Please Help...molted crab naked

Questions about hermit crabs moulting and its symptoms.
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galaciel21
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Re: Please Help...molted crab naked

Post by galaciel21 »

Tough time isn't the word...he dropped a limb. He now just has his big and feeder pincher left.

He really needed a bath so I put him in the water and he immediately started drinking. I did find a Tupperware container lid suitable for him to lay on and be able to lay the cocohut over him.

I snapped a picture of him but, I think his outcome will be poor. I just don't know what else to do other then let him be and hope for the best.

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CrabbyJo
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Re: Please Help...molted crab naked

Post by CrabbyJo »

Hi Galaciel21,
I haven't been on the site in a few days and am only now reading about your difficulty with you little guy. I wanted to give at least a few words of encouragement - I had an Equadorian crab that came up from a molt with only three legs, no pincers. I put him in a container and yes for several days I worried because he was barely moving. But I put tiny containers of ocean salt water and fresh water in with him (plastic bottle caps) and he would drain the little dishes. He had about a 6x4" area to move around in. He sat in the fresh water bowl for days, worried the heck out of me, with his shell upended and his little body poking out the top - then he began destroying the food in the food dish I put in there. I was having to refill it every day, because he'd wipe out what I'd put in. I gave him seaweed daily as well as shrimp I had ground up in my blender (that is NOT an easy feat) because he had no pincers to tear anything with and had to depend on his pointy little legs to pick up food, or put his face right in it. So I made sure all his food was mushed up really fine. I gave him protein and chitin sources daily, seaweed (I am a firm believer in daily seaweed!) and bananas and strawberries mushed up. Anything I could mush (sweet potatoes, cooked brocolli, etc) I'd give him. After a week I was able to place him in an iso tank, and he went down for a molt just 3 weeks after he'd come up. He was down 3 weeks, and came up with two adorable undersized claws and a new leg. After another molt another couple months later, his claws were normal size and he was HUGE. So he survived well.
Unfortunately, your little guy doesn't have his shell, and that would worry me a lot too. :(

I had one that went shell-less, and I put him into a small container full of clean shells, holes up, with some ocean water spritzed in them. He was on top of the shells, and would have had to climb over them to get to a spot that didn't have any, and he ended up taking one. I think that this long without a shell I might consider placing yours in a situation like that, if you feel it might be okay and that he isn't too stressed.

I'd wait for Marie to chime in on this one too. It's just a thought, and your situation is different.

I have to say though, his abdomen, to me, looks pretty healthy, so there's hope!

Edit: About the large pincer not moving as you've stated a few times: If he does make it through this, it may be that his large pincer is useless for grabbing. It is unusual for it to be open like that. You will just have to make sure to give food that is well ground so he can easily pick it up with his small pincer until he molts and grows a new big pincer. He may end up dropping the big pincer too, so don't be too alarmed if that happens.
6 hermit crabs - 3 PPs and 3 Equadorians
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ladybug15057
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Re: Please Help...molted crab naked

Post by ladybug15057 »

Seeing the picture, oh my, my heart is going out to him. Poor little hermie. But from actually being in this situation myself a couple times I found it to be harder than what the picture shows.
I agree with CrabbyJo as in his abdomen does look healthy. Dropping another limb is not good, but he does still have the 2 pinchers which could still help him to shed the exo when he molts. His eyes seem to still be up and alert… another good sign.
From what I am seeing in the picture, on his right side at least he does appear to be missing some appendages. This very well could be why he is not taking on a shell right now. (looks like one just barely hanging on towards the top of his abdomen) His large pincher, looks like he had it open in attempt to defend himself while being cannibalized, but it was snipped in the top ^ part of it where the top and bottom meet. It is certainly discolored and looks like there is a small hunk missing from it. The bottom part of the large pincher has been snipped off too. (why the indent at the end)
He looks weakened, he needs to eat. Will he accept a toothpick feeding yet?
Would you even happen to have the glass off of a picture frame or such that you can use to keep his abdomen cleaned? (washed in declor water)
Marie (aka ladybug15057)

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galaciel21
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Re: Please Help...molted crab naked

Post by galaciel21 »

Hi CrabbyJo! Thanks for weighing in and sharing your story! So glad to hear your little one pulled through after having a bad molt. It helps knowing that other owners have had positive outcomes after a bad molt and/or cannibalism.

The shell idea sounded great, esp. since you had success with it. Marie did point out though that he is missing some of his shell legs which is prob. the reason why he hasn't taken to a shell. It makes sense. He has scoped out a couple shells but never made the move.

Oh my...I know you tell me to not be alarmed if the big pincher does drop (which just seems obvious at this point since its completely useless to him) but, I still will. Just so much in so little time. I been tryin to keep high hopes but, after seeing he dropped another limb yesterday, I am just beginning to lose hope.

Marie - Thank you for pointing out what else is missing and why his big pincher is the way it is. You are obviously way more experienced with hermit crab anatomy then I am.

He still won't eat from me. He is the least outgoing of my other crabs. He is very shy and unlike the others, won't pop out his shell when you hold him or in your hand. Whenever I would get him out the tank, if he was out he shelled up quick and wouldn't come out until you put him down. It probably explains why he acts the way he does now that he is pretty much defenseless. Before he could scoot around, he would raise his claws up as if he was going to fight me off and now (well...before he dropped his other limb) that he could prop himself up, he would scoot away from me. Since he dropped his other limb, he is back to the way he was. Just lays there, tightens his abdomen and raises his claws.

