Missing both front claws!

[larissa]

Hi guys,

My girl Cavalli has lost both her front claws! It's not due to fighting ( as i keep the 2 seperate) so im guessing stress related or she is sick?

I have moved her to an ISO tank with plenty of diet suppliments in a dark room.

WIll she grow both her claws back?? If so how long does this take??

Also can she still feed even though she doesnt have her 2 front claws??

Please help!!

[erikleeson]

Hermit crabs do not fight unless it is for a shell, so it must be stress. They can only eat liquidy foods in this condition, so I guess no they cannot feed. Your crab may be seriously hungry. Put some honey on a toothpick and hand feed it everyday. It takes a few molts to regenerate the claws. Just do your best and try and keep the crab in a non stressful environment.

Make sure that:

They have enough hiding places and room to walk
They have fresh and salt water
They have a proper diet of fresh foods not commercial
They have proper temperature and humidity in the tank.

[ladybug15057]

How long have you had this hermie?
What is the humidity percentage of the tank she is in, and when did you calibrate/test the gauge last?
She should still have access to a night and day cycle to her day to remain healthy. Make sure she has a hut if she wants to seek shelter in it from the light or for security reasons.
Do you know when or if she molted last? It could depend on how close she is to molting at this time as to whether there is time for her to grow gel pinchers for her to regenerate them with her next molt. A healthy diet at this point with all the nutrients hermies need is very important for her to regenerate her missing pinchers. (diet is important daily actually)
Is there a reason as to why you keep the 2 hermies separated?
If your hermies is still able to get about, it would be best at this time not to handle her due to the severe signs of stress she is currently displaying. So I would suggest to put honey into a small dish so she can eat this herself. Grind all foods into a powder form, or make a mush out of them. She should be able to eat herself without any handling.
What kind of ocean water mix do you offer, and what dechlorinator do you use? (if any?)

[krabby_katie]

The "Doctor" on the site had a clawless hermit crab too. Claude. She had to hand feed her because she couldn't eat by herself. She should grow them back if she makes it though a molt. Her hermie didn't survive that, but I hope yours makes it! With the feeding, feed him with a toothpick with honey/peanut butter with different ground up foods on it (cuttlebone, krill and such)

[larissa]

I have had Cavalli for a few months now, maybe 5?

And she hasn't moulted since \I have had her. How often do they moult anyway?

I've been feeding her honey on a toothpic, she must havebeen hungry as she scoffed this down!

I've also got her some crab super nutrients with everything essential it it which i have been feeding her as well as the honey.

In regards to what water she has, i live near the beach so she gets her salt water straight from the ocean, and her fresh water is bought already de-clorinated.

Thanks everyone for your help! much appreciated =)

[emmac350]

Just out of curiosity, what do you mean that you keep your crabs separated? Are they completely separate, as in different tanks?

[larissa]

different tanks, they dont like each other!

[ladybug15057]

I have looked and do not see what country you're from? Sometimes this also helps us to help you. (Please note, I do understand about internet safety, but listing the country one is from isn't usually too damaging on the internet)
But if you live in U.S. it is highly recommended do to all the impurities in the ocean water around our country not to use the water. (oil, gas, etc.) This as well as there can be parasitic type pests within the water as well.
Being you have had her for 5 months now, one can basically rule out what you're observing being PPS related. What is the humidity percentage of your tank? (did you calibrate/test the gauge, and if so when was the last time you did this?)
What is the air temp of you tank, and the temperature of your substrate?
For some known reasons as to why hermies do drop limbs please do read:

Lost_limbs

For some reasons hermes become aggressive:

Aggression

[erikleeson]

hmm....None of my hermit crabs fight. They do shove each other around and sometimes knock each other over but that has to do with the colony's alpha crab - they fight for dominant title. The leader award. Most real fights have to do with a shell. Putting it simply it is highly unlikely that the crabs are fighting because they do not like one another.

[ladybug15057]

Did you happen to read the information at the embedded link "Aggression"?
It is not uncommon at all, matter of fact it is common for there to be an alpha hermie in all crabitats. But I do agree that most fights do not involve whether one 'likes' another or not. But when one sees large pincher action, it is time to separate the 2 involved.