Plz HELP, Need Advice!!

Questions about hermit crabs moulting and its symptoms.
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CrabbyChat
Zygote
Zygote
Posts: 1
Joined: 19 Jul 2017, 11:25
Gender: Female
Hermit crabs: 2
Total gallons: 10
Total tanks: 3

Plz HELP, Need Advice!!

Post by CrabbyChat »

So, the story starts about last year when I wanted hermit crab.. I did LOADS of research, did all of the appropriate & necessary things before getting your hermit crabs.
Later, I decided to make the move on my parents.. (to try to convince them to let me get them). I stayed up a whole 24 hours working on this two-sided poster board.. which included ALL of the vital information. I ended up getting them for Christmas!! :D yay!
I got all of my supplies and set everything up, later I got just 1 hermit crab. I already knew that, with hermit crabs it's 'more the merrier', and I remember thinking "I'll get another one soon", but my friend got me another one before I could even get another one..... The one he got me I named Tilly, and the larger one I previously bought myself I named Emmett.
Anyways, I'm sorry this is so long. I'll get to the problems I've been having (aka. what i need advice on). So for starters, I still continue to read books about hermit crabs. I'm still learning new things about them. But in all of the books I read, it talks about hermit crabs.. and how they always form a bond with you and from what I can tell, all I am to my hermit crabs is a provider. I try really hard to try to bond with them and bring their little bodies stress levels down, and this sounds weird but kinda be their mother, but it doesn't seem to be doing anything.
Problem #2- My hermit crab Emmett (who is bigger than Tilly) absolutely LOVES to go shell shopping so I be sure to leave a decent amount of shells for both of them, but recently he's been taking a liking to Tilly's shell. I've given Tilly tons of shells to chose from to see if she would move out of her own, but she has't found one she's 100% sure with. So Emmett tried to shake her shell, but Tilly wouldn't bunge. One thing lead to another and Emmett was trying to pull Tilly out of her shell. Tilly is a survivor, and we found her big claw and some of her legs, but the NEXT day she had all of her limbs back! I know that they can grow back limbs when they molt, but Tilly had just recently molted and I didn't think it could happen in 24 hours!? Either way I'm grateful she's ok, but it's still a mystery to me. Emmett still does attempt to shake her out of her shell, but I seperate one of them to my isolation tank for a few hours and then everything's fine again.

Thanks for Reading this!! ;)
If any of you know any reason these things are happening, plzz let me know. Also if you want to give me advice for anything I'm doing wrong feel free to criticize. Last thing, if you have any questions for me JUST ASK....
Thanks Again,
Your Average Hermit Crab Enthusiast :P
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ladybug15057
Coenobita
Coenobita
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Joined: 03 Mar 2008, 04:12
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Location: Southwestern Pa., U.S.

Re: Plz HELP, Need Advice!!

Post by ladybug15057 »

For us to try to help. we would need more information. Please answer the questions from:

viewtopic.php?f=2&t=4

I'm not sure which books you're reading, but many I have read have much information that is either incorrect or outdated.
To lose legs/pincher ad grow them back in a 24 hour period is impossible. To molt in a 24 hour period does happen at times when the hermie feels more secure, and closer to a proper environment.
Please do copy and paste the questions at the link above and answer them with as much detail as possible.
Marie (aka ladybug15057)

If you are contacted privately (via pm or e-mail) and enticed to join another forum, please contact a Crab Crew member. This is an unethical practice.
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aussieJJDude
Zoea V
Zoea V
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Joined: 02 Mar 2012, 19:30
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Re: Plz HELP, Need Advice!!

Post by aussieJJDude »

Your trying to anthropomorphise hermit crabs. They smart (dont get me wrong, they have successfully and highly adapted to their environment for millions of years) but trying to form a close bond is very rare. They are wild animals, and will never be bonded to us. At most, when offering food or changing water, the crabs might not run away, but thats as far as your bond will go. Pushing for a bond that will never happen, is probably going to be more damaging then helpful.
As for the lost limbs, are you sure they are actually limbs not just an exoskeleton from a previous moult that has slowly been shifted to the surface?
246L/65G - 'Tidal Jungle' (Crabs) | 246L/65g - 'Backwater Pool' (Fish/Snails) | 96L/25G - ''Twisted Minds" (Fish/Snails/Shrimp) | 300L/90G Fancy Pond (Goldfish)

I've never had any problems with 'Impulse Buying'. They're just animals that I forgot I had planned to get.
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