Rescuing a hermie because of store abuse

Report on pet stores that are either doing a great or terrible job of looking after their hermit crabs on display.
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Andee
Zygote
Zygote
Posts: 51
Joined: 12 Jan 2012, 10:20
Gender: Female
Hermit crabs: 13
Total gallons: 40
Total tanks: 1

Rescuing a hermie because of store abuse

Post by Andee »

Ok... so I rescued a rather small hermie yesterday, he's in a small 3 gallon tank that is his quarantine tank for now until I'm sure he's ready to be moved into the bigger tank. But here's the horrible story on his history and why I got him from the petstore to begin with. Originally I went in to get crickets and mealworms for my lizard but I always go to check out the hermit crabs just for fun. Sitting next to the main tank was this little critter keeper with one bowl of water, whch I'm guessing was fresh water, and had hardly any substrate in it and what it did have was pine shavings. There was no heating element on it and no way to keep track of the temp or humidity. IT was horrifying, because the food was all pellets and no dried fruit or anything like they had for the main tank. I asked about him and though he had no heat or humidity he was quite active. They said he was new and the problem was he kept pinching all the employees so they were sending him back to the supplier. I was like o okay. I asked if I could hold him and she opened the thing and I took him out. He didn't pinch me but when she picked him up he immediately latched onto her because I think she closed her hand around him and it freaked him out. She started cussing and stuff and flinging her finger, and I told her to calm down and try putting him back in the tank, she said no that she knew what to do. And so to my horror she got a small container of water and submerged him in it. Now I think this is bad for land hermit crabs right? I mean he could drown right? He wouldn't let go for a long while until she brought her hand up like a minute later. And then I grabbed him from her hands and placed him on a paper towel to help him dry. But you could tell he was stresed. Anyway I told her I would take him home. I asked how often he had been submerged and she said they had done it about five times o.O.... I just stared at him. It really made me want to throw up because it made me so mad. I mean no wonder he was pinching everyone they were torturing him! I told her to box him up and that's how I now have Spartan my little warrior. I think he's a purple pincher except for the fact that his whole body is this beautiful reddish purple color. I haven't been holding him and I am letting him adjust just like I am supposed to. He's really skittish but still quite active for going through all that. I hope he warms up to me soon and isn't too traumatized.I feel it was the right thing to do and since I technically have room for him in my tank he will be ok. Even if I can't hold him for his entire life it will be ok, he will have a home with me no matter what, that is unless he shows agression to my other hermies. I will try to work with him though, and I doubt he will I asked about how he acted before he was seperated and they said he was fine with the other hermit crabs.

~Andee

PS Any thoughts? Also this is up on Crabstreet Journal
40 gallon with 13 hermit crabs- 11 PPs, 1 E, 1 Straw

My Blog: http://crabbingadventures.wordpress.com
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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: Rescuing a hermie because of store abuse

Post by ladybug15057 »

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
Posts: 432
Joined: 02 Mar 2012, 19:30
Gender: Male
Hermit crabs: 8
Total gallons: 65
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Location: Melbourne, Australia
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Re: Rescuing a hermie because of store abuse

Post by aussieJJDude »

that is like sooooo cruel!!!
i thought the shop around my area was bad (one shop is just a fish shop with the crabs and the other is the other pets like cats, dog, mice, ducks, guinea pig, rabbits, birds ect... they are like a block away from each other, it is like weird)

(an inch of gravel, fresh water salt and fresh straight from the fish tank, just fish tank flakes or hermit crab food which is basically dried friut with nuts and one lil coco hide, heat mat inside the tank and some painted shells)

good luck on the survivor!!
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.
Andee
Zygote
Zygote
Posts: 51
Joined: 12 Jan 2012, 10:20
Gender: Female
Hermit crabs: 13
Total gallons: 40
Total tanks: 1

Re: Rescuing a hermie because of store abuse

Post by Andee »

He's doing pretty well, been pinched once but he relaxes as soon as I relaxed. He seems to have a limit to as how long he can be held, now that I can hold him. I can tell he doesn't trust me at all, but I am slowly building up more. He won't eat out of my hand or even out of the tank. I will work slowly with him but right now I think he is molting or something because I haven't seen him in a couple days. Or he could just be coming out at night XD. He was doing great last time I saw him so everything is going well. I've realized he is definitely more of a meat eater than any of the other hermies I have. Thanks for the support guys ^^ . I just don't understand stores anymore.
40 gallon with 13 hermit crabs- 11 PPs, 1 E, 1 Straw

My Blog: http://crabbingadventures.wordpress.com
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