Please Help...molted crab naked

[ladybug15057]

I am so, so, so sorry for your loss. You had done everything a human could do that is known to try to help him pull through this. Even with the picture above, one still cannot tell if any internal or nerve injuries were sub-stained during his mutilation. Please do rest assured that you made him as comfortable as possible too during this trying time.
The humidity of 80% shouldn't of caused the mold. If it were higher there may of been the chance, but with him shell less the humidity had to be a bit higher to prevent him from dehydrating. I keep the humidity here between 75-78%, no mold problems so with the other 2% it is highly unlikely.
You did a fantastic job at helping him and devoted the time needed. Sometimes the injuries are just too much and irreversible.

[galaciel21]

Thank you so much....I did find it strange about the mold. I've always keep my main tank the same as yours and I never had a problem with mold. Maybe with him being dead and it being so moist and humid in there it didn't waste anytime. It was def mold though and I know he hasn't been dead for two days because last night, before I went to bed, I misted the tank and checked on him and he moved...just barely but he did have movement.

I'm sure there were prob. a variety of reasons why he died. Internal or nerve like you suggested or maybe due to lack of food and water. He rarely drank anything and he def. wouldn't eat. It is such a shame...for a while I felt like he wanted to live. He was becoming more active but, when he dropped the limb he, along with my hope, was just kinda downhill from there. I think he just gave up. I wish he would have let me do more for him but, he wouldn't.

This is a lesson learned for me. If I ever have a surface molter again, I know for sure to remove them or my other crabs asap to prevent this from happening. My remaining crabs now have all molted previously but all burrow during it. I slacked on this one because I became pre-occupied with another situation and it was to late by the time I got to it.

Marie, I can't thank you enough for all the help, support and suggestions you have offered. I credit you for helping make his death as comfortable as possible and making me less frantic then I would normally be =o)

[Wai]

Sorry to hear about your loss. I'm impressed with how you handled the situation and you tried your best to make him comfortable.

[galaciel21]

Thanks so much Wai =o)

[CrabbyJo]

I have to agree with Marie and Wai, you did the best you could, and took all the steps humanly possible. You really did a fantastic job, and please don't beat yourself up about it. You made him as comfortable as you could, and gave him love and attention he needed.
Thank goodness for Marie! She held my hand through the loss of a crab I had, who had burrowed down on top of the UTH and stayed there. I too thought, oh he'll move, or oh, it's not too very hot. But after two days I did become concerned and unplugged the UTH rather than dig him up. 3 weeks later he passed from heat damage (a long process that Marie and Emma held my hand through!) and I felt awful about it. But I did all I could to help him, and I feel good about that at least.
All we can do is do our best. Sometimes we will make mistakes. Gosh I'm not that good with pep talks. But the little guy benefited from being with you, and the others will benefit from what you've learned from this whole experience.
You really did do a fantastic job of caring for him.

<3
Joanna

[galaciel21]

Thanks Joanna =o) You, Wai and especially Marie have def. helped me with your advice, support and condolences. Marie is a savior as both you and I know. She has been absolutely wonderful during this time addressing my every concern, keeping high hopes and you can beat the support.

I'm so glad to have found this forum and find a community of people who share such a love for these fascinating creatures. During this time, whenever I tried to talk to my friends about this, they didn't understand what the problem was or why I was even upset because it was "just a crab" and I can go buy another one for a few bucks. I couldn't stress enough how these complex and interesting beings were more then "just a crab."

Its good to know that I did everything I possibly could. If It weren't you for you guys, I would have prob. sat here and continued to think, "what more could I have done?"

[Wai]

I too get frustrated when people tell me that they're 'just crabs'. Managing to keep one alive for several years a real achievement. Hermit crabs are very fragile, but if they are lucky enough not to be attacked by their tankmates or catch some strange disease, then they will outlive any dog or cat by decades.

I have lost many up to today, but there's not much I can do besides learning from my mistakes and moving on. It's very unfortunate that the odds are against hermit crabs right from the moment they are captured by poachers (e.g. LOADS of dodgy products on pet store shelves, misleading advertising and promotion by pet stores), but if we work together, our hermit crabs will pull through!

[galaciel21]

Its so true how much work and just how fragile they are. When I first started researching hermit crabs and just exactly what they need to live, it really surprised me how most pet stores market them wrong and how companies sell hermit crab kits with gravel or calci sand. You never see a reptile being displayed at a pet store in pine shavings and no heat source so I don't understand why there are issues with providing the right environment for a hermit crab. Are most people really that ignorant to the care of them or do they just not care because it cost $6.00 to the general public? When people ask me how long I've had mine and I tell them a year and a half, its always followed by a shocked expression and "They really live that long?" I know with the right care, hermit crabs can live upwards of 20-30 years and its really impressive. I know crabs will die, I've had a couple prior to this one pass (this one I've felt the worst about though due to the fact that I could have prevented it) but, I'm really proud of myself and others who have been able to keep them longer then most uneducated people's expectations of "a couple months."

[Wai]

Attacks are difficult to predict, so it's not entirely your fault. I'm afraid hermit crabs were chosen to be the 'disposable' pet. Even fish don't get treated as badly since they are more affectionate. It's as though manufacturers only spent a few minutes designing those starter kits without doing any research whatsoever. Even if they did, then they probably ignored the facts and decided to just piece together something that was only convenient for the owner (e.g. cheap, doesn't take up a lot of room, clean). The focus of the marketing isn't to keep the hermit crabs alive, but to keep the prices low so that the hermit crabs can be replaced at affordable prices if they die. Trying to keep hermit crabs alive in winter without a heat source is almost impossible. Painted shells are evil. eBay is full of bad hermit crab tanks. It's revolting to see the sellers advertising them as 'complete' hermit crab homes. If they were 'complete', why are their hermit crabs dead already?

[ladybug15057]

And hermies in majority of area where they live are considered a pest/nuisance. They are scavengers many times are considered creepy crawly creatures and are not welcomed at all where they are seen scooting about. I belong to another group where a member lived in the Caribbeans when she was younger and come dusk it was all they could do to step out on their porch without hermies crawling all over it. When she first moved to Virginia, she was in total shock to see them in the pet store being sold! Then to join a group and see just how much it cost to keep these 'pests' alive in captivity when they were so abundant in her home town area.