new hermie owner need help

[supernana]

I got myf irst 2 crabs about 6 months ago for my grandson he has named them big guy & snoopy. they are doing great snoopy just molted! About 2 weeks ago we got 2 more they are not doing so good super man & little man don't seem as happy as big guy & snoopy.they don't hide or move around their home & super man lost a leg the other day now today I found another leg and he is lethargic I'm afraid he might not make it. I picked him up he dosen't smell nor dose he react like the others do he just kind of hangs 1/2 way out of his shell looking very sad.. little man hides all the way in his shell but he has a fishie smell!! ARE THEY BOTH GOING TO DIE? should I move them to a iso tank? I NEED SOME ADVICE PLEASE

I just looked into the tank to get the light bulb wattage and super man is almost all the way out of his shell I think he won't make it much longer but little man is still the one who smells

How long have you had the crab(s) in question? about 2 weeks

Do you know what species they are? not sure

Did you/Do you isolate new crabs? Ididn't konw I should but will from now on

Tank Size: 10 gal

Lid Type: screen with light on top

Placement of tank in your home: bed room dresser away from sunlight next to fish tank

Substrate Used (moist or dry & depth): both sand on heated side & bed a beast from pet tech on the moist side

Type of Gauges: Strip/Analog/Digital strip

Did you test your humidity gauge for accuracy? don't have one

Placement of Gauges: 1 1/2 inch from top of tank

Temperature and Humidity levels in your tank: Degrees % 80

Heating Source (if UTH how much of the tank does it cover and how much substrate is over it): hermit crab heating pad under tank/ it covers 1/3 of the bottom(about) it has about 1 1/ 2 inches of sand over it tapering down to about 1/2 inch in the middle of the tank

Lighting Source (type bulbs & wattage): 25 watt bulb

Do you have at least one area for each crab to hide? no only one hut

Is there any metal in your tank? no

What types of climbing things/toys do you have in your tank? store bought tree branch and a store bought tree ( but none of my little guys have ever climbed on them they hide behind them

What type of water do you use (dechlorinated tap/spring water)? bottled water treated

If you use dechlorinating drops-which kind? zoo med drinking water conditioner in one bowl & salt water conditioner in the other bowl


Do your provide fresh and salt water? If yes, what type of salt mix do you use? yes zoo med salt water conditioner

Do you provide dishes for water or just sponges? dishes with sponges

How many extra shells do you have for each crab? I have about 7 extra shells in the tank

Did you boil the shells prior to putting them in the tank? yes

Do you bathe your crabs? If yes, how often and what do you use to bathe them in? no I didn't know about baths until I came to your site

Do you only handle your crabs with clean hands? yes

How often do you handle them? about 3 or 4 times a week

Have they been exposed to toxins such as chemical/cleaning fumes, perfume, spray deodorant, etc? no

Do you allow your crabs to exercise outside the tank? no I have 2 dogs & 2 cats & a 3 year old grandson it might not be safe for them

What types of foods do you feed? crab island fruit & flower crab food,zoo med hermit crab pellet food for snacks they get HBH hermit crab cookies vanilla flavored and zoo med hermit crab fruit salad I also give them peanut butter every once in a while and cut up grapes they also like goldfish crackers crumbled up

What do you use as a calcium supplement? a cuddle bone calcium cube

[HERMEZ]

you may have infected your healthy crabs by not checking for mites-they wont make it from the sound of it. Fish smell is the death smell. I am sorry. They need to be in ISO for this very reason and to get healthy and strong before going in the main tank. I am going to write a sticky on new crabs as more and more people need this info - your learning that is what is important. These lil creatures go thru so much before they get to us- it amazes me that some live as long as they do

you need gauges and a top on the tank that will keep humidity in- glass/plexi etc
stop using Bed a Beast stick with Eco Earth or Forest Bedding..........Bed a Beast has peat moss in it and cause bacterial issues. You need more substrate--should be a min of 2x the biggest crab. NOts ure about that salt water-we recommend Oceanic/Red Sea/Catalina/Instant Ocean that is more "ocean" equiv
your fresh water "treatment" shoudl have no slime coat in it - they cant drink that- new crabs should not be handled very much during the ISO period. I think thats it

[WizKidsMom]

Your newbies are going through PPS (Post Purchase Syndrome). They are not adjusting to the change in homes. Isolation is used for this purpose - de-stress and adjust as well as to check for mites or other illness just as Hermez states.

You need to keep humidity and temperature in the main tank in the 73-84 range. Hence the need to cover that screen lid. As you change your setup you can raise humidity gradually.

Start feeding with more fresh foods (no seasonings or salt). If you read the ingredients on the ZooMed stuff, you will see stuff that you can not pronounce. Bad stuff !

Bathing is only recommended to make sure there are no mites, etc on newbies. Providing both plain dechlorinated and salt water (made with aquarium/ocean salt & dechlorinated water) in dishes will allow them to take their own bath when they want.

It doesn't sound like your newbies will make it. So sad....

But that shouldn't stop you from getting more
You can get a small tank and set that up for your next newbies as an ISO providing the same stuff as your main tank - just in a smaller scale.

[krackersmom2]

In my opinion, it sounds like you need to take away one of your heating sources, you have two. Your temp is a little high and my guess is that the humidity is probably too low ith a screen top and a lamp. YOur sand should be a moist, sand castle consistency.
Also, do not feed the crabd crushed up goldfish crackers, they contain table salt and other preservatives which are not good for the crabs. Table salt and sea salt are two different kinds of salt.
Replace te commercial foods with all natural foods. Visit The Hermit Crab Addiction Store for great low cost food options!
Your little guys definitely sound like they are in trouble Dropping limbs and a fishy smell is never a good sign. Sorry.....

[supernana]

Thanks for the info your right they didn't make it SO SAD! making changes today going to wait a while b-4 I get any more newbies. I want to know more about proper care so I can give them a better chance of survival. Most people like myself have no idea how much care they need.

[Frogs_n_Flowers]

Originally Posted by supernana

Thanks for the info your right they didn't make it SO SAD! making changes today going to wait a while b-4 I get any more newbies. I want to know more about proper care so I can give them a better chance of survival. Most people like myself have no idea how much care they need.

Don't feel bad I didn't know anything about the care of hermies until I found this place. I have found out a lot in the time I have been here and still have questions. I am sorry that they didn't make it, however we all learn from our mistakes and it will only get better from here.

[Mommy2Crabs]

I am sooo sorry for your loss. I know how sad it is to lose an awesome pet. Don't feel bad. I bought my son his first crab in a little plastic kritter kit! I didn't know****! But thanks to all of these wonderful people, I am alot more educated. Also, research, research, research!....I still have a ton of questions though. Probably bugging alot of people!

[supernana]

Ok I need help again! I bought a glass lid for my aquarium now I'm afraid to put my light on top I don't want it to get to hot inside!! How do I give them proper lighting & keep the temp right with the glass lid?

[WizKidsMom]

You should have a temp & hygrometer in the tank. To keep it stable (75% & 75° is the median) you can prop open the lid. I have used a paper towel folded up to keep it up.

Is your glass lid exact to the tank or is there a side where it is shorter to give some air circulation?

[chermo]

Is it glass or plexi glass? I use plexi glass where I can drill holes as needed to keep temp and humidity correct. I don't even have to use my heater lately and I don't use a heat lamp or anything. I am glad I got plexi glass. I will probably have to use my UTH in the winter but for now it is fine. Maybe get a UTH and mount it on the side of the tank like mine is. If you put it on the bottom you will need to put something over it like a basket or rocks then the sand so if they burry down over it they don't get overheated and burn to death.