Newbie that needs a little help~

[jwheat]

What is the volume of your main tank?
10 gallons

How many hermit crabs do you currently have? How big are they?
1 crab, her shell is about 2 inches long

How long have you had the hermit crab(s) that you are concerned about?
1 week

What substrate or combination of substrates are you using? How deep is it?
Zoo Med Eco Earth Compressed Coconut Fiber Expandable Substrate, 3.5 inches deep

What do you feed your hermit crabs?
Mangoes, carrots, romaine lettuce, walnuts, eggshells, cuttlebone

Do you use distilled, bottled, tap or other types of water?
Dechlorinated tap water

If you are using a dechlorinator, what brand is it? Does it state to remove all heavy metals, chlorine and chloramines?
Instant Ocean, yes it says it removes chlorine and chloramines

What brand of sea salt are you using to supply your hermit crabs with salt water?
Instant Ocean

What heat source are you using and where is it positioned?
A large heater pad made for 10g tanks, its on the wall on the outside

Have you calibrated your thermometer(s) and hygrometer so that you can interpret accurate readings?
Yes

What is the air temperature range and humidity inside the tank?
Temp: 75 F | Humidity: 77 F

If you are using an under tank heater, what is the highest temperature that the substrate reaches?
NA

Do you have any photos of your tank or hermit crab(s) of concern? If yes, please attach them to your post.
Darn... I need to find my camera.

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Hi!

I'm new to hermit crabs. I have one hermit crab right now~ she's been with me for a week. I feed her mangoes, romaine lettuce, crushed cuttlebone, crushed eggshell, shredded carrots, pieces of walnuts, etc all the stuff that she should be eating.

But recently she's been... Idk, digging a lot? Digging and then sitting in the hole just looking out the glass. It makes me so sad! Like she doesn't like it there. Temp: 75 F| Humidity: 77 F
Also, she has also stopped eating yesterday. I'm not sure why. But I know she has stopped eating because her food has been untouched yesterday and today, and she hasnt even gone near her food dish. She's just sitting in a hole.

Her shell seems too small for her - all her legs (not the very back ones but like the 2 middle ones) and her claws stick out. New, larger shells are on the way here ASAP (just bought some and having them shipped here). She hasn't lost any legs, except the top half of her right claw (which is smaller than the left one) is gone.

Anyway I'm wondering if anyone can tell me if she's sick or what I can do for her... why isn't she eating?
Why is she just sitting in a hole?
Does she need a friend?
Is she lonely?
Is she getting ready to moult?

I'm so sorry I have all these questions but I really love my hermit crab and I want to know that she's okay. Thanks so much!

[mindytyson3]

Mine is in a hole too. Not sure whats going on. I bought mine on the 20th and he was walking around the tank and then next morning I seen him digging and then later on that night I came in and he had put himself in a hole and has been there ever since. He hasn't eaten anything yet either. I know he has gotten into his water dish but thats about it but that was before he dug himself in a hole..lol. Not sure what to do either. I wish somebody could help me with this too. So only like 3 days or 4 days of having mine he has been in a hole all the time! I even smoothed out the sand to see if he comes out at night but he hasn't yet. I am waiting. Maybe he is in the stress stage or the moulting stage. I hope he comes out soon though. I wonder how long they can go without eating or getting into their water? Anyways I hope somebody answers your question soon. Thanks for the post!

[ladybug15057]

How long have you had the hermit crab(s) that you are concerned about?
1 week
What substrate or combination of substrates are you using? How deep is it?
Zoo Med Eco Earth Compressed Coconut Fiber Expandable Substrate, 3.5 inches deep

Considering you have had your hermie for a week, it sounds like there is a high possibility that she is undergoing PPS. (post purchase stress) Shallow substrate should of been placed in the tank so she could not burrow.

http://crabstreetjournal.com/xoops/modu ... toryid=165

What do you feed your hermit crabs?
Mangoes, carrots, romaine lettuce, walnuts, eggshells, cuttlebone

Whereas walnuts are a form of protein, it sounds like protein and chitin sources are lacking as well as a few other nutrients.

http://crabbywiki.com/tiki-index.php?pa ... hin%2C+etc.

http://crabbywiki.com/tiki-index.php?pa ... tion+Table+

http://www.hermitcrabcuisine.com/

Do you use distilled, bottled, tap or other types of water?
Dechlorinated tap water

If you are using a dechlorinator, what brand is it? Does it state to remove all heavy metals, chlorine and chloramines?
Instant Ocean, yes it says it removes chlorine and chloramines

Instant ocean is an ocean/sea salt mix, not a tap water dechlorinator. If one uses tap water to mix Instant ocean one MUST use a tap water conditioner that removes chlorine, chloramine, and heavy metals with the mix.

What heat source are you using and where is it positioned?
A large heater pad made for 10g tanks, its on the wall on the outside

A UTH mounted on the outside wall of the tank does not help to warm the substrate temp. Hermies need a warm and cool side to the substrate due to being cold blooded creatures.

If you are using an under tank heater, what is the highest temperature that the substrate reaches?
NA

Please read above, regardless one needs to monitor the substrate temp.

But recently she's been... Idk, digging a lot? Digging and then sitting in the hole just looking out the glass.

Being you have had her for a week, has she slowly been adjusted to help her with the temps and humidity percentage as recommended in the PPS article link above?

