Hermit crab dropped both of its pinchers

[jesstheginger]

Hi!
I have had my hermit crabs since late September and all three are purple pinchers.
This morning when I woke up and went to check on them, I noticed one crab had dropped BOTH of its pinchers. I'm not really sure why.
I have a ten gallon tank with a log and coconut hut for hiding, fresh water and salter water, and a couple of climbing nets that I crocheted for them.
I have been using a mix of sand and eco earth in my tank, but over the weekend did a deep clean and replaced all of my substrate with regular sand until I can go to the store and get some EE. The sand is also really damp, sort of the consistency you would need for a sand castle.
Also, it stays fairly warm in the room where I keep them, so during the day I just have a lamp turned on by the tank so they have adequate daylight, but I turn it off at night so I can sleep; I noticed the past few days that it's been colder in the tank in the mornings than usual (about 65 degrees farenheight). Could it be because it's too cold in there? I have been meaning to get a heating mat to put under the tank but I haven't had time this week.
The humidity in the tank is pretty constant and anywhere from 75-80%.
I feed them a diet of oranges, bananas, fresh coconut shavings, lettuce, and many other fresh fruits and veggies. I also put a bit of a calcium supplement in there once a week and they scratch away at it and eat it.
Also, this is the only crab that has ever molted. He's medium size and it took him about three weeks to fully molt and come out. He finished molting about two months ago.
I've never really had any problems, and I've only ever had once crab die and that was because he was trying to surface molt and he died mid molt.
I've been keeping an eye on them over the past half hour or so, and the crab in question is able to come out of his shell and move around and walk.
I just want to make sure that this is something normal or something I should change in my habitat and that hopefully my poor crab won't die.

[Just Jay]

Hi!
I have had my hermit crabs since late September and all three are purple pinchers.
This morning when I woke up and went to check on them, I noticed one crab had dropped BOTH of its pinchers. I'm not really sure why.
I have a ten gallon tank with a log and coconut hut for hiding, fresh water and salter water, and a couple of climbing nets that I crocheted for them.
I have been using a mix of sand and eco earth in my tank, but over the weekend did a deep clean and replaced all of my substrate with regular sand until I can go to the store and get some EE. The sand is also really damp, sort of the consistency you would need for a sand castle.
Also, it stays fairly warm in the room where I keep them, so during the day I just have a lamp turned on by the tank so they have adequate daylight, but I turn it off at night so I can sleep; I noticed the past few days that it's been colder in the tank in the mornings than usual (about 65 degrees farenheight). Could it be because it's too cold in there? I have been meaning to get a heating mat to put under the tank but I haven't had time this week.
The humidity in the tank is pretty constant and anywhere from 75-80%.
I feed them a diet of oranges, bananas, fresh coconut shavings, lettuce, and many other fresh fruits and veggies. I also put a bit of a calcium supplement in there once a week and they scratch away at it and eat it.
Also, this is the only crab that has ever molted. He's medium size and it took him about three weeks to fully molt and come out. He finished molting about two months ago.
I've never really had any problems, and I've only ever had once crab die and that was because he was trying to surface molt and he died mid molt.
I've been keeping an eye on them over the past half hour or so, and the crab in question is able to come out of his shell and move around and walk.
I just want to make sure that this is something normal or something I should change in my habitat and that hopefully my poor crab won't die.

you did cover a lot of the info but you should fill out the emergency template as well. i know your crabs have been fine for a while but its not uncommon for the stress of inadequate care over time to take a toll. Pps's are super hearty tho! you dont have to add EE but it does retain moisture better for higher humidity. you want both the heat and humidity in the 80's. the diet is fine but you really should add in protein. im sorry your lil hermit is not well. im sure another member will be able to offer more help. in between i would offer easy to eat protein, honey and calcium.

[Emm33333]

What type of log is it? Pine?

[Emm33333]

Emergency template: http://hermitcrabassociation.com/phpBB/ ... 27&t=46102

[jesstheginger]

