Care for Strawberry Crabs

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Fri Mar 04, 2005 3:04 am

I would like any info. on strawberrys. They do not sell them here but they are so pretty. do they get along well with E's or PP's. Any particulars that are different that I should know. Good place to get. Did not see them in city but, may have a mall crab shack. Any info?

kuplakrabs · Post by **kuplakrabs** » Fri Mar 04, 2005 6:15 am

Perlatus are beautiful crabs I have read many posts where people indicate that they are harder to care for than the other species. Actually, you do all of the same things with respect to their care...ISO the newbies, give them salt and fresh water in deep enough dishes for immersion, keep them in a tank with a lid and gauges, feed them and change their water, etc. I think what is really meant by "harder to care for" is that there seems to be a higher mortality rate among this particular species. This indicates that there must be something that we as a crabbing community must be missing. Even veteran crabbers with an established set up can suddenly lose a straw without warning. For this reason it is often recommended that new crabbers not try to keep this species, since they may not have an established tank (stable humidity and temperature levels) or enough knowledge in general about caring for land crabs. It can be very disappointing, not to mention expensive, when you lose one of these beautiful crabs.I have a hard time with the fact that if no one buys them, they will die in the pet store...but it is a double edged sword because if we do buy these pretty babies, it prompts the pet store to stock more because they clearly see a demand for them-which more are removed from the wild, but this holds true for all species.Each individual needs to do their own research with regard to this species. Find out where the come from...see what temps/humidity they are accustom to and what types of foods they eat in the wild. There are a lot of places on the internet to find this information, you just need to devote a bit of time in finding them.

Gaby · Post by **Gaby** » Fri Mar 04, 2005 6:21 am

Well, I guess there are several things that make me say they are more of a challenge. My personal experience with strawberry hermies is that they are more active, so the upkeep on my tank grew when I added my strawberries. I am of the school of thought that all hermies need or at least benefit from salt water, so that really isn't of consequence for me. My strawberries empty the dish more frequently, and seem to make a soggy salt water mess of things occasionally (which I believe contributes to the frequently empty saltwater dish) but that is more of additional upkeep to the tank. I think that strawberry hermit crabs are, well, I can't think of the perfect word, but they are perhaps more susceptible or prone to problems. Perhaps this is simply due to us not having enough information on how to keep them properly, but it seems to me that they are more problems with molting in particular, as well as other things. I have read and read about crab keepers who have despirately wanted strawberries, and either ordered them online and had them shipped, or went to a Petco to get them. Some of them survive a few weeks, some a few months, but it seems like I hear a lot of stories about these hermies dying from one complication or another. I have only had one of my strawberries molt, and that molt wasn't without complications. Some were probably my fault, but others were out of my control, and I truly believe my strawberry could have easliy died of a bacterial infection if I hadn't interviened and cared for him meticulously. Not everyone has the time and patience to provide such care. Now, don't get me wrong, I am not saying that strawberries are exclusive in their possiblility of encountering problems, I just personally think they might be more prone. I am not trying to say either that if a person isn't home 24/7 caring for their hermie, hand feeding and medicating, that they are a poor crab keeper. I am just sharing my opinions based on the vast amount of information I have read and my personal experience over the last 8 months in which I have had strawberry hermit crabs. I am sure that time will tell for sure if strawberry hermies really do have different requirements or propensities for difficulties, makeing them more challenging to keep for us - the hobbyists. I am having a difficult time today putting my thoughts into words, lol. I hope some of this made sense. Oh, and yes, I definately worry more about them, and our jumbo pp as well, and I think also their behavior is more difficult to read as well, just as you said. ~Wendy, you said what I was thinking so much better than I could, lol. Thanks!

moire_eel · Post by **moire_eel** » Fri Mar 04, 2005 7:02 am

One more comment on the delicateness of Strawberries. I ordered two Straws in November, and in January, one of them died. Now I have lost quite a number of crabs to PPS (thanks to poor petstore care, generally -- grr). In every other case where a crab died, I knew that the crab was having problems before he/she died. Not so with my Straw. She was fine (or at least seemed fine) and then suddenly she was gone. BUT they are wonderful to observe, and very active. The speculation is that they don't endure oscillations in temperature and humidity as well, and do better at slightly higher temperatures and humidiies in general. If the humidity in my tank drops to 75 pecent, my Straw just goes to sleep, but the moment the humidity is back up, he's off and runnning. He even uses his antennae to wipe moisture off his shell and spread it on himself when I mist the tank.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Fri Mar 06, 2009 3:18 pm

