Old Crabs gang up on new ones.

Questions about unexpected problems.
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fonze1e06
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Old Crabs gang up on new ones.

Post by fonze1e06 »

Hey everyone, names Al and Im new to forums and slightly new to crabbin so any help would be greatly appreciated.

Have 6 Hermit Crabs in a 20 Gal Tank
Plenty of food full of protein
and plenty of shells (15-20? total) to choose from

The other week I bought 3 new guys all the same size as the medium size purple pinchers I currently own and when I introduced them it was a rumble.

The old crabs ganged up on the new ones and the new ones just sat there and took the bullying till i seperated them. I tried bathing them together, introducing them in different tanks, iso tanks, and somewhere so they dont feel too territorial and nothing seems to work out.

what should i do to keep the peace? I dont want my new crabs killed.
Thank you guys

-AL
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emmac350
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Re: Old Crabs gang up on new ones.

Post by emmac350 »

When you say that your food is full of protein, are you talking about feeding them meat daily, or are you talking about a "crab food"? If it's a crab food as opposed to feeding them meat, they aren't going to get the protein that they need because, frankly, crabs don't LIKE pellets every day for dinner. I can't blame them...I wouldn't either. Do you feed meat daily, and calcium too? If so, keep the new guys in an ISO tank for a while. Let them destress and the old ones forget all about it. Then, after at least a few weeks (up to two months if you have the patience), put the new guys into another thing. I use my big Rubbermaid that I use to exercise the crabs. Put the new ones in until they look comfortable there. Introduce the other crabs, one at a time. That way the bullies are feeling a bit uncomfortable and don't think that they're the shiz. When you take crabs out of the neutral territory, take the new guys out first. Bathe them in a container of crab-safe water. All crabs should be bathed together so the old guys will smell like the new guys. Put them in the main tank and let them explore and find a place of their own. Then put the other crabs in.
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fonze1e06
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Re: Old Crabs gang up on new ones.

Post by fonze1e06 »

Thank you for your reply and help. The food I use to feed these crabs are a combination of pellets and treats. Called FMR Land Hermit Crab Food and Treats (Includes Crude Protein, Fat, Fiber, Moisture, Minerals) I do not currently feed them meat because Im not too sure which would be the best to feed and they seem to be happy with the crab food I use now. Right now the three new crabs are in an iso 10 gallon tank, but I will keep trying to bathe them together and introduce them one at a time in a neutral location. Any advice on what I can do about my old crabs which are still buried. Overtime they could come out and find the new guys and still take the same bullying reaction. (cant introduce them if they are far under the surface). Thanks

-AL
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emmac350
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Re: Old Crabs gang up on new ones.

Post by emmac350 »

What are the ingredients on that food? I can't find them online.

Crabs aren't made to eat pellets...they don't know to go to one food source for all of their nutrition needs. I bet if you tried giving them meat (unseasoned, microwaved to kill germs) they'd go nuts. Chicken cooked in veggie oil is a huge hit in my tank! Type of meat doesn't matter provided it isn't seasoned and has no preservatives. Beef, pork, chicken, fish, shellfish...try it with them. Do you feed any fresh food beyond the FMR?

One other thing - crabs don't like eating the same thing for sometimes upwards of two weeks. They like variety, so please do give them something other than the FMR food (if the FMR does only have safe ingredients) to supplement their diet - fruits, veggies, meats, etc.
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CrabbyJo
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Re: Old Crabs gang up on new ones.

Post by CrabbyJo »

Since you have new guys you need to leave them alone in an iso that mimics the main tank conditions for at least two weeks to let them destress and get used to the activity patterns in your home, and to get used to the idea that they don't have to compete for resources. If the pet store conditions were largely different from your tank, then those conditions should be copied and then gradually brought up to correct conditions slowly over several weeks.
This article should help: http://crabstreetjournal.com/xoops/modu ... ting+death

After a couple weeks, pick a day when your old crabs seem active, and create a neutral location for the crabs to meet. Do as Emma said, make a lukewarm bath (not room temp, that's too cold, it should feel almost the same temp as the inside of your wrist) and bathe each of the new crabs in it, placing them in the neutral location. And as she said, introduce the "old" crabs to them one at a time after bathing them, giving them time to get used to each other.
You will likely see some challenging behaviors, and that is normal, it should be allowed. Larger crabs will often shove other crabs away with a flick of their large pincer. Sometimes they will even roll the smaller crabs around. This is fine. Just watch for large pincers coming open and grabbing, that is not okay and someone could be seriously hurt, so gently separate the crabs if this happens.
They have to be allowed to assert their dominance and their "pecking order" as it were.

Also, check those foods for copper sulfate and Ethoxyquin. Both of those are preservatives that can be harmful to hermit crabs, as they are used in insecticides, and hermit crabs are very closely related to the insect phylum. Don't use them if they do. Your hermit crabs need lots of fresh fruits and veggies (as in a large variety) as well as protein sources, chitin sources, calcium, and cellulose, more commonly found in cork bark, cholla wood, and the like.
Never use cedar/pine/spruce products in your hermit crab tank.
6 hermit crabs - 3 PPs and 3 Equadorians
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ladybug15057
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Re: Old Crabs gang up on new ones.

Post by ladybug15057 »

Please do take the advice above, and also throw out the FMR Food. It is useless as well as it contains copper sulphate/sulfate. Lots of 'meal' too so it is not the 100% food... as in the Alfalfa that is listed. It also states "Meat & bone meal" and too many times this means it also contains Ethoxyquin.
Edited to add:
The FMR treat isn't so bad for additives. But watch for tiny webs within it, and if you notice there is not an expiration date on the bottle... and yes it does have a shelf life.
Marie (aka ladybug15057)

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fonze1e06
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Re: Old Crabs gang up on new ones.

Post by fonze1e06 »

hey guys, Im taking your advice - I started a fresh food diet (meats, carrots and other food recommended) and im tossing the FMR food, I did read up on it and it says the EQ and other things in it can cause physical deformities. I don't want that at all. They seem to go crazy over chicken so I'll make sure to prepare their meals better and maybe that'll improve their moods. I'll give it another week or so before I introduce them to each other again and I'll keep you all updated if youd like, and let you know what happens.

Thanks again.

Al
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