Salt and Pepper

[Salt and Pepper]

Oh my gosh! When I was at a sleepover, I got both today, and they told me both my crabs are DEAD! I miss them so much, they were my best friends..
-R.I.P
XxSalt and Pepper

[Salt and Pepper]

Oh yay, I got 2 more though. Welcome Kawaii and Wasabi.

[ladybug15057]

Sorry for your loss, but hopefully with the 2 new additions you now have the criteria they need to live healthy while with you. It is highly unlikely they passed due to the sleep over.

[Salt and Pepper]

Sorry for your loss, but hopefully with the 2 new additions you now have the criteria they need to live healthy while with you. It is highly unlikely they passed due to the sleep over.

LOL. No, I got back from a sleepover and right when I got back I got the news. I wasn't there when they died! I didn't know.

[Wai]

I am interested in finding out why BOTH your two hermit crabs died. One death may not be a big mystery, but if both crabs die, then there's something really worth investigating about.

[pookie_spike09]

thats 2 bad.... vry sry 4 the loss
but u can always try again with a new set of hermies!!!

[Salt and Pepper]

I am interested in finding out why BOTH your two hermit crabs died. One death may not be a big mystery, but if both crabs die, then there's something really worth investigating about.

I'm not sure. One died one morning and the other one the next. They told me they were pacing awkwardly back and forth the front of the cage, which they had been doing lately, and they went to check on them and one was dead! The other one did that one too and then it TOO died. We threw all the material and items in the tank; the sand, the gravel, the branch, and the tin and then we sanitized the tank. We now have 2 water dishes; one with saltwater and one with fresh, Hermit Crab coconut fiber substrate mixed with white calcium-providing Hermit Crab sand and about 4 extra shells. We are now starting over with 2 PPs from our local PETCO store.

[CrabbyJo]

Salt and pepper, when you said you threw away the tin, to what were you referring? You do realize that hermit crabs are very sensitive to metals?
And you have read all the care sheets marked "new" on this site, yes?

It might be best to review them and make sure you've got everything right just in case there was something you missed to begin with, just to maybe help you figure out why your crabs died in the first place.

Good luck with the new additions!

[Wai]

Hermit Crab coconut fiber substrate mixed with white calcium-providing Hermit Crab sand

Are you talking about Calci-Sand? In case you didn't know, Sharai once had Calci-Sand in her tank as a substrate in a small area. Four crabs proceeded to moult in it; three died and the survivor lost both of its claws. All her other hermit crabs that moulted in coconut fibre with beach sand mixed into it have been fine.

Basically, I'm just warning you against the use of Calci-Sand as a substrate (if it is what you are using). I consider Calci-Sand "blacklisted". Even if your hermit crabs are short in calcium, you can always give them calcium carbonate powder or cuttle bone.

[ladybug15057]

Calsi sand is known to be drying and can dehydrate a hermie. This is even stated on the bag as it 'pulls' moisture. Once calsi sand gets damp/wet and begins to dry it can also become VERY hard, and it does get a smell as well. I know of a couple crabbers who used this even mixed with Eco earth to give a little calcium in the substrate only to have it get packed into the hermies shells when they burrowed and the hermie become lodged within their own shells under the substrate.