, it dificult to see maybe its 6 inch its about 15 cm.
Way throw out the food? I buy it on a site al in diferend backs, and I look on the list wat tha may eat.
The salt I realy not gonna throw a way its from myn marin tank it kost 80 euro's for a bucket :p sow thats about 60 dollar I think.
I still got salt from sera, maybe to use that?

There have been so many unexplained deaths that there's a good chance the food, water, salt, or substrate may have been contaminated with something that killed the crabs. The suggestions to start over with all new items is to protect the crabs that you have left. That's why there were members are saying to throw it out and buy new.

Is there anything new that you bought, or used, or fed in the weeks leading up to first death? Something could be poisoned, or have gone bad, or has been contaminated with something that isn't crab safe. If so, you should think twice about using it, and either set it aside for now or replace it.

Personally, if it were me, I would have changed out all the substrate and scrubbed the area down in case of a bacterial infection of the substrate or in case something harmful was in there. If I had bought new sea salt or new food I would have thrown it away to be safe, but salt doesn't cost nearly as much here in the USA and I don't use food mixes so it wouldn't have been a total loss.