digging due to metal exposure?

[crypticlaman]

Hello! I have three hermit crabs in a 10 gallon tank with sand for substrate, a climbing wall, branch and hermie hut. I have both salt water and fresh water in the tank. I bathe them weekly and condition them every other day. I have only had them since may 30 of this year. One of the crabs is generally active in the middle of the day and the other two are almost fully nocturnal. They all climb and eat every day very well. My concern is that a few days ago my son put a quarter and a penny into the tank. they sat there all night before i saw them and got them out. I changed the substrate, bathed the crabs and moved the tank so that my son cannot reach it. The temperature is sitting at 75 farenheit just as before and the humidity fluctuates from around 72 to 78 just as before. The crabs however, all three of them, have begun digging and burying themselves about a quarter of the way into the sand. I know digging is a normal behavior but none of them have ever done this at all and all three of them just started. Is this a sign they are sick? could it have been the exposure to the metal? can I help them?

[ladybug15057]

I would not worry too much for all the longer the money was within the tank. Good that you have moved the tank where your son cannot reach them now without your knowledge.
When you mention that you “condition them every other day”, what do you mean by condition?
Without a little more info it would be a bit hard to have an idea what maybe going on. There are questions here that if copied and pasted here may give us a little better feel of your tank conditions and hermie care.
But with changing out and cleaning the tank they maybe digging due to the change in the environment. Or being you have had them now since May 30th and if their criteria have been met you maybe having a premolting session going on?

[crypticlaman]

What is the volume of your main tank?
10 gallons

How many hermit crabs do you currently have? How big are they?
3 they are all small/medium

How long have you had the hermit crab(s) that you are concerned about?
since may 30

What substrate or combination of substrates are you using? How deep is it?
Play sand baked. one side is shallow barely covering the glass of the tank (down by the water dishes) I wet and compress this end. The other gradually slopes up to about two inches and is completely dry about halfway through.

What do you feed your hermit crabs?
Dandelion leaves/roots. (homegrown organic), octopus, shrimp (with tails on) kelp, cuttle bone(there but they dont seem to touch it) blueberries, blackberries, grapes, once or twice peanut butter and honey

Do you use distilled, bottled or tap water? If you are using a dechlorinator, what brand is it? Does it state to remove all heavy metals, chlorine and chloramines?
bottled water or tap with HBH aquapure conditioner for fresh/yes

What brand of sea salt are you using to supply your hermit crabs with salt water?
I use Zoomed sea salt treatment. I have read i should switch brands on this and plan to.

What heat source are you using and where is it positioned?
heat lamp. above the crabitat.

Have you calibrated your thermometer(s) and hygrometer?
yes

What is the air temperature range and humidity inside the tank? If you are using an under tank heater, what is the temperature range of the substrate (it is likely to be different to the air temperature range)?
Temp stays pretty well on 75 and the humidity fluctuates around 72 to 78%

Do you have any photos of your tank or hermit crab(s) of concern? If yes, please attach them to your post.
My camera is not very good. I wish I did

I appreciate your help. thank you again. If they are premoult what do I do? I have read about it a lot but is there any additional info for if more than one molts at a time? will they hurt each other?
And by conditioning them every other day I mean I spray the conditioner directly on them. Is that bad? The product says it is for that and they always come out of their shells to be sprayed all the way. They seem to love it and even look for it. Of course i suppose we humans do that at times when something is not good for us as well.

[ladybug15057]

What do you feed your hermit crabs?
Dandelion leaves/roots. (homegrown organic), octopus, shrimp (with tails on) kelp, cuttle bone(there but they dont seem to touch it) blueberries, blackberries, grapes, once or twice peanut butter and honey

The shell fish (shrimp) is it at least steamed prior to offering as a shell disease precaution?

Do you use distilled, bottled or tap water? If you are using a dechlorinator, what brand is it? Does it state to remove all heavy metals, chlorine and chloramines?
bottled water or tap with HBH aquapure conditioner for fresh/yes

This?
http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.j ... 37.2769289

Would it happen to also say that it has calcium in it to help them? May I suggest a regular tap water conditioner that is used for fish without a slime coating in it that removes chlorine, chloramines and heavy metals? Possibly like this? (or use distilled bottle water that requires no additives)

What brand of sea salt are you using to supply your hermit crabs with salt water?
I use Zoomed sea salt treatment. I have read i should switch brands on this and plan to.