1. What kind of substrate is used in your tank and how deep is it?
Sand, about 4 inches. I recently just switched from a sand and EE mixture to just regular sand until my pet store can get more EE in.
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?
Yes, they are stuck to the side of the tank, and they read about 80% humidity and about 80 degrees Fahrenheit.
3. Is a heat source used in the tank? If so, what?
Heat lamp
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)?
Salt water and fresh water, treated with water conditioner and salt water mixture
5. What kinds of food do you feed and how often is it replaced?
Fresh fruits and veggies, calcium supplement; replaced daily or every other day depending on what it is
6. How long have you had the crab and what species is it, if known?
About 5 months, purple pinchers
7. Has your crab molted, and how long ago did it happen?
Yes, only once about two months ago
8. What type of housing are the crabs kept in, what size is it and what kind of lid is on the housing?
I keep my three crabs in a ten gallon glass tank with a wire mesh lid covered with plastic to keep humidity in.
9. How many crabs are in the tank and about how large are they?
3 crabs, they are all small /medium
10. How many extra shells are usually kept in the tank, if any?
A LOT of extra shells, at least 10
11. Have there been any fumes or chemicals near the crabitat recently?
I don't think so. I recently did a deep clean and completely cleaned out my tank and washed the tank and toys with dawn dish soap.
12. How often do you clean the tank and how?
I clean up junk and waste and buried food weekly or bi weekly if they're being crazy, and I deep clean about every two months. I take all of the substrate out and replace it with brand new substrate and I wash all of the toys with dish soap and disinfect them with peroxide if they're especially yucky.
13. Are sponges used in the water dish? If so, how are they cleaned?
No sponges
14. Has anything new been added to your crabitat recently?
I crocheted a climbing net for them to climb on. One of my crabs absolutely loves it.
15. 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 check them for mites every couple of weeks and take them out of the tank just to play with them and make sure they're doing okay every couple weeks.
16. Please describe the emergency situation in detail.
Both of one of my crabs pinchers fell off this morning. I went to give them new food and water and I noticed both of them just laying there beside him. I picked him up and could feel him moving around in his shell, but sure enough both pinchers were gone. All of my crabs get along very well, and they've never gotten in a fight. None of them have changed shells so I don't think they were fighting over shells either. He's usually not a very active crab. He mostly just hangs out in one of the huts and comes out and walks around. He doesn't seem too interested in climbing or anything. I've had this crab the longest out of all the others, and he has successfully molted about two months ago as well. I am quite attached and afraid he might die.

[jesstheginger]

I have no idea what kind of log is in the tank. I just bought it from the pet store.

[Emm33333]

Can you take a picture? It may be pice which would explain why the other crabs aren't molting

[GotButterflies]

I will answer your questions. First and foremost, you will need to feed the crab via a spoon and give it water via q-tips if it lost BOTH of it's pinchers. This will be a very time consuming task, but it will be the only way the crab can survive. The food will need to be very finely ground. You will need to give calcium, protein, a lot. Crab will need to be iso'd. Pine log needs to be removed. I will answer template questions now.

[GotButterflies]

I answered your questions like this GB: for GotButterflies
In the future - it is not necessary to change out all of you sub unless you have an issue. I have never done that. Also you are overcrowded with three crabs in a 10 gallon. One crab per 10 gallons in my opinion.

1. What kind of substrate is used in your tank and how deep is it?
Sand, about 4 inches. I recently just switched from a sand and EE mixture to just regular sand until my pet store can get more EE in.

GB: Minimum 6" or 3 times deeper than largest crab. Whichever is deeper. Moisten it with marine salt water to make it sand castle consistency.

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?
Yes, they are stuck to the side of the tank, and they read about 80% humidity and about 80 degrees Fahrenheit.

GB: You need a digital hygrometer. Analogs are not reliable. You can get one from Amazon for about $10. Walmart used to carry them, they no longer have them for cheap. Acurite is the name brand. 80 is the minimum on temp and humidity. higher humidity is better. Hermits have modified gills and need humidity to breathe.

3. Is a heat source used in the tank? If so, what?
Heat lamp

GB: Lamps zap humidity. You mentioned getting an under tank heater. Just so you know, they go on the side or back of the tank above the substrate.

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)?
Salt water and fresh water, treated with water conditioner and salt water mixture

GB: Are you using a dechlorinater like Prime? Chlorine, chloramine and other heavy metals in the water can damage the hermits gills. Also what brand salt water mixture are you using? You need marine salt water, NOT aquarium salt. two different things.

5. What kinds of food do you feed and how often is it replaced?
Fresh fruits and veggies, calcium supplement; replaced daily or every other day depending on what it is

GB: Safe food list: http://hermitcrabassociation.com/phpBB/ ... 25&t=92557
Unsafe food list: http://hermitcrabassociation.com/phpBB/ ... 25&t=92556

6. How long have you had the crab and what species is it, if known?
About 5 months, purple pinchers

7. Has your crab molted, and how long ago did it happen?
Yes, only once about two months ago

8. What type of housing are the crabs kept in, what size is it and what kind of lid is on the housing?
I keep my three crabs in a ten gallon glass tank with a wire mesh lid covered with plastic to keep humidity in.

GB: too many crabs in a small tank. I crab per 5 gallons

9. How many crabs are in the tank and about how large are they?
3 crabs, they are all small /medium

10. How many extra shells are usually kept in the tank, if any?
A LOT of extra shells, at least 10

GB: The HCA recommends 3-5 shells PER crab. I recommend more. There are incorrect shells to buy. Here is the shell guide: http://hermitcrabassociation.com/phpBB/ ... 24&t=92552

11. Have there been any fumes or chemicals near the crabitat recently?
I don't think so. I recently did a deep clean and completely cleaned out my tank and washed the tank and toys with dawn dish soap.

