8 year Old Hermit Crab Stiff at Surface! Panicking

[Miawarren]

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?

Coconut Fiber and Sand (half and half) and 6-8 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?

Centered on the interior wall of tank, both are in the green.

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

Heating pad

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. Salt water is from zoo med, fresh water is purchased purified spring water


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

Wide variety of diet (most purchased on Etsy from reputable source and a mixture of calcium, proteins, fresh fruit and veggies). This could be oyster shells for crabs, green sand, unsalted almonds (as treats), bat guano, ground fish bone, etc. Their diet has been consistent for 8 years and I replace every 1-4 days depending on what is given to them.

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

I have had him for 8 years species un known

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

Crab molts about annually, he’s big. I am not sure if he’s currently molting or dead. Described further below.


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

30 gallon reptile tank with grate lid, great air flow. Sometimes I keep a damp towel (in addition to moss) on the roof to maintain humidity.

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

2 crabs, and quite large. (I don’t know how to quantify exact size, but the size of a stress ball)

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

3-4 shells

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

No

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

Deep clean every 6-9 months. Casual cleaning (check for mites, clean up old food I find, clean dishes out) occurs every month or so. During deep clean, I replace all substrate, boil all of their toys or climbing walls and dishes, and dip both crabs in salt water.

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?

No nothing honestly just my tears every time I look inside to heck on him.

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.)?

just that he is the best crab I’ve ever met. He’s very gentle, sweet, and I’ve had him for 8 years so I care about him like I would my cats or dog. He only has one other tank mate, and they get along okay but typically do their own thing.

16. Please describe the emergency situation in detail.

5 days ago, I checked on Versace and noticed he was out of his shell (2 inches away from it), pale, and on the surface partially buried down. He has NEVER molted on the surface and I became extremely frightened something was wrong, I am feeling guilty because I didn’t really notice molting symptoms before this. In his 8 years, he has never molted above the substrate. So I checked on him every hour for the night and he was still moving, slowly, but moving his limbs but remaining in the same spot. I ensured his water dishes were close enough for him, poured some of his food near him, and waited it out. The next day he was still moving slightly and I became concerned thinking of his other crab mate. First, I isolated his crab mate in an ISO tank to not disturb my potentially molting crab. I am really scared I did something wrong because I definitely shined my flashlight on him way too many times and was trying to prompt movement by gentle moving substrate around him. Because I recognize molting could take a long time and my other crab was NOT enjoying the isolation tank, so this evening I attempted to switch them. Tonight, I removed the surface molter with a large spoon and placed him in the ISO tank (and put the other crab in the main habitat) but this time he was extremely stiff. He was not responding to movement, and he’s extremely pale. I put him in the iso tank with a two new shells next to him, a small freshwater fish, and placed a coconut den over him to give him more privacy.

I don’t know if he’s dead or dying, and as I was checking for an exoskeleton I found pieces of exoskeleton about an inch or two below where he was on the surface. I took these pieces and placed it in the isolation tank next to him. There is no fishy odor and no sign of mites, and the other crab seems to be doing just fine and is active and normal.

I am really distraught thinking it’s my fault, I’ve loved him and cared for him deeply for 8 years. I don’t know what to do, and I’m treating him as if he’s molting, but I have a feeling he’s gone. I don’t know what to do, and I dont know if I should leave him undisturbed on the surface of the iso tank for months or what. He’s the greatest pet I’ve had, and I’m really freaked out that he was moving the other day and now he isn’t. I don’t know what to do.

Also- if he has passed away, I do not want to purchase another crab (because I am now aware the industry can be harmful) so I don’t want to get his tank mate a new crab, but I know they are social, and I am unsure if this is bad for the other healthy crab.

Please help me, I love him more than the world.

[IamSam]

Im sorry. Im not a administrator on here or anything so i dont know how much help ill be.

I lost a crab a few months back and to this day i cant figure out why. So i get what your going through.
When i first got him(like a month and a half after i got them) he got sick and i was convinced he was dead. Dropped limbs, no movement, pale as death. But it definitely wasnt a surface molt. To my shock he slowly showed signs of life and some how ate his dropped limbs and got better. And he was good and normal for a good while and went through several successful molts.

Then almost two years later he came up from his molt and slowly got weaker and weaker. Nothing i did, from high energy foods, constantly re-shelling him, and isolating him seemed to do improve anything. Then he stopped moving completely. But i remembered that with crabs you never assume the worst until it starts to smell. Then he started to smell.

So ive seen crabs get bad then come back from it and ive seen them not come back from it. And it still bothers me because i dont know what went wrong.

It seems your guy did surface molt as you found his exo. It is his exo and not dropped limbs correct? Thats something. You at least know whats going on with him. All you can do is keep his tank levels good. Put his exo where he can get it and wait and see. Its the freaking worst, i know. But dont count him out until it starts to smell. Im rooting for him.

