. She didn't move a lot after (when I took her our initially, she was walking around), and while in the palm of my hand, left another small brown puddle. Help! Is she dying!?? She doesn't smell fishy, and if anything she smells like her environment. Could she be cleaning out her shell or her waste? Any ideas or suggestions as to what I can do is appreciated.
I put her back in her home, and she was idle for a while then slightly buried herself in a wedge between a log and the corner of the tank by some plants. The cool side is 70 degrees, and the warm side is 78 degrees. Okay, I won't handle them for a few weeks and leave them be. Thanks!ladybug15057 wrote:How is she acting now? What is the temp of your substrate, both the cool and warm side? (which will be different than the air temp)
Being you have only had them a few days, they should be permitted to be left alone for a couple of weeks so they can destress from all they have been though.
Thanks for your responseladybug15057 wrote:It would help too if you could please answer the questions below the best you can:
What is the volume of your main tank?
10 gallons
How many hermit crabs do you currently have? How big are they?
4; i have a small one, medium, and two larger ones...sorry its so vague, im not sure what to compare them too
How long have you had the hermit crab(s) that you are concerned about?
5 days; she also has a missing claw and part of a lower leg
What substrate or combination of substrates are you using? How deep is it?
i'm using caribsea sugar sized sand, coconut fiber, and a small amt of sterilized play sand; i'd say around 5 inches
What do you feed your hermit crabs?
last night they had: some cheddar cheese, spinach, cilantro, blueberries, grapes, carrots, rolled oats with some honey and peanut butter
Do you use distilled, bottled, tap or other types of water?
filtered and dechlorinated water
If you are using a dechlorinator, what brand is it? Does it state to remove all heavy metals, chlorine and chloramines?
yes Stress Coat
What brand of sea salt are you using to supply your hermit crabs with salt water?
Oceanic Natural Sea Salt Mix
What heat source are you using and where is it positioned?
Zoo Med Repti-Therm UTH
Have you calibrated your thermometer(s) and hygrometer so that you can interpret accurate readings?
Yes...haha it better be accurate!
I'm so worried for her... Using the shell as a judger.. One can use a marble, penny, nickle, quarter, golf ball, tennis ball, etc.How many hermit crabs do you currently have? How big are they?
4; i have a small one, medium, and two larger ones...sorry its so vague, im not sure what to compare them too
Poor baby, sounds as though she was holding on when the poacher tried to take her from her home and she was holding on. Rather than waiting for her to let go, it sounds as though he clipped them off. Here is an article about PPS:How long have you had the hermit crab(s) that you are concerned about?
5 days; she also has a missing claw and part of a lower leg
Please do not use Stress coat in their drinking water. There is the chance that the slime coating in it could possibly effect the nutrients they absorb from the small amounts of foods they eat. Aquarium pharmaceuticals does make a tap water conditioner too without the slime coating in it.If you are using a dechlorinator, what brand is it? Does it state to remove all heavy metals, chlorine and chloramines?
yes Stress Coat
Is it on the bottom of the tank?What heat source are you using and where is it positioned?
Zoo Med Repti-Therm UTH
ladybug15057 wrote:Using the shell as a judger.. One can use a marble, penny, nickle, quarter, golf ball, tennis ball, etc.How many hermit crabs do you currently have? How big are they?
4; i have a small one, medium, and two larger ones...sorry its so vague, im not sure what to compare them too
id say the smallest, Tiny, is the size of a nickle; Snowy is the size of a quarter; Felix is a little larger than a quarter; and Oscar is maybe about the size of a half dollar...the largest.
Poor baby, sounds as though she was holding on when the poacher tried to take her from her home and she was holding on. Rather than waiting for her to let go, it sounds as though he clipped them off. Here is an article about PPS:How long have you had the hermit crab(s) that you are concerned about?
5 days; she also has a missing claw and part of a lower leg
http://crabstreetjournal.com/xoops/modu ... toryid=165
Try not to let them burrow to help them adjust better per the PPS article.
that sounds so terrible!
Please do not use Stress coat in their drinking water. There is the chance that the slime coating in it could possibly effect the nutrients they absorb from the small amounts of foods they eat. Aquarium pharmaceuticals does make a tap water conditioner too without the slime coating in it.If you are using a dechlorinator, what brand is it? Does it state to remove all heavy metals, chlorine and chloramines?
yes Stress Coat
Okay, I will switch!
Is it on the bottom of the tank? YesWhat heat source are you using and where is it positioned?
Zoo Med Repti-Therm UTH
And may I ask too what the humidity percentage of the tank is, and where is the gauge located? (top, bottom, middle… substrate level? Any water sources around the gauge?
its at 80%; located in the middle of the tank, half a distance to their water
You may wish to keep an eye out on Freecycle in your area for a larger tank. (20 gal long would work) For now maybe a second level for more room for them to roam and have a place of their own?id say the smallest, Tiny, is the size of a nickle; Snowy is the size of a quarter; Felix is a little larger than a quarter; and Oscar is maybe about the size of a half dollar...the largest.
It is terrible how they are captured, and the clipping is only the beginning and why it is ever so important to give them time to destress from all they have been through.that sounds so terrible!
Do you have the tank up about an inch off of the surface it is on? (not with those ridiculous little rubber feet they give with them) We have 1 inch blocks under the corners of the smaller tanks here (iso’s) to hold them up so the UTH doesn’t overheat. (they are expensive) Some use lego’s to hold the tanks up so air can circulate underneath.Is it on the bottom of the tank? Yes
So I think you are right, maybe just some clean up she was doing. Tiny and Oscar haven't come out of their hiding spot to eat though, is that normal? Could it be possible that they simply do not like what I have been feeding them? During play time the other day, I put Tiny & Oscar on the food and they didn't seem interested at all. I'm hoping they ate at night without me noticing. Any advice?