Hermit crab out of shell

[Hezekiah]

One of my hermit crabs has been pretty inactive for the past few days, just sitting in the moss. Today when I checked on him I found his shell in the same place, but he had crawled out and was in the corner. I put him and his shell along with a sponge for humidity on top of a bit of substrate in a small glass container. What should i do now? Is he sick? Does he need more heat? The corner he went to was the farthest away from the heater, but it is only around 70 degrees in the tank right now.

[GotButterflies]

Hello! I'm sorry that you are going through this right now.

First of all, please gently re-shell your hermit crab. You can do this by gently uncurling the abdomen, and sliding it into his previous shell. If this doesn't work, or you don't feel comfortable doing this, you can put both the shell and the hermit crab in a coffee cup. Usually the hermit will then go into it's shell.

Hermit crabs tend to abandon their shells due the fact that they are too weak to carry them. Please fill out the following template so that we can help you:

viewtopic.php?f=27&t=46102

In the meantime, provide your hermit crab with raw organic honey for energy. Good luck!

[Hezekiah]

_1. What kind of substrate is used in your tank and how deep is it?

I use coconut fiber mixed with sand. The deepest point is six inches, but there is a pit in the middle and a lot of the tank is around four inches.

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, I have gauges. They usually hover around 70-80. Today it is rather dry.


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

Yes, I have an ultratherm uth on one side of the tank.

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)?

I have a dish of saltwater and two dishes of freshwater, a big one and a little one with a sponge. I use zoomed hermit crab dechlorinator.

5. What kinds of food do you feed and how often is it replaced?

I feed a lot of different food, such as fish, seaweed, carrot, eggshell, chicken, oats, etc. I have commercial food and have fed it in the past, but after reading on this website that it is not good I have stoped feeding it. The food I give them is replaced approximately twice a week

6. How long have you had the crab and what species is it, if known?

It is a purple pincher. I got it in August when its former owner went to college.

7. Has your crab molted, and how long ago did it happen?
No.

8. What type of housing are the crabs kept in, what size is it and what kind of lid is on the housing?

It is a 12 gallon glass tank with a screen lid.

9. How many crabs are in the tank and about how large are they?

Two crabs, medium size.

10. How many extra shells are usually kept in the tank, if any?

10 extra shells.

11. Have there been any fumes or chemicals near the crabitat recently?
No.
12. How often do you clean the tank and how?
About 3 times a year I do a thorough cleaning, and in between I move the decorations around.

13. Are sponges used in the water dish? If so, how are they cleaned?
Yes. I rinse it out in the sink and then in dechlorinated water.

14. Has anything new been added to your crabitat recently?
Yes, I cleaned out my tank two weeks ago and added oyster shells, moss, and sticks from a maple tree.

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.)?

16. Please describe the emergency situation in detail.
See original post.

I tried to put him in the shell but he pushed himself out again.

[jerseyJK]

Hello new here, I have 4 crabs. 3 have gone into hiding. I’ve had them since June. They don’t eat, drink, move, smell, they are just buried. Not molting either. My newest ones 2 days ago won’t move either. Are they hibernating?


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[jfs]

They come out during the night, only be worried if it stinks really bad, is out of its shell.

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[AwesomeHermit]

They come out during the night, only be worried if it stinks really bad, is out of its shell.

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They don't come out of their shell at night on normal cases.

[jfs]

They come out during the night, only be worried if it stinks really bad, is out of its shell.

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They do't come out of their shell at night on normal cases.

When I say they come out I mean like they come out of the dirt not out of their shells

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[jfs]

(Echo Earth)

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