I arrived in my son's preschool class Wed. and noticed that they had a hermit crab. The teacher was crab sitting for someone, but isn't sure if they are going to take it back.
When I saw the set-up, I almost freaked out
. It is in a plastic aquarium maybe 2.5 gallons. There was barely an inch of substrate at best and mold was growing everywhere. The teacher had asked the family if all the white furry stuff was mold and they said it wasn't. Even the food dish was covered in it. The single water dish was mostly just a damp sponge. There was a hut, but the crabby's shell was preventing him from getting in. He was just kind of jammed into the doorway. There is a log of some sort in there.
I let his teacher know that I could help get the tat in tip top shape and bring her a care sheet. She was very receptive to my offer for help.
I made a bowl of homemade dry crab chow. Made some salt water and gave her a dish for it and some extra salt in a baggy. I also took a big container of playsand.
This morning I went in before my shift and got the crabby a good basic set-up. I tipped the edge of the hidey up on the log and he can get inside. He has enough substrate to bury, a bowl of healthy food, fresh and salt water. There was a temp. strip, but not a hygrometer. The tank has a plastic lid.
The old substrate emitted a sewer like odor when I stirred it up. Poor little crabby was living in squalid conditions. I told the teacher if it becomes orphaned, I would gladly give him a home. He is a small-medium size crab. Looks like what Petco would sell as a medium. There is an orange painted shell, which I assume he came in, but he is now in a green turbo, but has no other shell choices. Guess I'll take him a shell or two.
I felt sooo much better after stepping up to help. I couldn't stand to see the little guy suffer!
His color is good and he seems active, so I have hope for him!
