Crab Left Shell

Questions about hermit crabs moulting and its symptoms.
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charcoal44
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Crab Left Shell

Post by charcoal44 »

I've already mentioned this under naked molter but was advised to make a separate post.

My crab left it's shell last night, the humidity in the crabitat has been above 80% (currently 88% 24.6c) for over a week now.

This is due to the summer climate where I live, we are experiencing a heat wave of temps above 40c (104f) for a week now, with no end in sight and wednesday is going to 45c (113f).

I have to run our evaporative cooler, otherwise the house will become an oven, and this is driving up the humidity in the crabitat, before this the humidity was fairly stable in the 70's.

He's been quiet in a corner for a few days prior to his leaving the shell.

Should I move my crab into a container with some substrate and his shell?

Could the high humidity be the problem?
StellaCrab
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Re: Crab Left Shell

Post by StellaCrab »

Hello! There is no reason to remove humidity, high humidity is great for the crabs, mine is always at 99 percent no matter what time or season it is. I would turn off all heating sources on your crabitat (if you have any) and use fans to circulate the air in the room that the crabs are in.

What type of lighting do you use on your tank?

I would reshell your crab immediately, they will die very quickly if they aren't kept moist in their shells. You can rinse his abdomen in dechlorinated freshwater, and gently uncurl it and slide him into a shell. If this doesn't feel comfortable, then place him in a dark container with a small amount of water covering the bottom, offer him a few shells to choose from, and check back after a while.

He very well may be leaving his shell due to being overheated, they also do this if they are too weak to carry their shells caused by illness or when in a shell fight. I would offer him raw honey, bee pollen, coconut oil, or royal jelly if you can once you get him back into a shell.

I hope this helps, good luck! :)
charcoal44
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Posts: 38
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Re: Crab Left Shell

Post by charcoal44 »

I have the vents open in the crabitat, so, there is airflow. No lighting, just natural light, but it is on the dark side at times other than when the kitchen light is on.
I'll try and get him back into his shell, he walked around the crabitat before, and I put some food out near him (coconut shaving, carrot, and a banana slice) he stopped briefly in the coconut fibre (half fibre, half substrate crabitat) so I put some more around him, but he's now back in the corner he started out from.
StellaCrab
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Re: Crab Left Shell

Post by StellaCrab »

charcoal44 wrote: 14 Jan 2019, 10:52 I have the vents open in the crabitat, so, there is airflow. No lighting, just natural light, but it is on the dark side at times other than when the kitchen light is on.
I'll try and get him back into his shell, he walked around the crabitat before, and I put some food out near him (coconut shaving, carrot, and a banana slice) he stopped briefly in the coconut fibre (half fibre, half substrate crabitat) so I put some more around him, but he's now back in the corner he started out from.
Okay, let me know if you can get him into a shell, fingers crossed!

Do you have any pictures of your crabitat?
charcoal44
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Re: Crab Left Shell

Post by charcoal44 »

No luck getting him back in, I've been out for a couple of hours, my wife said he's been walking around the crabitat, he's over near the food bowl atm.

I also tried the other approach put him in a container with some water and a couple of shells, and put this in a dark area. He still didn't go back.

My other crab is buried in the coconut fiber for a few days now.

No photos, sorry, I only have my phone, and I just tried to put them in but the file is too large, and I don't know how to reduce it.
StellaCrab
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Posts: 72
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Total gallons: 125
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Re: Crab Left Shell

Post by StellaCrab »

charcoal44 wrote: 14 Jan 2019, 15:48 No luck getting him back in, I've been out for a couple of hours, my wife said he's been walking around the crabitat, he's over near the food bowl atm.

I also tried the other approach put him in a container with some water and a couple of shells, and put this in a dark area. He still didn't go back.

My other crab is buried in the coconut fiber for a few days now.

No photos, sorry, I only have my phone, and I just tried to put them in but the file is too large, and I don't know how to reduce it.
Man, then you might need to do your best to manually put him into a shell. Handle him very carefully, and rinse his abdomen in dechlorinated freshwater, then use your finger to extend his abdomen and place it into the opening of a shell and back him into it. I always faced them towards me with one hand, and then used my index on the same hand to extend the abdomen to place him into a shell whenever I had these issues for sick crabs.

You can also gently tap his head while backing him in, which might encourage him to retract into the shell.
charcoal44
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Re: Crab Left Shell

Post by charcoal44 »

Ok, will try that, he's been in the corner in the coconut fiber all night.
Thanks for the help and advice, btw, is there a way to tell how old they are? I got him on the 28 Nov last year, and got him cause he was fairly large compared to the others.
StellaCrab
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Re: Crab Left Shell

Post by StellaCrab »

charcoal44 wrote: 15 Jan 2019, 07:52 Ok, will try that, he's been in the corner in the coconut fiber all night.
Thanks for the help and advice, btw, is there a way to tell how old they are? I got him on the 28 Nov last year, and got him cause he was fairly large compared to the others.
There really isn't a well known way unless you know exactly when they were laid by the mother.
charcoal44
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Posts: 38
Joined: 09 Apr 2018, 07:31
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Total gallons: 17
Total tanks: 1

Re: Crab Left Shell

Post by charcoal44 »

Well, he's moving around the crabitat, and has found another position to sit in. Could he be molting?
I dont want to stress him with too much handling.
StellaCrab
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Posts: 72
Joined: 17 Nov 2016, 10:29
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Total gallons: 125
Total tanks: 2

Re: Crab Left Shell

Post by StellaCrab »

charcoal44 wrote: 15 Jan 2019, 14:59 Well, he's moving around the crabitat, and has found another position to sit in. Could he be molting?
I dont want to stress him with too much handling.
He’s going to move about a lot because crabs are very frantic without their shells. I encourage you to try to get him into a shell. he will end up dying without one. They never come out of their shells to molt, only when they are sick or ocerheated is when they drop their shell.
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