As for your single crab. I have a single crab now and shes doing fine. Ive been told that crabs can do just fine solo. But if your objection to getting another crab is that the crab market is absolutely horrible. Their are always crabs looking to be re-homed, if and when your ready, and if and when that becomes something your interested in.

Good luck.

[curlysister]

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

Coconut Fiber and Sand (half and half) and 6-8 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?

Centered on the interior wall of tank, both are in the green.
Curly - What are the 'green' ranges, in numbers?

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

Heating pad
Curly - Where is it located?

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. Salt water is from zoo med, fresh water is purchased purified spring water
Curly - The zoo med will not provide the necessary minerals for long term health. And because 'spring water' is a bit of a crap shoot as to where it is actually from, we recommend treating it with a dechlorinator.

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

Wide variety of diet (most purchased on Etsy from reputable source and a mixture of calcium, proteins, fresh fruit and veggies). This could be oyster shells for crabs, green sand, unsalted almonds (as treats), bat guano, ground fish bone, etc. Their diet has been consistent for 8 years and I replace every 1-4 days depending on what is given to them.
Curly - Do they get animal protein daily? Do you ever feed fresh foods?

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

I have had him for 8 years species un known

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

Crab molts about annually, he’s big. I am not sure if he’s currently molting or dead. Described further below.
Curly - When did he last molt?

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

30 gallon reptile tank with grate lid, great air flow. Sometimes I keep a damp towel (in addition to moss) on the roof to maintain humidity.
Curly - Where do you live that a screen lid allows enough humidity?

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

2 crabs, and quite large. (I don’t know how to quantify exact size, but the size of a stress ball)

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

3-4 shells

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

No

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

Deep clean every 6-9 months. Casual cleaning (check for mites, clean up old food I find, clean dishes out) occurs every month or so. During deep clean, I replace all substrate, boil all of their toys or climbing walls and dishes, and dip both crabs in salt water.
Curly - You probably don't need to do a deep clean that often. And we would recommend against bathing crabs by putting them into the water - they will go in and take what they need.


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?

No nothing honestly just my tears every time I look inside to heck on him.

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.)?

just that he is the best crab I’ve ever met. He’s very gentle, sweet, and I’ve had him for 8 years so I care about him like I would my cats or dog. He only has one other tank mate, and they get along okay but typically do their own thing.

16. Please describe the emergency situation in detail.

5 days ago, I checked on Versace and noticed he was out of his shell (2 inches away from it), pale, and on the surface partially buried down. He has NEVER molted on the surface and I became extremely frightened something was wrong, I am feeling guilty because I didn’t really notice molting symptoms before this. In his 8 years, he has never molted above the substrate. So I checked on him every hour for the night and he was still moving, slowly, but moving his limbs but remaining in the same spot. I ensured his water dishes were close enough for him, poured some of his food near him, and waited it out. The next day he was still moving slightly and I became concerned thinking of his other crab mate. First, I isolated his crab mate in an ISO tank to not disturb my potentially molting crab. I am really scared I did something wrong because I definitely shined my flashlight on him way too many times and was trying to prompt movement by gentle moving substrate around him. Because I recognize molting could take a long time and my other crab was NOT enjoying the isolation tank, so this evening I attempted to switch them. Tonight, I removed the surface molter with a large spoon and placed him in the ISO tank (and put the other crab in the main habitat) but this time he was extremely stiff. He was not responding to movement, and he’s extremely pale. I put him in the iso tank with a two new shells next to him, a small freshwater fish, and placed a coconut den over him to give him more privacy.

I don’t know if he’s dead or dying, and as I was checking for an exoskeleton I found pieces of exoskeleton about an inch or two below where he was on the surface. I took these pieces and placed it in the isolation tank next to him. There is no fishy odor and no sign of mites, and the other crab seems to be doing just fine and is active and normal.

I am really distraught thinking it’s my fault, I’ve loved him and cared for him deeply for 8 years. I don’t know what to do, and I’m treating him as if he’s molting, but I have a feeling he’s gone. I don’t know what to do, and I dont know if I should leave him undisturbed on the surface of the iso tank for months or what. He’s the greatest pet I’ve had, and I’m really freaked out that he was moving the other day and now he isn’t. I don’t know what to do.

Also- if he has passed away, I do not want to purchase another crab (because I am now aware the industry can be harmful) so I don’t want to get his tank mate a new crab, but I know they are social, and I am unsure if this is bad for the other healthy crab.

Please help me, I love him more than the world.
Curly - Is he back in a shell? Or is he still out of the shell? A crab without a shell will die, they need to get back into a shell asap. We have a care sheet that explains what to do.
Can you post a picture of him? Use the Tapa Talk app, or a file sharing site.

[absolutmilk]

Hope to hear good news later, bless your Versace.