NAKED crab? (Out of Shell)

[Guest]

Okay, so your crab has gone a streaking. Try not to panic, if this is the first time seeing your crabs abdomen it can be a shocker to say the least. This is probably one of the worst events you could go through with your hermit crab. The HCA is full of successful stories of re-shelling and happily ever afters. It is also peppered with stories of little crabs that didn't survive varying ordeals. If you are here and reading this, take heart, most of us have been through it and we are here to support you.

Your little crab is in serious stress and needs immediate assistance. Please do step number one BEFORE POSTING. Then move on with step number 2 and so on.

1) Try to get your little crab back in his original shell for the time being. How do you do that? -------> Look over in the "Emergency Care & Links" section. Click on the arrow next to "Crab Care FAQ" and you will see "Naked Crab." Start there.

2) FILL OUT THE EMERGENCY TEMPLATE. When you open the sticky, click "quote" and answer as many questions as you can.


Why a crab streaks....
Crabs will streak for any number of reasons. A forced surface molt gone wrong, PPS (Post Purchase Stress"), Overheating, Dehydration, etc. The first thing to do is get the crab out of the critical stage and into stable conditions, then we tackle what you can possibly do to remedy conditions if that is necessary.

[Guest]

get thte crab and a few shells, put him in a cup, i herd this works well.

[Guest]

I used the shells in a coffee mug method last week and it works great. I put a little brackish water in the bottom (E crab) and he backed into a shell within half an hour.

[Guest]

Although I have read that some crabs like to be naked on occasion, in my experience a naked crab is a stressed-out crab. Your crabitat appears to be in good condition but they could still be upset over living in such bad conditions for so long. Their health is also in question due to the TAP WATER the original owner was giving them plus poor living conditions. (Why keep crabs if you don't care for them properly?)

While it is disconcerting to see a naked crab, as long as he is returning to his shell and there are extras for him to choose from I'd say let him do his thing. You've only had them a couple of weeks and it could take them a while to recover and become used to appropriate crabitat conditions. Make sure to keep an eye on the naked crab so your other one doesn't injure him as naked crabs are very vulnerable. I have used the coffee cup method twice. Both crabs went back into their shells: one lived and one died. The one that died was an E and I believe he was injured during a recent molt. In both cases I isolated the stressed crab for a couple of days so they could recover and to make sure that any illness they might have didn't spread.

Others may have ideas or opinions but you seem to have the right plan of action.

[Guest]

Thanks alot. I have been watching him with a very close eye and It seems he is staying in a shells longer and longer then longer I have him. I hope he molts soon though.

[hermiefanatic]

i put some bedding in a plastic cup. then i add water to cover the bedding. then ihad a little more on top of the bedding until the bedding wet and has some eaater on top. then i scoop the hermie into the cup with a plastic spoon and put his shell and him in th plastic cup. then i put him in a dark room.

[Rocky]

Hi Lia, you'll probably get more help if you start up your own thread in emergency, since it's easier for people who can help to find
I seriously doubt he misses his gravel, he probably feels soooo much better in the setup you have for him. But the thing is, when crabs are suffering from stress, it can keep affecting them even after they've been put in better conditions. He'll continue to suffer from stress until he successfully molts, and until then, you'll just have to keep trying to help him as best you can by giving him good food, good water, re-shelling him if you need to and keeping him warm.
I have actually heard of this many times, crabs will streak and then go into the water bowl. I think it's because they're too weak to hang onto their shell Maybe try offering him a lighter shell? Has he re-shelled yet? Don't beat yourself up, it's nothing you're doing If a crab is very stressed out about how he's been treated in the past, it'll keep affecting him no matter how good his new home is, and he may or may not make it, it depends on how strong he is

[kuza]

My Crabbie went from acting normal to running around w/o its shell. i tried everything to get it back in its shell. it seems lively, but refuses to get in a shell!

Hello Serai, this is not the best place for a new post but I'll answer here and once you are ok we'll move it to it's own thread. I just dont' want to do it before you see this in case you lose track of it. I will try to answer your questions in red below inside where I quoted you and hopefully I can help you out.

1. Substrate used? Beach sand

Has it been moistened to sand castle making consistency? Are the crabs able to dig down underground and make a tunnel/cave without it caving in on him?

2. Humidity % level in crabitat? not sure

You should consider getting a humidity reader, your house can fluctuate a lot.

3. Temperature of substrate in crabitat? also not sure

4. Temperature of crabitat? stays around 80f

5. Location of gauges? 2 to 3 inches above sand

6. What is your heat source? one heating pad

7. Types of water available? de-chlorinated water, and sperate bowl of salt water

8. Dechlorinator used? the kind you use for fish tanks (pet store recommended it)

9. What do you feed? hermit crab pellets, dried shrimp, hermit crab treat

I would consider leaving out the pellets and just feed them fresh foods or some other hermit crab friendly mixes if you can afford to buy them. There's a lot of info on this int he Food forum.

10. How long have you had the crab in question? month or two

11. Do you know the species? no

12. Do you bath them, if so how often and with what? no, the water bowl is slanted so if they wanted to submerge themselves in water they can, and get back out easily.

Is it deep enough for the crabs to get most of their shell under water?

13. What type of housing are they in? Tank

14. What size is your tank? 55 gallon

15. How many crabs are in the tank? What size are they? 4

16. How deep is the substrate? 3-4 inch

How big are the crabs? A general rule is 2-3 times higher then your largest crab, however I personally don't suggest with anything less then 6 inches. The more the merrier and they are fun to watch making tunnels when they prepare for their long molt underground.

17. If you take your hermies out daily to exercise, do you mist their gill area first? sometimes take them out, do not mist them

18. Has there been any cleaners, paints, perfumes, air fresheners, candles, or smoking near the crabitat? yes

Can you specify? This may be the issue.

19. How often do you clean/sterilize and how? i clean the sand once a month

Crabs can molt underground for over a month at a time, if you are taking them out to clean the whole substrate more then once a year or so, then the crabs will not get a chance to molt. They need to molt every few weeks/months for a few weeks/months. At which time you will not see or hear from them. They will just come up bright and shinny new when they are ready and done eating their old skin/exoskeleton.

20. Any unusual odors? no

21. Do you use sponges? Are they rinsed daily with dechlor water? Are they exchanged every 2 days for a sterile one? yes and no, but i do wash them when i change the water

I would get rid of the sponges, they are a bacterial nightmare. If you do want to keep them you need to microwave or cook them every few days to properly sterilize them. This is important not just for your crabs health and safety but your own. You should be washing your hands anytime you deal with the crabs or tanks anyway, they do make a nice mess

22. Do you feed fresh food? When do you remove it? yes. every other day.

23. Are your hands clean before handling? yes

As stated above, clean after too!

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

For now, you can try putting him into a large cup with his old shell, maybe a few new ones the same size or a bit large opening. I would first clean out his old shell and make sure they is nothing stuck in it preventing him from going back into it.