Big Claw has fallen off my Hermit crabs!

[Alex R]

Considering I've only had the little guys for just over a week, its extremely disheartening to see something apparently traumatic occur in my tank.

I have a 50 gallon tank, housing 5 Purple Pincher Hermit Crabs. They've done relatively well, and one is molting somewhere in the depths of the substrate-- don't worry! I don't plan on digging him up! I went to sleep one night, content that my pets were seemingly enjoying their home. I woke up, and my heart sank to my chest when I saw a SEVERED BIG CLAW in the corner of my tank! It had meat in it and seemed very full, perhaps even fresh. It must have happend last night.

I was so scared one had dug up the molter and devoured him in his weakened state! Fortunately, I stayed calm and didn't succumb to the urge of rummaging through the substrate desperately searching for the Molter. When I realized one of my hermit crabs LACKED a big claw and was relatively inactive.

I'm especially perplexed because the tank is usually 75 degrees, give or take a few and usually 80-90% humidity. None of my Hermit crabs strike me as aggressive either plus I put fresh wild cought Shrimp in there the previous night(boiled for safety, ofcourse).

Is there any chance that it just, popped off? Is there anything I can do to help him?

You can find more specific tank specs here: http://www.hermitcrabassociation.com/ph ... 8&t=115126

[lenny22]

Sometimes hermit crabs fight. I don't know if it gets rough enough that one loses its big claw but if a hermit crab loses a limb it will grow back eventually. I've had a crab that once lost one leg and it grew back fully in about a month.

[soilentgringa]

Limbs dropping is a sign of illness/stress.

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[daws409]

Could also be PPS.

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[Alex R]

Limbs dropping is a sign of illness/stress.

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Could also be PPS.

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Sometimes hermit crabs fight. I don't know if it gets rough enough that one loses its big claw but if a hermit crab loses a limb it will grow back eventually. I've had a crab that once lost one leg and it grew back fully in about a month.

It's gotten worse.

He's lost a leg now too. I thought he was dead, but he's still alive, clinging on. Feel bad for picking him up. . . Whatever it is, I don't think he will last long in this world. I'm going to just keep my distance from the tank, and pray that he makes it. I'm thinking he must be sick; other Hermit Crabs seem alive and active, with exception to the molter ofcourse.

Its not other Hermit Crabs. I've noticed no aggression.

So I'm thinking its PPS or I must be doing something wrong. Any suggestions? I'm really in the dark here. Should I try to quarantine the crab?

Any help will greatly be appreciated.

[soilentgringa]

Can you fill this out?

http://www.hermitcrabassociation.com/ph ... hp?t=46102

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[Alex R]

Can you fill this out?

http://www.hermitcrabassociation.com/ph ... hp?t=46102

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Sure


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

Sand; mostly home depot play sand with some sterilized beach sand. 8 inches towards the left, 3ish inches towards the right. Most of it is closer to 8, however.

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. Zoomed hydrometer/thermometer. Towards the left of center(reason its not in the center is that I didn't want it to be too Hot due to the UTH on the right side of the tank)

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

As mentioned, a Reptitherm UTH for a 50-60 gallon 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)?

Deer park for their fresh water. Top fin mixed with tap water for their salt.

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

Depends on the food. Generally 48-72 hours, less if it begins to show signs of decomposition. I try to give a protein three times a week; mostly hard boiled egg. However, I did feed them Shrimp the night prior to the accident. It was freshly caught by a family friend: no preservatives or table salt. Boiled for safety.

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

All 5 purple pinchers. Probaly had them around 2 weeks.

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

No. Not while it was with me, anyway.

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

50 gallon glass tank, glass lid.

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

5. One is molting, and another is larger than the others. The rest are roughly the same size.

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

Many. However, for the size of the crab there are probaly 2 or 3 his size in the tank.

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

No.

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

Almost daily, I use tweezers to pick out bits of food and poop.

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

Yes. In the salt water dish. I've cleaned it once with water.

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.)?

Bought them from Petsmart. They seem to get along well, favor the side away from the UTH(despite the temperature reading a bit colder than recommended, straddeling 75). I'd say their favorite activity is climbing.

16. Please describe the emergency situation in detail.

The above. I've not looked since my last post; don't want to stress him out.

[soilentgringa]

1. 8" is adequate for smaller crabs, as long as it is more than 3X deeper than your largest. It's best to have an even level all the way across for tunneling.

2. These are notoriously inaccurate and any analog guages need to be calibrated before use. If someone finds the how to before I can, please post that. It is linked in the care guide.

4. I am assuming Deer Park is a bottled water brand? Top Fin aquarium salt? I am not familiar with this but I believe this is salt for freshwater tanks, not for setting up saltwater aquariums. Instant Ocean and Oceanic are both marine salt brands that crabbers use. They need the elements that mimic seawater.

5. It isn't necessary to cook meat or seafood before putting it in the tank. No one is cooking for them in the wild As long as you wash your hands after handling it, you should be fine (I was a professional cook for years and have taken multiple food safety courses). They are scavengers. Decaying plant and animal matter is what they live on and their bodies are designed to process it.

13. Not really necessary. They don't help with humidity and aren't really a valuable source of nutrition. They get gross after a while.

Sounds like your crab has PPS and the best thing you can do is make sure it is comfortable. A lot of people will tell you to give it raw honey and energy boosting foods, which is great, but not a magical cure for crabs that are too ill to recover.