I have my tank specially set up for strawberry crabs. I have found that they do better with a higher temperature. I keep mine around 80 degrees. Also, I can't stress enough about having a good salt water bath for them. I ended up putting in a 4" deep salt water bath with a gradual gravel slope and a submersible filter. There is always a strawberry crab in there. I never bathe my crabs wtih fresh water. When I first started with strawberries, I did. And they didn't last very long. I read that they have a higher salinity ratio in their shells, so I stopped about 9 months ago. Since I switched to letting them choose to bathe themselves, they have really done well. Now, if I have absolutely have to bathe them, it is only in salt water. Also, strawberries need room to move. They like to climb and they like to roam. If they are stuck in a smaller tank without exercise, they tend to slow down and not move. From my experience, that ends up being lethal. I let them exercise every day, and I put in a climbing cholla tree for them and they are always balancing up there at the top.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Fri Mar 06, 2009 3:18 pm

I have been studying the habitat that straws have come from. This is what I have found, the average temperature is between 75-85 depending on which time of the year. The average humidity is around 83% I try to keep my tank around 80 degrees and 80% humidity. They really seem to like it at that setting. They are very active with me. Especially since I built a cholla tree for them. It has 4 cholla sticks connected together to make a sort of TeePee. They are always climbing it. I also exercise them during the day in a big rubbermaid box, so they are more active during the day now. Hope that helps.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Fri Mar 06, 2009 4:31 pm

I'm right there with you, Rachel. I worry constantly about my straws and their welfare.I have given my straws dried seaweed that I bought from an ebay vendor recommended on this site. They eat it, but they don't go after it like they really love it. Obviously though, I would think they would prefer fresh over the dried.The tunneling and burrowing issue is interesting. Every single one of mine burrow under completely and on occasion, they tip over the fresh water bowl. Here is one thing that may be of interest. I've never seen any of my other crabs do this...I have a log tunnel, the kind that is hollowed out and cut in half. I sat it on top of the sand itself, figuring even if the big guys couldn't get under it, my littlest straw could, and the others could climb on top of it.It is a favorite hangout for all of them and I swear that they take turns in there! They will dig this deep ditch way down in the sand so they can get under it and then they blockage both sides with the sand, so I know someone has barrackaded themself in, but I can't see who. Obviously, it would be a safe molting spot in that their tunnel wouldn't collapse, but the fact that they all use it and change around would prevent them from using it for that. I haven't seen Daytona for at least 2-3 weeks now and I suspect he finally went under for his molt...my first molt attempt by a straw...and yes, I wonder constantly what he's doing and how he is.I do try to keep the top of the substrate moistened, but lately I'm afraid that I might collapse his tunnel. I have no idea where he is in there!

Froggz37 · Post by **Froggz37** » Fri Mar 06, 2009 4:31 pm

I'm still trying to hunt for the research paper that led me to belive that it has something to do with the ocean's calcium and mineral deposits near where the strawberry lives that has something to do with the fragility of it in captivity. So far I'm having no luck but when I'm more awake I'll quote some excerpts from what I am finding.

Post by **JediMasterThrash** » Fri Mar 06, 2009 4:31 pm

I too have had horrible luck with Strawberries. I've gotten them twice. They all seem to die around 6-9 months after being bought. It's it's mass-death like that too. All of a sudden after 6 months of the purchase, I'd start getting 1 or 2 straw deaths a week until they all went.The timeframe suggests molting problems, since 6-9 months after purchase is time for the first post-purchase molt.Also, all the straws die in the exact same fashion:1. Spend 2 weeks active, but living in the saltwater bowl. They will sometimes sit completely submerged for what seems like days (though I'm sure they have to breath), or otherwise sit on the edge, wading in the water.2. Then one day instead of active, they're dead, lying in the bottom of the waterbowl.I have PPs and E's still alive from my first post-college re-population 3 years ago. So my tank conditions can't be that bad. And everyone knows my conditions. I just don't understand why I can raise all types of hermits except strawberries. I feed them calcium supplements and they have plenty of salt-water and quite high humidity, all the things straws love. But for some reason they just don't seem to be able to get to that first molt.Does anyone have a clue?I would still try to find more, just to see if I can tweak my care to find out how to get them to live.