I found a nice, round smooth tupperware lid that I was able to place him on. Its clean and cleaned of any debris. I placed him on it yesterday after his bath. Its big enough to lay him on and cover with a cocohut. There is also more surface area to place some shells on or if he was bold enough to venture out and he be able to keep his abdomen clean.

Since I bathed him yesterday, I haven't been bothering with him. I'm sure the bath and pictures weren't in his favor but, He really needed one and I wanted you to take a look at him. I feel like I'm the reason why he dropped his leg so I'm wanting to let him be as much as possible. I just go in there to check on him, replenish food and water in the bottle caps and to mist the tank to keep the humidity up.
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ladybug15057
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Re: Please Help...molted crab naked

Post by ladybug15057 »

I do not think you are the reason he dropped the other limb. It could be it was already damaged so it let go. As for loosing his large pincher, I cannot see the top or what all I have written but he should keep it unless there is more damage I cannot see. Being alone in iso, he should not feel threatened so no reason to drop it.
Bottle caps for food? Perhaps would you happen to have anything flatter that would be easier for him to get into for eating? Seems he may need to slightly lean to eat since he has the 2 pinchers and this would be easier for him to eat from? Even if it is a cleaned milk jug lid, or a gallon water bottle lid?
I am happy to hear you were able to find a smooth plastic lid. This should help to keep his little bottom from becoming irritated. Is he still also being provided a night/day cycle? (very important to still provide this)
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galaciel21
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Re: Please Help...molted crab naked

Post by galaciel21 »

Knowing that it could have been damaged makes me feel better about his dropping the limb. I do have flat lids I can provide food on. The bottles caps seemed like they worked before because he was able to prop himself.

I did notice he hasn't moved at all today. He has stayed in the spot since yesterday but, he is alive.

Yes, he def. is being provided a day and night cycle.

His tank seems like it starting to smell a bit stale. Not really like death but more like maybe (hopefully) water? I never experienced this in my main before. Maybe because my iso tank is more bare? My main has a climbing background that helps keep my humidity up whereas my iso is just glass walls. Maybe the water clinging onto that is causing it to smell that way.
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ladybug15057
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Re: Please Help...molted crab naked

Post by ladybug15057 »

More of a stagnant type odor? (lack of air circulation?) It is almost midnight and I am sorry I do not remember if you have a damp or dry substrate? Either or, maybe it needs stirred a little to aerate it some? If the hut has been in one area, maybe remove that substrate (about 1/2 inch down) in case something maybe brewing? Next time you need to replace food or water, check the edges of the cocohut very closely for any mildew or mold, or even give it a little sniff?
Not moving about takes strength, strength he needs to attempt to gear up for a molt.
You're doing the best a human can do galaciel21, he needs to do quite a bit for himself too.
Still pulling for him!!
Marie (aka ladybug15057)

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galaciel21
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Re: Please Help...molted crab naked

Post by galaciel21 »

Yeah, like a stagnant odor. My iso is set up in 3 parts. One part is sand from the main, eco from the main and i laid two paper towels down. One he was layin on and one I had the water dish on. I had placed them so he didn't get stuff on his abdomen and put substrate from the tank in the iso as a familiar smell for him. I've since removed the paper towels and upon your suggestion, now have the tupperware lid in there which takes up that whole part where he was originally layin and the water dish. Tomorrow I'm gonna go ahead and mix the sand about. You are prob. right about it being due to lack of air circulation. The substrate isn't thick at all in the iso. I never bothered to make it thick for the fact that he was naked, has never shelled and I didn't want to get stuff on his abdomen. I didn't think he bother trying to burrow and given how he kinda stays in one spot, def. don't see him doing it now.

Thanks Marie, I'm trying to do as best as I can and you've def. been helping me out alot. Every morning now I get more and more nervous when I look under the cocohut. I just don't feel that he is going to even make it to his next molt but, maybe he'll surprise us.
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ladybug15057
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Re: Please Help...molted crab naked

Post by ladybug15057 »

I'm hoping he surprises you. I know with both Binker and Vanessa each day a couple times a day my heart sank. Straws are VERY delegate, and E's not too far behind. I just knew they were going to pass, and if not they would not be able to pull through their molt due to not being able to take their exo off. I saw the gel buds turn into gel limbs and the more they grew the more nervous I became. Both were shell less when I found them in the morning after their attack, and Binker (found him naked in a hut) took a shell within a couple minutes of me offering, but Vanessa (E) (found her naked hanging in the ocean water pond) was stubborn. She took a while longer. But both were use to being picked up about daily so when I picked them up I guess they were not as stressed as some hermies can get when they are picked up and not use to it. It is a hard emotional situation you are going through, but when he pulls through and is a whole hermie again it is a reward that is so awesomely unexplainable.
Marie (aka ladybug15057)

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galaciel21
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Re: Please Help...molted crab naked

Post by galaciel21 »

Well....I spot cleaned my main hermie tank today and after I finished that up, went to clean up and check on my little guy. Unfortunately, he passed. I had a little bit of a sick feeling yesterday that this was going to happen soon when I noticed his lack of movement. When I found him today, his abdomen was slack, made zero movement and there was actually white mold growing on his abdomen that def was not there yesterday. I kept the humidity at a steady 80%. I guess maybe there was just to much moisture in there? I've never seen, heard and even tried looking this up with zero results.

Bleh....
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