worried

[lorena Muller]

hi I'm a new crabby owner and worried. My daughter has 2 hermits and both are just frozen in one position. I noticed them 2 days ago and haven't seen them move at all, although chocolate was walking around alot last week. What do I do? I threw out the old food and gave them new food & water and seperated them. The crab food sort of smells fishy that's why I changed it to be sure the food and not the crabs smell. Should I just wait it out? If so for how long? Thanks

[Julia_Crab]

Hi!

Don't panic, crabs do this when you get them home from the pet store.

All crabs are taken from the wild, as they currently can't be bred in captivity. They are shipped to the US in brutal, inadequate conditions, often without food or water, improper humidity and temperature, to pet stores where the people may or may not know what they are doing. Once you get a new crab home from the pet store, it is the first chance the crab has had to relax and destress.

Some crabs recover in a very short period of time and some take months. Sadly, some are so traumatized that they die. You just need to give your crabs time.

Provide your crabs with the following, and wait (as patiently as you can -- they will eventually get to know you by sight and smell and will begin to relax and accept you as normal):

Temp of 72 to 80 degrees F
Humidity 65 to 85, with 75 being optimal, over 80 you are asking for bacteria or mold
A hidey for each crab
Fresh and ocean water
Dry food changed every other day

The best things you can offer your crab in the way of fresh treats (to be given at night and removed in the morning) are listed below. If you are worried about your crabs' eating, they can go long periods without food, but if you tempt them with fresh treats of the kinds of things they enjoy, they will do better faster.

Honey, pure local honey, not processed -- this is high energy food, and will supply them with local microbes and help their immune systems adjust to your area quicker.

Tropical fruits like banana, coconut, mango papaya. Applesauce, raisins, nuts and seeds.

Seaweed -- very important they have access to seaweed every day.

Meats: chicken on the bone, salmon, tuna, sardines, shrimp

I suggest that, in the interests of your crabs' long term health, that whatever human foods you feed them be organically produced, to avoid feeding them pesticides. Also, I suggest that you not feed them foods with human salt included, unless the label reads "sea salt." Do not give them dairy, foods high in sugar, trans-fats, MSG or hydrolized proteins.

Just give them time to relax and get over the horrible thing that's happened to them. It can take months sometimes, or just a few weeks.

Good luck with your crabs!

Kerie

[lorena Muller]

thanks for the input. I hope it works out. I'll keep waiting and just hope for the best.

[lorena Muller]

I came home this afternoon to find a very fishy smell in the crabby habitat. My husband picked up each crab for a quick inspection and sure enough they both had that icky dead fish smell. So we had to dispose of both the little guys. I had no idea crabs were treated so inhumanly and shipped as if they weren't living creatures. Anyway thanks for the reply.

[Crabby Kortney]

Im so sorry to hearthat the crabs died. i hope no more result in the same way. I 't so cruel how some people are cruel to hermitcrabs and all kinds of other animals! last year i resqued 3 animals who are still living happyly with me and i hope to do the same with some abused hermies.

Good Luck With Your Other Crabs!


Cartman