Possible Death? Looking for help.

Questions about unexpected problems.
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Blue Veins
Zygote
Zygote
Posts: 1
Joined: 05 Jan 2018, 07:52
Gender: Female
Hermit crabs: 1
Total gallons: 30
Total tanks: 30

Possible Death? Looking for help.

Post by Blue Veins »

Uh, hello, I recently joined this site in hopes of getting help with my issue of my single hermit crab. I’ve had her for quite a long time, about seven years. I got her from when I went to New Jersey, and felt the need to take her and another crab home from the bad conditions, and I was quite naive at the time. After a few years, the one she came with passed on, and was much larger than her, so it might have been from age. Anyways, about three to four months ago I found my remaining hermit crab on the substrate, partially out of her shell. It’s been this amount of time since she was last active, yet I’m unsure if she’s passed on or not due to the fact that she isn’t buried and has not shown signs of moulting, yet doesn’t smell or show signs of death. No legs or anything is missing, and my mother has picked her up before, and the crab does not fall out of the shell. I left it this long because according to other sites about hermit crabs that I found before this one, they can take this long to molt, and I don’t want to disturb her if she actually is still alive. She’s medium sized, maybe medium large, not sure about exact measurements. I’m a bit ashamed to ask for help with this, since as a pet owner I should have probably looked extensively, much more than I have, about these invertebrates, but the only other deaths I’ve experienced is when they actually fall out of their shells and have obviously passed on. Thanks!
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Wai
Administrator
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Posts: 2892
Joined: 01 Nov 2004, 14:12
Gender: Male
Hermit crabs: 2
Total gallons: 45
Total tanks: 1
Location: Victoria, Australia
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Re: Possible Death? Looking for help.

Post by Wai »

You haven't seen her eat or drink at all? Just oddly still for the past few months? It does seem quite unusual if a crab is planning to moult to be like that for that long though.
Wai
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ladybug15057
Coenobita
Coenobita
Posts: 3098
Joined: 03 Mar 2008, 04:12
Gender: Female
Hermit crabs: 82
Total gallons: 305
Total tanks: 7
Location: Southwestern Pa., U.S.

Re: Possible Death? Looking for help.

Post by ladybug15057 »

What do you use as a substrate? if you use sand, smooth the sand and see if you see any hermie tracks in the morning. (or any other time)
Marie (aka ladybug15057)

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