20 gal long
temp 75 on the cold side, 85-90 on the warm side
humidity appears to be 70-80 (don't trust the guage but it is very wet in the tank)
coconut substrate with a small area of sand under the water dishes
I have three crabs that were purchased about a month ago, all purple pinchers. The first week they were pretty dormant, and we left them alone to de-stress. After that time they seemed to move regularly at night. About 4 days ago they stopped doing so, and starting last night haven't moved at all. One is buried, so I'm not worried about him too much. One hasn't left her shell and is sitting on top of a log, and another is just sitting on the bedding, not tucked into her shell, and has hardly moved.
I'm not sure how many days I should leave them like this without doing anything.
Not moving or barely moving
-
luvin_mummy
- Zygote
- Posts: 4
- Joined: 13 Nov 2009, 14:37
- Gender: Female
- Hermit crabs: 3
- Total gallons: 20
- Total tanks: 1
-
ladybug15057
- 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: Not moving or barely moving
From what you have said so far you must knock down the temp on the cool side to 71-73*F and the warm side (substrate) no warmer than 80*F. The temp you mentioned sounds as though they are beginning to be cooked. Hermies are cold blooded creatures and need the option of both a cool and warmer substrate temp to regulate their body temperature.
In the crab care section here at HCP there is a humidity section. It has directions how to calibrate/test ones humidity gauge for accuracy. Please do this ASAP too.
In the crab care section here at HCP there is a humidity section. It has directions how to calibrate/test ones humidity gauge for accuracy. Please do this ASAP too.
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.
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.
-
luvin_mummy
- Zygote
- Posts: 4
- Joined: 13 Nov 2009, 14:37
- Gender: Female
- Hermit crabs: 3
- Total gallons: 20
- Total tanks: 1
Re: Not moving or barely moving
I calibrated this morning and it actually came out just shy of 75%, so now I'm very worried... When I put the hygrometer back in the tank it instantly dropped to about 65% RH... ugh!
I sprayed the coconut fiber with dechlorinated water instead of salt water (we've been using the salt water all the time to prevent bugs/mold) after putting the hygrometer back in, but wasn't able to stay home to see if it goes up.
I also moved the lamp to the short side of the tank to try and allow for the temp on the other side to cool down. Its a 20gal long tank...
Hopefully the other two crabs will survive, I think the first one has died...
I sprayed the coconut fiber with dechlorinated water instead of salt water (we've been using the salt water all the time to prevent bugs/mold) after putting the hygrometer back in, but wasn't able to stay home to see if it goes up.
I also moved the lamp to the short side of the tank to try and allow for the temp on the other side to cool down. Its a 20gal long tank...
Hopefully the other two crabs will survive, I think the first one has died...
-
Wai
- Administrator
- Posts: 2915
- Joined: 01 Nov 2004, 14:12
- Gender: Male
- Hermit crabs: 6
- Total gallons: 45
- Total tanks: 1
- Location: Victoria, Australia
- Contact:
Re: Not moving or barely moving
So did the first one die? If yes, sorry for your loss.
An uncalibrated hygrometer is pretty useless, especially if it is giving very inaccurate values.
An uncalibrated hygrometer is pretty useless, especially if it is giving very inaccurate values.
Wai
-
luvin_mummy
- Zygote
- Posts: 4
- Joined: 13 Nov 2009, 14:37
- Gender: Female
- Hermit crabs: 3
- Total gallons: 20
- Total tanks: 1
Re: Not moving or barely moving
Yes, she did die. I did calibrate the hygrometer and it seemed to be spot on...
Yesterday I found some plexiglass and had it cut to size - seems to be doing a much better job at retaining the humidity - a couple of more days and I'll know for sure.
Yesterday I found some plexiglass and had it cut to size - seems to be doing a much better job at retaining the humidity - a couple of more days and I'll know for sure.
-
CrabbyJo
- Coenobita
- Posts: 1849
- Joined: 21 Jan 2009, 13:31
- Gender: Female
- Hermit crabs: 7
- Total gallons: 85
- Total tanks: 4
- Location: Alaska
Re: Not moving or barely moving
I'm so sorry for your loss. 
Unfortunately, our poor crabs can die from PPS up to a month after purchase. The stress and damage he may have experienced from harvest to shipping to store may have just been too much for him. At least he had a nice comfortable home to cross the Rainbow Bridge from.
If you are sure that all your parameters are correct (temp, humidity, substrate, food, etc) then it's very likely that PPS was just too much for him.
Unfortunately, our poor crabs can die from PPS up to a month after purchase. The stress and damage he may have experienced from harvest to shipping to store may have just been too much for him. At least he had a nice comfortable home to cross the Rainbow Bridge from.
If you are sure that all your parameters are correct (temp, humidity, substrate, food, etc) then it's very likely that PPS was just too much for him.
6 hermit crabs - 3 PPs and 3 Equadorians
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Please feel free to share information from this website, but please be sure to give credit and a link back to the information. Failure to give credit is plagiarism. Don't take credit for someone else's information.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Please feel free to share information from this website, but please be sure to give credit and a link back to the information. Failure to give credit is plagiarism. Don't take credit for someone else's information.