HCA: Hermit Crab Association

I'm wondering if these guys are sick or something. Ocean my smallest crab has a crack on his leg and I'm wondering if he hurt himself or along with my other crab just needs to molt. If so how can I convince them to do so and what can I do for them their not moving tons and look quite I'll please help. I love my hermies. Will post photo link soon.

Here's the link http://i1377.photobucket.com/a...mage_zps45a10e0b.jpg

They will lose legs with PPS (post purchase stress). Just make sure your tank conditions are optimal and that's all you can do. Just realize that many of these guys don't make it due to the conditions they went through before getting to you That being said, if they do drop any legs, they will grow back during their next molt.Are you keeping your humidity up? Those heat lamps will dry the tank out quickly, so keep an eye and mist your sand as needed to keep it up.Also...you aren't feeding a commercial food are you??

I dont see where the crack is, can you give more detail so we can look at a specific spot in the photo.It is likely that your crabs need to molt but they have to de-stress first. The best thing you can do to get them to molt is to provide excellent conditions and plenty of food and waters. And do not bother them, don't play with them or handle them or anything except change out their food and water for a month or so.

The problem is that after I put them in I found out their sand isn't high enough witch means if they can't molt properly right?which means a death sentence? How am I supposed to raise the sand level period much less without stressing them out. That and the cracks half way up ither the first or second leg, I think, from his eyes and head, in the front.

Do you have more sand and/or EE? If so, hydrate it, then take them out and put them in a deep tupperware dish so the can't climb out, cover it with a damp towel (use dechlor water), fill the tank with the substrate, put them back in and let them relax with no more interruptions except to change food and water as needed.It is not an automatic death sentence if they surface molt but it does increase the odds of death. If you end up with a surface molt, get on here right away for advice.

Here's the new and improved version of my tank with one side sloping up to sand that's 5-6 inches had to take them out and terrify them too do it so if anything else needs to be changed that involves them needed to be moved or leavening their tank it better be big. I just need to know if this is good and will give them what they need to molt and be good for a month untill their adjusted and I change the sand again. I don't want to kill then with stress. http://i1377.photobucket.com/a...mage_zps81fa2b2a.jpg

By the way haven't used heat lamp it's been warn enough without it and getting a uth today.

The photo link told me the page doesn't exist. When you get your uth, make sure you mount it to the side or back just above the sand level.

None of your links have worked for me on any of your threads, they are all leading to a blank error page for Photobucket.Cracks in the exo can happen due to injury like a fall from a high place onto a hard object like another shell or piece of decor.In most instances the limb will be quickly repaired ie the crack if not severe will be patched and a scar will form, if the crack is severe meaning that it has gone through almost completely the crab will then just drop the limb opting to regenerate it at later date versus trying to patch it because a patch just wont hold and the limb would never be stable again.When a hermitcrab splits its old exo for molting it splits the outer layer right at the joints as this makes slipping the entire exo off in one go easier.When the crab sheds its old exo the outer layer is supposed to just slip off like when we pull a sweater off but it doesn't always happen like this especially if the crab is nutrient deprived or has been living in less than ideal conditions it will instead have to wiggle out of the old exo in segments which if not done fast enough can and has caused many crabs to re harden while still partially in the old exo resulting in the new and old layer being permanently bonded together which will trap the crab and cause it to either have to drop the stuck limbs or it will exhaust its resources and will struggle to get free until it dies.The only way to get a crab to molt is to provide an adequate diet and living conditions ie deep diggable substrate, temp and humidity once these conditions have been met the crab will then begin to secret the molt inducing hormone that will gradually flush out the molt inhibitor and once the molt inducer has risen to a suitable level within the crabs body it will then molt, you can actually do anything to coax a crab to molt it has to happen on the crabs terms.

This one should work http://i1377.photobucket.com/a...mage_zps81fa2b2a.jpg

They've been falling off their climbing thing other one just fell and got hurt! I feel do bad!! They've never fallen before I hope he'll be ok.

My "personal" opinion based on the pics I saw in the links (worked for me) I couldn't see the crack leading me to believe that it is not significant enough to worry about. The crab should heal with the first molt. By chance is it the crab you said in a different post buried down? I would work on getting other things to climb that don't take up so much room. Like a fish net draped on the back wall with some fake plants or vines. You could check out crabitat ideas in the archived library section at the bottom of the main forum page. Lots of neat and informative stuff in there.

Neither of them have burrowed ones hideing In a corner. Thanks for your help.