CrabDr: Optimizing Hermit Crab Health
Today’s Date (Month dd, 200y): 10,17,2007
Your First Name: Elizabeth Email: xxxxxx@telus.net
Name/ID of Sick Crab: Crab Cakes Type of Crab: --Select--
How tall is the sick crab at eye level if it were walking? 1 1/4in
How long have you had this crab? 6 wks
How long ago did the crab last molt? ???
How long has the crab been sick? 3-4days
Has the sick crab recently experienced a change from the normal temperature range? This could happen if the crab were taken out of the tank and placed outside or in a different room, etc. No
Has the sick crab recently experienced a change from the normal humidity range? Yes, increased
Has the crab already passed? No
Is there anything you have tried to help the crab? What? increase moisture,apples,carrot,grape
Please put a check next to the following symptoms that your crab is exhibiting:
1 Not eating (they normally eat at night)
1 Not drinking (they normally drink at night)
0 Smells fishy/bad
0 Blowing tiny bubbles in the bath water
0 Making tiny crackle and pop sounds
0 Dropping limbs
0 Wearing a shell that is too small
1 Lowered eye stalks (most of the time)
0 Injured
0 Dying shortly after molting
1 Has cannibalized/injured another crab
0 Is stuck to the inside of a painted shell
0 Is more pale than usual
0 Its exoskeleton has not gained back color after a molt
0 Frothing at the mouth
0 Secreting brown liquid
1 Not moving
0 Has left its snail shell (gone streaking)
0 Missing both pincher claws
0 Has mites (float to surface of the bath water)
1 Hanging out of its shell
0 Has cloudy eyes
0 Stuck in its old exoskeleton
0 Has a wide stance, almost flat to the ground
0 Dark splotches on its abdomen
0 Deformed limb(s)
0 Has crust between its eyes
0 Its exoskeleton has not hardened after a molt
1 Showing other symptoms: other shell in tank with cr
Conditions Evaluation
For the following questions, please answer with regards to the main crabitat, or with regards to the tank in which the sick hermit crab spent most of its time.
What type of material do you use as a substrate?
0None
0Gravel
0Sand (rock)
1Sand (coral/shell)
0Calci Sand
0Coconut Husk Fibers
0Coconut Husk Chips
0Soil/Dirt
0Paper Towel/Newspaper
0Wood Chips/Shavings (not coconut husk)
0Other:
What is the height of the TALLEST crab at eye level while it walks? 1 1/2 in
How deep is the DEEPEST part of the substrate? 2 1/2inc
Describe the moisture content of the substrate. Moist
How is the Crabitat Heated?
0Not Heated
1Under-tank-heater (UTH)
0Red heat lamp
0Lights (not heat lamp)
0The whole room is heated
0Heated pond
0Sun/Windows
0Other:
What is the typical LOW end of the temperature range of the tank? 70
What is the typical HIGH end of the temperature range of the tank? 75
How is the Humidity Regulated in the Tank?
0Not Regulated
1Misted everyday
0Misted Every 2 Days
0Misted Twice a Week
0Misted Weekly or Less
1Covering The Tank
0Moist Substrate
1Spong(es) in Water
0Humidifier in Tank
0Waterfall in Tank
0Big Pond in Tank
0Other:
What is the normal LOW relative humidity in the crabitat? ?
What is the normal HIGH relative humidity in the crabitat? ?
Is there anything you would like to add about the tank conditions?
Nutrition & Hydration
Please write down what you normally feed your hermit crab(s). commercial food with fresh fruit and vegies
How often is the TYPE of food changed to another? every 2 days
How long is a serving of food kept in the tank? 1 day
How deep is the fresh water dish/pond? 1/2 inch
How deep is the salt water dish/pond? 1/2
Does every water dish have a sponge in it? No
Do you provide supplemental calcium?
1No
0Calci Sand
0Oyster Shell
0Cuttle Bone
0Coral Sand
0Sand Dollar
0Calcium Supplement Powder
0Cheese/Yogurt/Dairy
Do you provide any other vitamin or mineral supplements? If yes, please explain. no
How often do you give your crabs a bath? Once every 6 months
What do you use as bath water? Fresh water without chlorine (treated, bottled)
What is the temperature of the bath water? Slightly warmer than the crabitat
Do you bathe a species differently than another? Please explain.
Is there anything else you would like to add about water, nutrition or bathing? n
Please continue to the page below.
Social & Environmental Interactions
Are there shells available a size SMALLER than each crab is wearing? No
Are there shells available a size LARGER than each crab is wearing? Yes
Are there things for the crabs to climb on? Yes
Are there enough hiding places for each crab to be hidden at the same time? No
How many total crabs are/were in the tank with the sick crab 0
What is the size of the tank in GALLONS? Estimate if you need to. (1L = 0.264gal) 5
What types of hermit crabs/animals do you have in this tank?