Also, she has also stopped eating yesterday.

Hermies need a wide varied diet. They are known not to eat the same thing if they have eaten it for a week or two. So one does need to offer a large variety daily. Because of the small amounts they eat many of us freeze food to for later use. Hermies are also known to be social creatures and should not be kept alone. In the wild they live in colonies of up to 100 and 100+.
But please make sure the criteria are bought prior to getting another one. And due to you already having this one for a week, the other should be iso'ed and permitted to adjust too per the PPS article.

[ZuZu]

Ah welcome!
yeah, the crabbies need their buddies two of mine are best buds and are inseperable (if one changes his type of shell the other wears the same one... their insane ) but I know for a fact that MOST hermitz need company. I have heard of the odball that just cannot seem to socialize but that kinda a one in a million sorta thing from what I have experienced. all my crabs always have a bathroom-buddy with them
and ladybug is right about the food, when first getting started before I knew they like variety mine ate for about a week and then just stopped they hate the phrase same-old so every day I supply the nutritional needs but they never have the same food twice in a month... but thats just cause I am Insane

[jwheat]

Instant Ocean is actually just a brand. They make a dechlorinater as well as their well-known sea water salt mix:

http://www.petco.com/product/111799/Ins ... ner-111799

Instant Ocean Marine Conditioner

Internet Price: $9.99Internet Sale: $6.97 Save Up To: 30%
Shop All Products By Instant Ocean

* Makes tap water safe for aquariums
* Innovative formula will not foam in protein skimmers
* Instantly detoxifies heavy metals, chlorine and chloramines

So I use that as well as the salt water mix. It breaks down the chlorine and chloramines and makes tap water Okay to use for fish and hermit crabs and etc.

Update: I got my shipment of new shells and I boiled them thoroughly and then dried them and put them in the tank. My hermit crab immediately switched her shells and she's no longer just sitting in a hole. She's back to normal now and she loves her new shell.

[ladybug15057]

They make a dechlorinater as well as their well-known sea water salt mix:

Thank you for clarifying this! I was not aware they also have a dechlorinator!

She's back to normal now and she loves her new shell.

Happy to hear this! A happy hermie makes for a happy crabby parent.

[jwheat]

Ah welcome!
yeah, the crabbies need their buddies two of mine are best buds and are inseperable (if one changes his type of shell the other wears the same one... their insane ) but I know for a fact that MOST hermitz need company. I have heard of the odball that just cannot seem to socialize but that kinda a one in a million sorta thing from what I have experienced. all my crabs always have a bathroom-buddy with them
and ladybug is right about the food, when first getting started before I knew they like variety mine ate for about a week and then just stopped they hate the phrase same-old so every day I supply the nutritional needs but they never have the same food twice in a month... but thats just cause I am Insane

Thank you omg that is really cute that you have hermit crabs that are best buds. I should get another... My 10g tank could probably handle 2. :3
as for food, I looked at the hermit crab cuisine site and I got better food for my crab. In addition to what I posted earlier I also gave her cooked eggs, garbonzo beans, apple slice, cauliflower, corn, and a strawberry (over this week). I'm glad that she is out of the hole. She has been spending a lot of time in her water dishes too- both the saltwater and the freshwater her previous shell was a tiny painted shell. When I took it out of the tank to put away, I noticed claw marks on the inside of the shell, which was also partially painted. I hate painted shells!

[jwheat]

They make a dechlorinater as well as their well-known sea water salt mix:

Thank you for clarifying this! I was not aware they also have a dechlorinator!

She's back to normal now and she loves her new shell.

Happy to hear this! A happy hermie makes for a happy crabby parent.

Hee you're welcome- it's really nice they have a dechlorinater too as well as the sea salt!

And thank you! I am a very happy crabby parent :3

[ZuZu]

heh yep they are best buds!
my tank is a ten gallon so I have four golfball sized crabs and they fit just fine! my tank is pretty good too if I say say so my tank is getting a bit cramped though, I am gonna get a twenty-nine gallon ASAP! I have been doodling what it is gonna look like all over everything...

[jwheat]

I'm having a problem D:

So my hermit crab was fine, she was just destressing. She's all back to normal, switched into a nice new shell that I bought her, was kind of going berserk over 3 different shells switching back and forth, and she was happily eating an apple yesterday night.

Today was a long day, I had a chem test this morning and I had an orchestra concert that lasted from 5PM - 10PM (including dinner and a light practice). I had left my chem book on top of my hermit crab's cage before I left for my orchestra concert and it was there since like 8AM this morning.

But when I came back from the concert, I looked in the tank and she isn't there... Aaah!
I looked under the little plastice hut that I made her - she wasn't there.
I looked under the food and water dishes - nothin.
Looked under the vine and plastic plant I have in there (which don't lead to the top of the tank, they are pretty low), nada.
I don't think she could've gotten out. I have no climbing toys or plants that lead to the top of the cage, there was a book and a lamp on top of her tank, there are no holes in the tank, and she has never been successful in climbing the silicone of the tank (she tried it a few times once, she kept falling lol cutie).

I'm afraid to dig around looking for her, I feel like that's an invasion of her privacy (if she is somewhere buried). But I'm not sure if I should just assume she's buried and molting or if i should be genuinely worried that my little girl has gotten loose in my room. has this happened to anyone before?