Adopted Hermie... Not looking right

missAlfalfa · Post by **missAlfalfa** » Thu Dec 17, 2015 9:16 pm

So, some of you may have seen the post in adoptions about the kid who was going to kill his hermit crab if nobody took it. Well, I picked the little guy/gal up this afternoon.
And I dont know... He just doesn't seem right. He's in a painted shell that looks like its as old as I am. Chipped, dull, painted over an original design. I put new shells in for him to switch into... So far the only thing he's done is eat. And I only know that because he left debris behind in the dish. But he's just sitting in the middle of the tank... Sitting there. Under the heat lamp. (Upgrading tanks at the moment, dont have an UTH on the tank.) He walks an inch or so, looks like he's starting to dig...doesn't even make a mark in the sand, then stands there. Walks another inch in a circle, and he just keeps doing this.
He also looks weird. I dont know how to describe it... Kind of like he was calcified... (Sounds strange, I know) but he's got these white patches all over him. He doesn't hide when I come around. Just stares at me. When I lifted him out of the container to put him in the tank, he almost fell out of his shell! Idk if he was scared and trying to lunge out, or if he was really falling out... I dont know. I'm worried about him. Any advice or ideas as to what might be up with him?

The kid clearly didn't want him and didn't care if he lived or died. So I'm thinking maybe he's dying from lack of humidity or something? Long term damage? I have no clue.

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I got new shells in from Amazon today. Boiled them and threw them into the tank. I had to physically put Cletus near the new shells, twice... But, Alas! I gave up, and it seems, so did he. Finally.
Cletus in the latest winter fashon...

LadyMorrgian · Post by **LadyMorrgian** » Thu Dec 17, 2015 10:07 pm

Do you have a photo?

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missAlfalfa · Post by **missAlfalfa** » Thu Dec 17, 2015 10:34 pm

I couldn't get one before because my phone was dying. I'll try to get a few now. Shouldn't be hard, he's just sitting there.

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missAlfalfa · Post by **missAlfalfa** » Thu Dec 17, 2015 10:42 pm

I tried getting the other side to show the 'calcified filmy' stuff, but I didn't want to use my flash and I couldn't get a good picture. But I'm mostly concerned about that white patch.

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LadyMorrgian · Post by **LadyMorrgian** » Thu Dec 17, 2015 11:03 pm

I am at a loss. I was originally was thinking that it was hardened calc sand that was encrusted onto him. This doesn't look like the other cases I have seen though. Maybe one of the others will have a better idea. Sorry.

Edit: I would offer crushed cattle bone, ground shrimp and powdered cuttle bone mixed together as a recovery food.

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missAlfalfa · Post by **missAlfalfa** » Thu Dec 17, 2015 11:08 pm

Hmm, okay. Thanks anyway. I appreciate you trying.

Here's the picture the kid sent me when I originally messaged him. He said this was when he got 'Cletus'. I have no idea what conditions he was living in before I got him. The kid handed him to me in an empty, closed Tupperware with no air holes. So I imagine poor Cletus has had it rough.

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Post by **wodesorel** » Fri Dec 18, 2015 12:03 am

He's got black toenails and a lot of hair, so he molted not too long ago.

The white stuff could just be mineral deposits from hard water. That's really not anything to worry about. Their exo can get stained, and it'll be gone the next molt.

Sitting out in the open IS weird, and he may be suffering from PPS and is showing the early signs of shutting down. All you can do is try and do what you can. I'd recommend a pile of moss on the substrate (and I hate doing it because it tends to grow mold) so that he has a nice comfy place to retreat to that isn't enclosed.

Are you offering pellet food? Ditch it and go straight with goodies like peanut butter, honey, shrimp, bee pollen, etc. They do not needs switched slowly like a dog or cat. Getting the proper food him into him ASAP is going to help.

I personally don't like it when their eyes stick together like that. It's a sign of weakness, which can indicate PPS, an impending surface molt, or dying.

missAlfalfa · Post by **missAlfalfa** » Fri Dec 18, 2015 12:37 am

wodesorel wrote:He's got black toenails and a lot of hair, so he molted not too long ago.

The white stuff could just be mineral deposits from hard water. That's really not anything to worry about. Their exo can get stained, and it'll be gone the next molt.

Sitting out in the open IS weird, and he may be suffering from PPS and is showing the early signs of shutting down. All you can do is try and do what you can. I'd recommend a pile of moss on the substrate (and I hate doing it because it tends to grow mold) so that he has a nice comfy place to retreat to that isn't enclosed.

Are you offering pellet food? Ditch it and go straight with goodies like peanut butter, honey, shrimp, bee pollen, etc. They do not needs switched slowly like a dog or cat. Getting the proper food him into him ASAP is going to help.

I personally don't like it when their eyes stick together like that. It's a sign of weakness, which can indicate PPS, an impending surface molt, or dying.

that definitely is pellet food. I didn't even realize there were other food options until not too long ago. I did look it up on the list somewhere on here. Its made by All Living Things and didn't have any of the bad stuff in it. BUT!!!... Lol, I started looking around online for good places to get food from. I've been sticking little things like lettuce in there in the meantime and they love it.

The one leg where he has that big white patch has no hair on it. Is that normal? I haven't noticed that on any of the ones I already have.