Willow · Post by **Willow** » Fri Mar 06, 2009 4:31 pm

The PetCo here used to have Straws, they were the only species priced differently, at $10.99, instead of the usual $3.99-$6.99. I have had 7 Straws altogether, and I have lost 7 Straws . The first 4 I got from hermitsdirect.com. They came through the shipping process with no problem. The other 3 came from PetCo. One died, with no apparent previous illness, within a couple of weeks. 2 others I dug up during deep cleans, quite dead, possibly from bad moults. 1 moulted topside and never hardened, he died in iso. 2 of them I had for over a year, both had moulted with me successfully at least once. One died under the substrate while trying to moult again, the other died topside for no apparent reason. The last one was a baby (the other were rather large), I dug him up during a deep clean, he appeared dead, but moved a little. I put him in iso, but he didn't last long after that.My conditions were reasonably stable at the time. I was feeding about 50/50 fresh/commercial foods. I only fed ethoxyquin-free commercial foods, though I didn't know to look out for other preservatives. I was using a mix of Instant Ocean/Doc Wellfish salt water, and RO "drinking water" in large dishes, about 1 1/2 deep. The substrate was 50/50 EE/playsand, about 6 inches deep. I didn't bathe them very often, I don't think I ever bathed the Straws.

KittyCaller · Post by **KittyCaller** » Fri Mar 06, 2009 4:31 pm

Mine didn't die in the water bowl, but more than once they died right next to it. I can't understand it! I am almost positive I made it strong enough. If it has to do with the salt water itself, the only thing I can think of is I'm not offering the right type. JMT, even the one I had live through the molting itself (he came up looking absolutely gorgeous) died a couple of weeks later right next to the blasted water dish!

NewCrabber · Post by **NewCrabber** » Fri Mar 06, 2009 4:31 pm

I suppose it could have something to do with salt water, but for most of the time I had mine I used NSW and when I didn't it was Doc W.

KittyCaller · Post by **KittyCaller** » Fri Mar 06, 2009 4:31 pm

I have lost 6 strawberries. I got two a few years ago. One, Marmite, died during a molt. He was still in the De-Stress period. The second started acting sluggish and hung out near the water dish. I found him dead, suddenly. I never found out what happened. The other four I got last spring and I lost them one by one. The last, Sydney, seemed to be doing well. I'd had her almost a year when she started acting really premolt and sort of out of sorts. She'd start digging and then sit in these weird positions for 24 hours or more. Finally, she started digging near the water dish and she died. I had a very tough time accepting that death. I have NO idea what went wrong with these guys. My humidity wasn't perfect, but it was pretty high, I offered a good strong salt water as well as offering plenty of fresh water. Lots of extra shells were available and I kept a chitin bowl in the tank at all times. The other crabs, for the most part, are having really gorgeous molts. I won't be keeping straws again until a lot more is known. I can't. It's too hard, and I think, cruel.

Post by **JediMasterThrash** » Fri Mar 06, 2009 4:31 pm

I think I might have one thought to improve the chances of straw molts. Something that many of us might not do.It's recommended in many places that our substrate be kept sand-castle moist at all times. With other crabs, like PPs and E's, i know that they will build sand bridges over the water dishes to siphon water out into the sand. And they will also dump shell water onto the sand to moisten it so they can dig.But perhaps Strawberries aren't so adept at self-moistening sand, and expect the sand to be moist all the way down for them.Sand dries out quickly. Usually within a couple weeks of doing a deep clean, the sand is already dry several inches down. Perhaps regular misting of the substrate to keep it moist (the Crabbage Patch recommends misting over a known burried crab. However, it's not practical for me to know where buried molting crabs are in my 92g tank).Larger crabs need to stay down for as long as 2 months. If the sand dries out during that time, it could collapse the cave or tunnels. They also might not have any shell water reserve to re-moisten the sand to get back out. Now, usually the sand stays moist in the bottom several inches (I have about 6-8 inches of sand). This is usually because enough water leaks out from the ponds, and it settles to the bottom and keeps it moist down there. But getting down there could be the issue.Now that I think about it, my strawberries were never much diggers, unlike my PPs and Es. They usually just rampaged and bulldozed the surface. My strawberries were always out wreaking havoc 24-7. So, it just maybe gets me thinking that the issue could be with burying to molt.Or, perhaps strawberries prefer a different method to find shelter. Perhaps they'd prefer a patch of moss and rotting leaves to bury into. Something more surface-related.Some thoughts. Hopefully whoever still has strawberries can test out some of these ideas.

Post by **JediMasterThrash** » Fri Mar 06, 2009 4:31 pm

I've been using Red Sea salt, which is a natural sea salt harvested from the ocean.Here's a comparison chart showing all the different brands of aquarium salt and their relative concentrations of elements:http://saltaquarium.about.com/cs/seasal ... 90503b.htm