Is my crab sick??? Or did he die... Please help

[nicolebaginski4]

Here’s my emergency template:

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

I use rinsed play sand that’s about 5 inches deep. I also have a loft area they climb up and into with moss in it.

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 do, they’re in the front of my tank. The humidity is always about 70-75%, and the temp is always about 75-80.
3. Is a heat source used in the tank? If so, what?

Yes, a heat lamp is indirectly pointed into half 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 use bottled hermit crab salt water in one pool and filtered and dechlorinated water from our Brita dechlorinating filter, and then keep it in a bottle for the crabs that gets poured into their other pool.

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

I use a dried shrimp mix (all living things brand hermit crab food) It is changed every few days.

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

He’s a purple pincher crab, who i’ve had for about 5 weeks. My other crab has been with me for 10 months.

7. Has your crab molted, and how long ago did it happen?

This crab has not molted with me, but he did change shells. My other crab has molted with me.

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

The crabs are in a long glass tank, I want to say it’s like 7 gallons? I don’t really remember but it is pretty spacious for them considering how tiny one is. There is no lid but the humidity is retained well due to the moss and sponges.

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

There are two crabs, one medium and one tiny-small.

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

There are a lot of extra shells, mostly turbo shells. Currently there are 5 extras.

11. Have there been any fumes or chemicals near the crabitat recently?

Not that I can think of. I would think my other crab would be affected if there was, but I also have a tortoise in that same area of the house that I call my animal area, so I’m very careful about chemicals anyway.

12. How often do you clean the tank and how?

I typically clean out and replace the sand every few months but I always scoop out dirty sand or moss as needed. I wipe down the sides with a wet paper towel.

13. Are sponges used in the water dish? If so, how are they cleaned?

Yes, I just rinse them carefully with dechlorinated water and allow them to air dry to discourage mold from forming.

14. Has anything new been added to your crabitat recently?

The newest thing is the moss loft which has been there for a while (maybe like 2 weeks)

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.)?

Not really anything special. They haven’t come out to meet anyone or anything recently.

16. Please describe the emergency situation in detail:


Hello all!
After a bit of deliberation I picked out a new friend for my tiny-small hermit crab. The new crab is probably about a medium. He has never been very social, only coming out and digging, eating, and climbing around after I've shut off the lights for the night. I also do not like to remove my crabs from their habitat too often (to cause them the least bit of stress), but when I do to clean their enclosure, he takes about 15 minutes to feel safe enough to poke his head out of his shell and walk around, whereas my smaller one loves to come out immediately. He changed out of his petstore shell and into a turbo shell I provided him with as well.

Here's the problem:

The past week or so, he has not poked his head out of his shell AT ALL. HE HAS NOT MOVED AROUND HIS ENCLOSURE ONCE. I can tell when he walks around at night due to him leaving footprints, but there are none right now and his shell has not moved from the one spot. I picked him up to check on him and he is not limp, but deep in the shell. I lightly touched his legs and got no response. He didn't move his legs at all, even away from me. I also tried adding a small drop of water on his legs, and still no response.

I know he is not molting, as he has stopped digging around and is not buried at all, just sitting on the surface.
Is he okay? What could be happening to cause absolute stillness and unresponsiveness for a week while my younger crab is still normal and active?


Update: last night his big claw was closed, now it is open. Still unresponsive. Kind of smells, which I know can mean death, but he isn't falling out of his shell or anything.

[aussieJJDude]

Would you mind posting/filling out the emergency template?

Edit: does it smell?

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[nicolebaginski4]

Yes I will now, I was in such a hurry I didn’t even see it. He didn’t smell at all this past week but slightly does now, but I’m not sure if it’s from me putting water on him yesterday. He also is still not limp at all, if he is dead.