He took a swim in the SW pool... Well, got in and just sat there for 2 minutes then got out. Walked around the tank, went back to the SW pool and just kind of laid down on the edge with 2 legs ... He sat like that for 5 minutes... I was watching. Getting more and more concerned. Now he's just sitting in the corner of the tank, pressed against the glass.

Poor Cletus. When he gets wet he turns a nice bright red, well... His legs do. But then when he dries he quickly goes back to that dull color.

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Post by **wodesorel** » Fri Dec 18, 2015 1:35 am

You really don't need to buy anything special for them food wise.

Offer them fruits and veggies and grab some freeze-dried insects and seafood like Fluker's Turtle Medley Treat and you're pretty much set. I'm sure there's a dozen things right now in your pantry and fridge that are safe and good for them!

Yes, the hairless patch is normal. That thick outer leg is called their 'shield leg' - you'll notice when they pull into a proper fitting shell it's that one leg and their claw that is exposed. That's why it's so much beefier than the rest, it offers extra protection. It's also usually free or mostly free of setae (hair).

They often hang off the edge of bowls to drink rather than dunk themselves.

The color change when wet is normal. They will naturally get duller the farther they get from their last molt but moistness will bring the color back temporarily. (Same thing happens with natural shells.)

He sounds pretty normal, really. It's after dark so he's out cruising. They don't do much honestly, just wander around, checking things out.

missAlfalfa · Post by **missAlfalfa** » Fri Dec 18, 2015 2:33 am

Its just odd. I have 10 other crabs and I've never seen them do anything he's doing. I'm glad its nothing for concern though. I'm keeping an eye on him. He made him way into the hut and seems to have dug himself a little bed. I put peanut butter in and some moss. No interest as of yet, but we will see. Thanks so much for your help and advice. I wonder why he's so different from my other crabs. I wonder if its because he's bigger/older. I only have one other crab that is bigger than he is, (quite bigger), and I just adopted him two weeks ago. So I'm still learning about the big guys.
I thought the color change was odd and only noticed it because my other crabs are the color dry that he is wet. (the two closest to his size.)

Come to think of it, as I sit here and reflect... All my crabs are weird, and do weird things. Lol. He'll fit right in.
(I have one crab that walks sideways. Always did from the time i bought him)

I think he's way too big for his shell and that's why he's hanging out like that. Which is probably why I'm noticing things I've never noticed before. My big guy, Zilla, just changed out of his shell a few hours ago. Poor guy, was in a tiny painted shell. When i took it out of the tank I seen what looks like glue clumped up in the bottom of the shell, right on his belly. The paint on the bottom i sjde was worn out from him coming in and oit of the shell. Must have been driving him crazy.

I'm glad everything is okay though. I have one more question, if you don't mind. Its a general question... Now that I have much bigger crabs; I've had to put in a bigger dish for the pool. Problem is, one of my tiny guys, Lucky, keeps going swimming... And then can't get out. I've had to rescue him twice so far. So how do I have I pool big enough for the big guys, but keep the little guys from drowning? If I put rocks at the bottom, that just takes up the space the big guys need to actually be in it.
... Maybe if I raise it up so they can't get in as easily? I put a sponge in there hoping it would help... But it clearly did not.

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LadyMorrgian · Post by **LadyMorrgian** » Fri Dec 18, 2015 9:39 am

I use plastic mesh found in the craft store to make a ramp. I also have some of the fake vines surrounding it lead a bit into the water.

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missAlfalfa · Post by **missAlfalfa** » Sat Dec 19, 2015 12:28 pm

LadyMorrgian wrote:I use plastic mesh found in the craft store to make a ramp. I also have some of the fake vines surrounding it lead a bit into the water.

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Okay cool. I seen that on some of the pages... My bowl is too small for a ramp but too big for the tiny Hermie's. I'm going to look and see what I can do about it. Thank you for the advice! I appreciate it.

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LadyMorrgian · Post by **LadyMorrgian** » Sat Dec 19, 2015 12:38 pm

When I first started my pools were super narrow and if I put a ramp in it took all the space up. So I got a little crafty and I zip tied the mesh into a giant...Bobby pin. It went down flush on both sides of the pool and worked wonders. I will try and find a picture of it, but it may be a easy temp fix.

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Hermit Guy · Post by **Hermit Guy** » Thu Jan 21, 2016 10:19 pm

How is he/she doing?

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missAlfalfa · Post by **missAlfalfa** » Thu Jan 21, 2016 10:27 pm

Hermit Guy wrote:How is he/she doing?

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Not much has changed actually. I moved everyone into my 55g. Cletus refuses to change shells. Hasn't dug down at all. Never actually seems to leave the log, to be honest. He's always hanging out of his shell, he doesn't fit in it. So he just sits under the log, like a spider, legs everywhere. Before I moved them out of my 25g cletus would go back and forth between the hut and the log every night. Now he's just there. He didn't even come out for popcorn last night. I'm sure he's eating at some point, but he's definitely the oddball in the group. He seems like he's just out of it. He doesn't even move when my hand is in the tank. Its like he doesn't even see me.
I dont know what else I could do for him, so he's just chilling.

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HCA: Hermit Crab Association