1Caribbean; PP; C. clypeatus
0Ecuadorian; E; C. compressus
0Indo; C. brevimanus
0Strawberry; C. perlatus
0Australian; C. variabilis
0Ruggie; C. rugosus
0C. cavipes
0C. purpureus
0C. rubescens
0C. scaevola
0C. spinosa / C. olivieri
0C. violascens
0Other land/amphibious crabs (non-hermit crab)
0Freshwater crabs
0Saltwater crabs
0Frogs
0Freshwater fish
0Saltwater fish
What type of plants do you have in this tank? none
Could the hermit crab(s) have been exposed to:
1) pesticides by spraying plants, having Advantage on pets, etc. No
2) soap from dishes, washing hands, cleaning tank, etc. No
3) any volatile (fumy) cleaning products like ammonia, bleach, alcohol , etc. No
4) any heavy metals, such as a cage, twist ties, power cords, etc. No
5) smoke from cigarettes, etc. in the house No
6) perfume, colognes, room fresheners, etc. in the house No
If yes, please explain.
What is the elevation of the city you live in? 1501-2500ft (458-762m)
Do you boil crabitat things that can be boiled to get them clean? Yes
Do you bake wood objects and un-washable things in the oven to clean them? No
How do you wash the washable things in the tank? Water only
How do you wash the crab dishes? Water only
How often do you clean the toys, shells, tank decoration, etc.? every 3 months
How often do you clean the whole tank and everything in it? every month
Please write any comments about the hermit crab's social or environmental interactions?
Crab Dr is a group of hermit crab enthusiasts with members all around the world. Many of us regularly read scientific research available on hermit crabs, and some even have personal contacts with researchers in the field. This group is full of advice and experimental treatment ideas for symptoms that include lethargy, dropping limbs, streaking, and more.
How This Works
Please choose a clinical trial below, that matches the symptoms your crab is experiencing, or that you have been recommended to try. Tell us what happens to your crab by posting a comment to that particular blog entry. All information is valuable, even if the outcome is poor.
In your comment, please let us know
1) How long you have had the sick crab
2) The species of crab
3) And the story of what happend
Thank You
In your comment, please let us know
1) How long you have had the sick crab
2) The species of crab
3) And the story of what happend
Thank You
Clinical Trials and More
- Case Study: Dropping Limbs: C. cavipes (1)
- Clinical Trial: Cannibalism (2)
- Clinical Trial: Deformed Limbs (1)
- Clinical Trial: Dropping Limbs (1)
- Clinical Trial: Froth - Brown Liquid (1)
- Clinical Trial: Infection (2)
- Clinical Trial: Mites (2)
- Clinical Trial: Molting Problems (3)
- Clinical Trial: Out of Shell (1)
- Intake (1)
- Intake: Lethargy (1)
- Intake: Pet Store Syndrome (1)
- Intake: Premolt (1)
1 comment:
Hi Debbie,
Welcome, and thank you for filling out a form.
Sorry to hear about Crab Cakes. Since you have only had him/her? for 6 weeks, it is likely that he is still recovering from the pet store. It also looks like he might be getting ready to molt.
I'm glad that you have moist sand in the tank. He should be able to dig down if he wants to molt. If he has not shown any signs of digging, then he may be sick... or just in too desperate need of molting that he will just molt on the surface. Since his eye stalks are lowered, it makes me think that he is getting critical. He may molt very soon.
Because of the possibility of molting, I would try not to disturb him. Make sure to keep providing the fresh and salt water for him within reach. Keep the humidity up, like you said you did. You could even try to keep his tank dark and away from too much noise or vibration.
The act of molting does not take that long. If he runs into trouble, most commonly being stuck in the old exoskeleton, he may drop a caught limb. Recovery after the molt takes at least a week, and usually more than 10 days for a smaller crab, so he may need 2 weeks or so of solid rest. During that time, the exo will harden and he will begin to eat the old exo. It will be a while before he is able to ambulate.
Usually a crab would bury down for a molt, sit there for about 2-4 weeks, molt, then sit there again for another 2 weeks or so. So you may be observing this "sitting period" before a molt.
Your setup seems great. If there were any recommendations that I could give you it would be to include seeds, nuts, and fish (to prevent cannibalism... so he can have a friend again) in his diet; to increase the depth of the fresh water dishes to at least 1 inch; and to include hiding places and slightly smaller shells in the tank.
One last thing. Since you are at a higher elevation than most crabbers, there is not enough evidence to confirm or deny the hypothesis that hermit crabs do not thrive past a certain elevation. All of the successful crabbers who have filled out forms have been at a lower altitude than you, but the sample size is still too small. I have not seen an unreasonable number of sick crabs at high altitude either (that sample size is a lot larger). Your crab may have added stresses from the altitude, but I think the main problem is still recovering from the pet store/whole seller experience, and the need to molt.
For more information, please visit the "Successful Standards" section if you have not already.
I hope this helps, and thanks again for filling out a form.
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