GB: NO DAWN!!! Only use vinegar and or dechlorinated water to clean tank. No chemicals.

12. How often do you clean the tank and how?
I clean up junk and waste and buried food weekly or bi weekly if they're being crazy, and I deep clean about every two months. I take all of the substrate out and replace it with brand new substrate and I wash all of the toys with dish soap and disinfect them with peroxide if they're especially yucky.

GB: Yikes...NO SOAP or PEROXIDE. Only vinegar and dechlorinated water. No chemicals

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

14. Has anything new been added to your crabitat recently?
I crocheted a climbing net for them to climb on. One of my crabs absolutely loves it.

15. 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 check them for mites every couple of weeks and take them out of the tank just to play with them and make sure they're doing okay every couple weeks.

GB: You only need to check for mites if you purchase new crabs. Playing with them isn't good bc they are prey animals. It stresses them out. (that's my opinion)

16. Please describe the emergency situation in detail.
Both of one of my crabs pinchers fell off this morning. I went to give them new food and water and I noticed both of them just laying there beside him. I picked him up and could feel him moving around in his shell, but sure enough both pinchers were gone. All of my crabs get along very well, and they've never gotten in a fight. None of them have changed shells so I don't think they were fighting over shells either. He's usually not a very active crab. He mostly just hangs out in one of the huts and comes out and walks around. He doesn't seem too interested in climbing or anything. I've had this crab the longest out of all the others, and he has successfully molted about two months ago as well. I am quite attached and afraid he might die.

Good luck!!

[mool]

I agree with GB on almost everything she says in this post and others, except that I've been using Dawn dish soap for about 9 years without apparent ill effect.

I wash everything that I wash (mostly food and water bowls) with Dawn every week. I also pop them into the dishwasher fairly often. The secret is to rinse, rinse, rinse after you wash and then smell them to see that they smell neutral before air drying and returning to cage.

[GotButterflies]

I agree with GB on almost everything she says in this post and others, except that I've been using Dawn dish soap for about 9 years without apparent ill effect.

I wash everything that I wash (mostly food and water bowls) with Dawn every week. I also pop them into the dishwasher fairly often. The secret is to rinse, rinse, rinse after you wash and then smell them to see that they smell neutral before air drying and returning to cage.

That's interesting! Good to know, thanks! I've just never used it.

[LadyJinglyJones]

Oh dear!

GB covered most of it, but I thought I'd offer a suggestion or two.

Like the others said, you should isolate the sick hermit from its buddies. One way to effectively & cheaply do this is to take a large pop bottle, cut the top off, an push the edges down into the sand around your crabbie. You can add moist moss to raise the humidity (which may make breathing easier for the crab), and leave the cap off to allow air exchange.

Raising the temp & humidity are major priorities.

Another matter is the sand being rather shallow. You may want to carefully add a couple of inches of sub before you settle your crab for its hospital stay. The crab won't grow back it's pincers til it molts, and one way to improve the molting conditions is to add sand.

That said, if it can't dig, you're in for a surface molt. When your crab molts, darkness will be helpful to the molting process, so you should block light from the pop bottle (or whatever you use).

I'm not sure how often you'll need to feed the poor thing.... hopefully a more emergency-savy crabber can offer advice on that.... I'll have a quick look through older threads to see if I can dig up tips for you.

Keep us updated!

[LadyJinglyJones]

Kay, so I found a couple of reads that might help.

The first link, if you scroll down to what the user wodesorel wrote, is quick & informative:

http://hermitcrabassociation.com/phpBB/ ... ws#p994217

This link is about a successful treatment of a crab with no working claws - it is heckin' long, but one of my favourite threads ever:

http://www.hermitcrabassociation.com/ph ... hp?t=82507

Some things she mentions feeding (on q-tips bent & stuck in the sub) are peanut butter, honey, chicken babyfood (you could offer other baby foods too). I'd put water (fresh & salt) in bottle caps nearby the crab too.

[Rawrgeous]

After reading through your template, like gotbutterflies I noticed you mentioned "salt-water mixture." Is that instant ocean, or what brand is your salt mixture? The only reason I ask is there are mixtures labled as hermit crab salt that don't contain the necessary elements, and could be a causation of molting issues. If I am mistaken, and you already use synthetic ocean water please disregard. I also notice that you deep clean quite often. We really only recommend you deep clean a couple times a year or less as it really isn't necessary. Usually removing food from the sub is enough. Some opt for isopods to help clean. The reason for this is it can really disrupt their molt cycles if they have to get dug up for deep cleans, plus it doesn't give much time for beneficial bacteria to grow. Otherwise- I think everybody covered it as well as I could. The links to wode's post about sunshine is probably the best guide to follow.

[GotButterflies]

Also, make sure the foods offered are organic good luck! Please keep us updated!


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