Barely moving yet not dead!?!!

[Amanda2]

Please help I have a very small purple pincher that was buried in dry substrate. His brother recently got fried next to the heater (darn Uth) and I thought I had no more crabs so I began cleaning the tank, I found the sickling barely able to control his movements (twitching if you will) I tried to hand feed him but he won't accept. Here is the q and a.1) How long have you had your crabs and how long have you been caring for this particular crab in distress? I've owned crabs for about 3 and 1/2 years but only had this one for a few months2) What size is your tank and what kind of lid do you have? 10gal glass lid3) What are you using for heat? Please be specific and include fixture type, watt or mat size and where the heat source is mounted.i was using a 4watt uth but his brother got fried next to it (it was on the side of tank) so I don't use a heater currently4) What kind of substrate do you use in your tank and at what depth? Is it dry or damp and sand castle consistency? Forest bedding, was very dry but I just moistened it inches deep (about 8cm)5) Do you dechlorinate your fresh water and if so, with what product? Do you offer aquarium salt water in addition to fresh water? Again, what product? Yes, api yes all living things6) What do you normally feed your crabs?anything on the food list7) Do you bathe, mist or handle your crabs at all?rarely8) What are the temperature and humidity readings? Please be specific and include high low Ifluctuations if you're aware of them. I don't use thermometer or humidity reader but the temp is 73degrees farenheight

[Geranium]

He is likely very stressed given the conditions you have described. In order to breathe they need humidity of at least 75% and heat a minimum of 75*F as well. Both of those are minimums, mine are happiest closer to 80 for both heat and humidity. A gauge is a must. Below are what I have posted in various locations for beginners as really basic, start you off information.Hermit Crab basicsTank: Glass Aquarium Tank 10 gallon minimum, they will quickly out grow it so I would suggest larger if you are willing/able, look for free ones on freecycle or craigslist.Substrate: Fill it 6-8 inches with playsand with some EcoEarth mixed in, more sand than EE twice the depth your largest crab is tall, at least 6 inches deep. Hydrate it with dechlorinated water, many advise dechlorinated aquarium salt water to inhibit mold growth. Playsand not calcium sand, the petstores are wrong, it is not good for them as a substrate, non colored/white sand is fine for a food. The substrate should be hydrated so it is sand castle consistency so they can easily create molting pockets/caves and tunnels.Humidity and Heat: Gauges are important. The heat and humidity should be no lower than 75 each, preferably closer to 80, for exotics 85. For heat, UTHs (under tank heater) are a good place to start. They need to be side or back mounted, under is dangerous for many reasons due to the depth of the sub. You will need the equivalent of 3 times the heat of your tank, for instance a 10 gallon tank would need one or more UTH which combined are rated for 30 gallons. Lights can be used in addition to the UTHs in the larger tanks 20/30 gallon and up. On smaller tanks they usually sap the humidity. To keep the humidity up you want your sub at sand castle consistency and you want a good lid. Some use glass panes or plexi over a mesh lid or just the glass, some use tank lids, some use Saran Wrap or Glad Press & Seal. Either way make sure there are no escape routes, these guys can climb almost anything and are incredibly strong at times and in unexpected ways. If the lid and sub alone don't keep your humidity in a good range you can try adding a damp moss pit, larger pools near the heaters, pools with bubblers, humidifiers, etc.Food: They can eat most real food, shrimp, chicken bone marrow, bananas, popcorn, eggs, dry maple leaves and organic honey are some of the favorites of mine. Variety is important. Most of the commercial food in petstores is bad for them. There are several folks on this page who sell good stuff and there are websites such as The Hermit Crab Patch and The Hermit Crab Addiction Store which have good reputations as well. They will need all sorts of variety including fiber sources and calcium sources. Mine enjoy a mix of pulverized cuttlebone, egg shells, crushed oyster shells and calcium sand. To that I usually add worm castings which they are obsessed with!Water: They will need both salt and fresh water available to them at all times. Many love to soak in the bowls so they should be deep enough. You can add river stones or needlepoint canvas to make sure they can easily get out. The waters need to be dechlorinated with a product that neutralizes chlorine but also chloramines and the heavy metal bonds to make the water safe for them. The salt should be aquarium salt, I use Instant Ocean because that is what I can find. Decoration/Entertainment: They need places to hide like huts or leafy plastic plants or even tipped plastic or glass bowls. They will also need stuff to climb on, sticks of safe woods, maple & oak are my favorites because they are in my yard. Make sure you soak them in declor salt water and bake to kill off bugs, etc. Or cholla branches are wonderful. I found some really nice big ones on sale in the bird section. There is a post with many photos of people's tanks which can give some really creative ideas.Shells: Spare shells in ever so slightly larger sizes and similar shapes to what they are in. Shapes being the opening rather than the outside. At least 3 shells per crab. No painted shells. The carved ones are really neat though.Crabs: I would suggest starting with PPs, they are the ones with the big purple claw and small round eyes. They are more hearty than the others. They are all nocturnal so will likely sleep all day and be up near dinner time.

[jenok]

I agree and it may be to late to reverse the effects of not having moist bedding and humidity in the tank. Without the humidity/moisture the crabs have a very hard time breathing.