Yes it should be changed and is very important to purchase one that is sold specifically for salt water fish tanks.

What heat source are you using and where is it positioned?
heat lamp. above the crabitat.

Using a heat lamp on a 10 gal tank, have you also taken the temp of the substrate on both ends of the tank? Is the heat lamp only on one side of the tank?

If they are premoult what do I do?

If they have burrowed not much one can do. They know what they need to do, but as crabbers we should be prepared just in case. As in in case one would decide to start digging where another has burrowed, be prepared with a cut 2 liter soda bottle and have the glass of a picture handy. This way one is prepared to divide the hermie off if need be for its own safety. Have soda lids, milk lids, or some other small lids so fresh and ocean water can still be offered in the tight quarters. The glass and cut soda bottle should be at hand too in case a hermie would do a surface molt they can be sectioned off for their protection. (push this all the way to the tanks floor and remove any items the others can climb to gain access by) One can also remove the other hermies into an iso tank if they have one set up and it is within the proper tank perimeters.

will they hurt each other?

If they receive a proper diet with chitin and protein, as well as the other nutrients they need this does help cut back on the risk of cannibalism but is no guarantee. So one should be prepared.

And by conditioning them every other day I mean I spray the conditioner directly on them. Is that bad?

If one has a proper humidity level within their tank this is not necessary. But if one takes the hermies out of their controlled environment for exercise hermies should be misted about their gills so they stay moist while out of the tank. But fresh water in a misting bottle is sufficient, the higher dollar hermie sprays aren’t really needed. Little word of caution most of us learned, just because it has a hermies adorable little antenna and beautiful little eyes on it does not usually mean they have the hermies best interest at heart, but can and will charge more $$$ for it.

They seem to love it and even look for it

I know what you mean, our hermies do the same here but we use the ole fashioned distilled bottle water in a cheap WalMart misting bottle.
But other than the possibility of your hermies maybe wanting to dig down to get away from some of the heat of the heat lamp, or due to the cleaning of the tank, or possible premolting doesn’t sound like anything is actually detrimental to their health at this point? But do try to get the ocean/sea mix soon, and do not be alarmed if it seems they drain it the first couple of days it is offered.

[crypticlaman]

The shrimp and octopus are both boiled before offering it.


I will switch to just bottled water. It seems easier anyway.

The heat lamp is only on one side of the tank. It is the side with the climbing wall. They tend to stay down at that end most of the time and they are burrowing beneath it. I havent taken the substrate temperature at all. I dont know how to do that.

Thank you so much for the moulting advice.


As for diets high in chitin and protein. I know im good on the protein, but Im not sure about the chitin or what it is even.


I will switch to just water to spray them. You have so much good advice...Im taking all this in. Lets hope all goes well...

[ladybug15057]

Some chitin sources are also protein, but not all protein sources contain chitin. Chitin is mainly found in the exo's of insects, shrimps, etc. (like the shrimp with the 'tail on') Couple links to foods that maybe of some help:

http://crabbywiki.com/tiki-index.php?pa ... hin%2C+etc.

http://www.hermitcrabcuisine.com/

I am sure all will be well. All we can do is offer what we know to date they should have and the rest is up to them and mother nature. But you got a great start going for you...

[ladybug15057]

I havent taken the substrate temperature at all. I dont know how to do that.

Oops, forgot to address this... I use a probe thermometer I use to use at the hospital I worked at to check water temps:

http://s187.photobucket.com/albums/x276 ... ometer.jpg

Something similar can be bought at WalMart or Target. Does you wife have a meat thermometer that you might be able to borrow to take the substrate temp? (It would have to have a low side of at least 70*F)

[crypticlaman]

nah. I was a chef for a while and pretty much wing it...I guess ill be buying one though. thanks...

[Niko]

You said you have changed the substrate, was it the same kind of substrate?? It has the same humidity that the one you removed from the tank??

[crypticlaman]

Its the same. I think they were all putting off their molts fom bad petstore conditions. Annabelle is under now and Poe is eating like crazy and theyre both starting to act like she did just before she went under. thanks!!