I moved him to the iso tank and hoped for the best. He tried to leave his shell and i gently slid him back in. He isnt moving he has been in the same position for 18 hours now, half out of the shell just laying there, not trying to defend or protect himself, i get the impression he is unable to move like he is too weak to even crawl. I found a empty claw and a few legs in the main tank where he was so i assume he was molting at the time. Is there anything else i can do to help my little mate? should i try to feed or give water or moisten gills for him until he can himself or just leave him alone?? im extremely stressed and worried for him. I really feel that he is not going to make it What is the volume of your main tank?
15 gallon
How many hermit crabs do you currently have? How big are they?
2 small hermies
How long have you had the hermit crab(s) that you are concerned about?
just over a year
What substrate or combination of substrates are you using? How deep is it?
play sand 2-3 inches deep
What do you feed your hermit crabs?
fresh food everyday, mainly fruit, nuts, cooked meat, sometimes i give them plain cereal like corn flakes or rice bubbles.
Do you use distilled, bottled, tap or other types of water?
Bottled water and real ocean water
If you are using a dechlorinator, what brand is it? Does it state to remove all heavy metals, chlorine and chloramines?
no
What brand of sea salt are you using to supply your hermit crabs with salt water?
n/a
What heat source are you using and where is it positioned?
under tank heater, stuck underneath to one end. Although i hav'nt needed to use this for months because of the summer weather.
Have you calibrated your thermometer(s) and hygrometer so that you can interpret accurate readings?
no this is the first time i have heard of calibrating them so i will be getting on to it asap.
What is the air temperature range and humidity inside the tank?
21-28 degrees air temp and between 70-80% humidity
What is the highest temperature that the substrate near the heat source reaches?
n/a
Do you have any photos of your tank or hermit crab(s) of concern? If yes, please attach them to your post
not of him at this moment im trying not to disturb him any more but am happy to do if necessary.
This is a fantastic place for crabbers its the best i've seen. When I first got my first crab around 4 years ago I looked for a site like this but all the ones i found were predominantly american based and i felt most of the information was not helpful to my situation. I don't know how i missed this site but glad i've now found some other people in australia who can help me when i need advice, Yesterday i found out in an emergencey situation, I find it hard to think straight.