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[GotButterflies]

Hello. Offer your crab raw organic honey and bee pollen. Definitely try to be hands off.

Substrate should be a minimum of 6" or three times the height of your largest crab (whichever is deeper trumps) all around the tank - then vary the depth above that height. Also make sure it is mixed with dechlorinated fw or dechlorinated msw to make it sandcastle consistency.

Those gauges are not going to work. This is important. You need to know what the humidity and the temperature is for your crabs. You can buy an Acurite guage from Walmart if you are interested They are $8, digital, run on batteries, and tell you temp and humidity currently as well as low and high for last 24 hours. You can find them in the home improvement section by the air filters. Minimum heat and humidity should be 80/80. Hermit crabs have modified gills and need the humidity to breathe.


Are you using a dechlorinator for both waters? You need a dechlorinator that removes chlorine, and chloramine as well as neutralizes ammonia and heavy metals. A lot of us use a product called Prime. As far as salt, you need marine salt, to mimic the ocean. A lot of us use a product called Instant Ocean which is what aquarium hobbyists use to make saltwater aquariums. It has the essential trace elements that hermit crabs need. You have to use the dechlorinator for both freshwater and marine saltwater. Both pools should be deep enough for them to fully submerge in and safe enough for them to get out of.

Foods should be organic when possible. Hermit crabs are sensitive to pesticides and fertilizers. Make sure you provide them with calcium too. Cuttlebone from the bird section, oyster shell, piece of coral...
Safe food list: http://hermitcrabassociation.com/phpBB/ ... 25&t=92557
Unsafe food list: http://hermitcrabassociation.com/phpBB/ ... 25&t=92556
Food pyramid: http://hermitcrabassociation.com/phpBB/ ... 25&t=92554

The HCA recommends 3-5 shells per hermit crab. I personally recommend more. It never hurts to have more There are incorrect shells to buy. Here is the shell guide: http://hermitcrabassociation.com/phpBB/ ... 24&t=92552
You can buy them online, craft stores, beach shops.

Sponges are old practice - not necessary - I would toss them.

Hermit crabs are also called tree crabs

[Alex R]

snip

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Even sadder news.

He's dropped yet another. My once lovely decapod, now reduced to 7 limbs. I'm aware that at this point, survival is impossible. Should I attempted to remove the severed appendages? The poor thing seems to still be alive

Heres an address to your suggestions with water, though:

I use Marine and Reef Aquarium Top Fin Saltwater Concentrate, which also contains a dechlorinator. For Deer Park, it is indeed a type of bottled water; it contains no Chlorine or Chloramine. I will also switch to Instant Ocean due to similar reasons. Though I might invest in a filter, as money is becoming a bit more of an issue.

I'll try to respond to the rest later-- but for now, I'm tired.

[soilentgringa]

A couple of years ago someone accidentally boiled a crab in its shell. It lost all it's limbs. They hand fed and watered it until it molted. It survived and regrew the limbs.

This is not to say for sure that it will survive, but don't lose all hope either.

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[mjjluver]

Wow where is that post?

[soilentgringa]

Wow where is that post?

It wasn't an HCA member.

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[GotButterflies]

Be totally hands off- they are prey animals. Handling will only stress him/her out more.

Survival is unlikely ~ but it can happen. Hermits can regrow limbs.

Not familiar with that product. Is it the jug that you mix with fw? If so~ that is a really expensive way for msw. Plus IO has been trusted for years. I only know of one chain that carries your product. For the same price IO makes 50 gallons to your 9!

Definitely still need to use a dechlorinator with bottled water. Just buy the prime for $5- and use tap water. It'll be way cheaper using these items in the long run!


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[Alex R]

Guys. Poor Hermes passed away today, likely not too long before I arrived home.

By the time I had checked on him, he had lost the entirety of his walking legs. My tank also had begun to smell. By this point I knew he had passed, and my suspicion was confirmed when I had smelled the Hermit Crab himself.

It was a heart wrenching experience to coax its cadaver out. . . the way it slumps out. As childish as it sounds, I did indeed cry for the loss of my friend. I feel somewhat responsible.

In total, I counted 4 legs and 1 pincher detached from the crab. The only remaining limb, minus its cleaners and what not, was its small pincher.

In a way, it makes me happy. I was worried that he would suffer for several days, as I tried desperately to keep him alive. I have not the slightest clue what encouraged him to shed so many of his legs: the other crabs seem active.

Will I purchase another? No. Not yet-- I'm going to focus my efforts on the remaining 4 and once they seem to be in a stable state of affairs, I will consider adding new friends for them.

What I plan to do, thus far:

Increase the overall depth of the substrate

Buy a new thermometer, likely from Walmart as suggested.

I've already tossed the first sponge. Though I have several more in reserve.

Make the switch to instant ocean once Top Fin runs out. Instant Ocean is apparently cheaper and highly praised by all of you.

As for the corpse of the Hermit crab, I did moniter it for several hours praying for any signs of life. After which I attempted to coax a response with a spray of salt water. Its body has been disposed of and its shell boiled. I'm unsure if I plan to add it back to the tank. . . on one hand, perhaps the other crabs might be able to use its shell. On the other, its a solemn reminder of my deceased Hermit crab.

To make matters worse, I'm going to West Virginia for a wedding and I have to leave my decapod pals unattended for several days. This experience makes me scared, and I'm contemplating not going. Can they handle a few days?

Thank you so much for all the support and advice. Any more advice would be greatly appreciated.