shelless hermit crabs

[kenzie589]

Since you've come to the emergency forum, we know you want a fast answer to your question. In order for us to figure out the problem as quickly as possible, we ask that you answer the following questions as best you can. Some of them may seem odd, but they're all designed to give us the information we need to give you a good solution for your problem. The things in the [ brackets ] are there to make this post easier to read once submitted. Thanks!


1. What kind of substrate is used in your tank and how deep is it?
play sand and coconut fiber. 3-4 inches ik it should be deeper but my tank isn’t tall enough

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?
i do. humidity is in the middle forwards the bottom ish it usually says 55 because i can’t keep it up. heat usually says 70

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

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)?
fresh i use prime and salt i use instant ocean

5. What kinds of food do you feed and how often is it replaced?
almonds coconut pecans other nuts and fruits. every week

6. How long have you had the crab and what species is it, if known?
1.5 years and maybe a strawberry crab not sure tho

7. Has your crab molted, and how long ago did it happen?
yes it has maybe 6-9 months

8. What type of housing are the crabs kept in, what size is it and what kind of lid is on the housing?
a 30 gallon terrarium with mesh lid

9. How many crabs are in the tank and about how large are they?
3 all the same size somewhat small

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

11. Have there been any fumes or chemicals near the crabitat recently?
no

12. How often do you clean the tank and how?
i clean the substrate every once in a while especially in the summer because i get kngats otherwise i clean the bowls every other month

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

14. Has anything new been added to your crabitat recently?
no

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.)?
when i first got them i was dumb and played with them everyday and the humidity was definitely not high enough

16. Please describe the emergency situation in detail.

crab is out of shell and won’t go in one idk how big of one he needs. I found him upside down kind of hanging of his shell so i tried to help and flip him but he slid out a little bit more and i realized it was more serious so i moved him in a corner and put a hit over him with three new shells. the other crabs usually don’t bother him so i think he’ll be ok but i just don’t know what to do please HELP
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[kenzie589]

i will send a pic if anyone wants but i just don’t know how lol PLEASE HELP I AM SCARED

[CrabbyLover77]

Ill put my suggestions under your answers. Hope this helps!

Since you've come to the emergency forum, we know you want a fast answer to your question. In order for us to figure out the problem as quickly as possible, we ask that you answer the following questions as best you can. Some of them may seem odd, but they're all designed to give us the information we need to give you a good solution for your problem. The things in the [ brackets ] are there to make this post easier to read once submitted. Thanks!


1. What kind of substrate is used in your tank and how deep is it?
play sand and coconut fiber. 3-4 inches ik it should be deeper but my tank isn’t tall enough

CL77- Sub depth should be 3x the height of your biggest crab. Is it moistened to sand castle consistency using dechlor fresh or salt water?

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?
i do. humidity is in the middle forwards the bottom ish it usually says 55 because i can’t keep it up. heat usually says 70

CL77- Humidity shouldn't fall below 70%. Crabs have modified gills and need humidity in the air to breath. If you have a mesh lid, cover it asap completely in saran wrap to trap in the moisture. Humidity consistently at 55% will cause stress, and even death. 70° is also low for temperature. Crabs will be much more inactive at this temp. Adding a uth to one or both sides may help boost the temp. A good range is 75-85°F. Ultratherm and Fluker's are good brands. A blanket on top and around the tank (away from the uth) will also help hold in heat.

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

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)?
fresh i use prime and salt i use instant ocean

5. What kinds of food do you feed and how often is it replaced?
almonds coconut pecans other nuts and fruits. every week

CL77- Variety is key. Are you providing a constant source of calcium like cuttlebone, calcium powder, eggshells, lobster/crab exo? Be sure to provide some good animal protein too, like mealworms, eggs, meat, crickets, etc. Check out the safe food list for some good ideas.

6. How long have you had the crab and what species is it, if known?
1.5 years and maybe a strawberry crab not sure tho

7. Has your crab molted, and how long ago did it happen?
yes it has maybe 6-9 months

8. What type of housing are the crabs kept in, what size is it and what kind of lid is on the housing?
a 30 gallon terrarium with mesh lid

CL77- See above about mesh lid.

9. How many crabs are in the tank and about how large are they?
3 all the same size somewhat small

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

11. Have there been any fumes or chemicals near the crabitat recently?
no

12. How often do you clean the tank and how?
i clean the substrate every once in a while especially in the summer because i get kngats otherwise i clean the bowls every other month

CL77- No need to do a deep clean unless there is an emergency. If you do though, make sure everyone is topside so you don't disturb molters.
Do you mean you change the water in their pools every other month? You should change the water weekly at the minimum (more often if they become soiled). Water that sits stagnant that long with sand, poo, food, etc in it will not be good for the hermits to drink.

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

14. Has anything new been added to your crabitat recently?
no

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.)?
when i first got them i was dumb and played with them everyday and the humidity was definitely not high enough

16. Please describe the emergency situation in detail.

crab is out of shell and won’t go in one idk how big of one he needs. I found him upside down kind of hanging of his shell so i tried to help and flip him but he slid out a little bit more and i realized it was more serious so i moved him in a corner and put a hit over him with three new shells. the other crabs usually don’t bother him so i think he’ll be ok but i just don’t know what to do please HELP

CL77- When a crab falls out of its shell and doesn't react to touch, it usually means it has passed away. I'm sorry. But just in case he hasn't, you need to get him into a shell immediately. Here is the guide on how to do this:

https://hermitcrabassociation.com/phpBB ... 7&t=122302

Make the changes I suggested above, especially covering the mesh lid with saran wrap asap to raise the humidity. If the substrate isn't moistened to sand castle consistency, that will also cause low humidity. Also, if your uth isn't padded already, you can insulate it with aluminum foil covered cardboard (or at least aluminum foil if you have no cardboard, shiny side toward the tank). If the uth is padded, you can't insulate it, but you can insulate around it to help keep the heat in and make the uth more efficient.

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[aussieJJDude]

I agree with the suggestions above.

Another question, do you use a dechlorinator (prime) for the saltwater as well?