Hello, adopted some hermies from a friend and need some help

[mimirabbit]

What is the volume of your main tank?
5 gallons or so. Yes, it is small as I need 10 gallons, but it's what she gave to me and I won't be able to get larger one for at least a few weeks.

How many hermit crabs do you currently have? How big are they?
2. I would say they're... Medium? Not large, easy to hold with two fingers.

How long have you had the hermit crab(s) that you are concerned about?
1 day.

What substrate or combination of substrates are you using? How deep is it?
Inside is what looked like calcium sand, however I purchased some forest bedding and spread it over top (after cleaning the sand).

What do you feed your hermit crabs?
She gave me what is called "Zoo Med Hermit Crab Food" and a bottle of FMR Food. However, I am giving them tiny thinly sliced apples, lettuce, and soon some meat.

Do you use distilled, bottled, tap or other types of water?
I have a bottle of saltwater solution and freshwater. Next time I will make them myself. but I was in a hurry because their bowls was dry.

If you are using a dechlorinator, what brand is it? Does it state to remove all heavy metals, chlorine and chloramines?
Sorry! I'm buying a dechlorinator in the next week, just using bottled salt and fresh water for now (made for fish, lizards and hermit crabs supposedly).

What brand of sea salt are you using to supply your hermit crabs with salt water?
----

What heat source are you using and where is it positioned?
The tank came with a side heater, located to the far left.

Have you calibrated your thermometer(s) and hygrometer so that you can interpret accurate readings?
Sadly, no. I will do this with the hygrometer for sure.

What is the air temperature range and humidity inside the tank?
80-85 for temp, 70-80 for humidity

What is the highest temperature that the substrate near the heat source reaches?
Probably 85.

Do you have any photos of your tank or hermit crab(s) of concern? If yes, please attach them to your post.

Sorry about this bad picture! I'll try to get another soon.

Alright, so here's what happened. A friend of mine had 2 hermit crabs for around 2 months, when suddenly her brother decided he didn't like them, and so the mother decided to kill them (or give them to a petstore). I had been reading about hermit crabs for a few weeks when she told me this, and decided I would buy them from her before it was too late.

Today was the buying day, and she gave me her tank. Inside was 2 bowls. One with a few rabbit-pellety looking things, and the other with nothing (I assumed this was the water bowl?). Now, I had assumed she must've taken decent care of them for them to live for 2 months. After dropping them off at my place I went to the local petstore and bought a hygrometer, jungle bedding, and a spray bottle.

Now here's where the problem is (finally!). One of the crabs started moving around, taking a dip in the freshwater, and then buried itself in a corner near the heating mat. The other hasn't moved at all. After misting the tank and raising the humidity, I'm worried I may have raised it too much and they weren't used to it (70-80). Will they be ok? I thought about lowering it to 50-60 like it may have been at her house, but that too would be a big change in humidity. Should I keep it this way? I'm really worried about these two crabs, I'm scared I may have just killed them Will the not-moving crab be fine? Why did my other crab bury itself near the heater, will it be burned and should I pick it up and place it elsewhere? I'm just so scared right now, please help!

EDIT: Should I increase the height of the bedding? They didn't have nearly as much as they do now, but I read they should have quite a few inches.

[aussieJJDude]

I suggest getting them out of the KK (Kitter Keeper) in to a sturdy glass tank (like what you said, at least a 10G), or a tote (once again, 10G). Those 5G KK's don't retain the humidity at all, it also way too small!
For me, 80 - 85F is the perfect temp, and have the UTH (under the tank heater) on the side is great! You want to warm the air, not the sub - so keep it on the side, a great place!
70 - 80% humidity is great, try to keep it in that range. But once again, I find 80 - 85% humidty better for me - for temp and heat, it all a case o trial and error, every crab clan prefers a different range.. Just don't go below 70 (either heat or humidity).
The not moving crab might be moulting, if dead, do it have a strong fishy smell? It also could be distressing; as your substrate level looks way too low. It might sound silly, but you want to get 6 inches of substrate (Play sand or EE with a bit of sphagnum moss mixed in is perfect - EE and sphagnum moss traps releases humidity) for them to burrow down, they probably want to destress or moult in the improved conditions! And you said that they had calcium sand, this is bad for them if it gets wet, as once it hardens it turns into rock - literally - and can trap a crab under it, make it undigable, become lodged in the shell or puncturing the abdomen. Best you take it out, however, if you put it in a dish for calcium inside to tank, it is fine!
The crab will not burn unless the heat mat is placed near the sub, however, I have my heat mat that heat 2 inches of my sub (about half the tank) and the crabs will make little caves/holes and lie next to it and haven't got burned. So if worried, move it so it is above to substrate.
You also want to get them sea-salt ASAP! They use it like they do with freshwater. Don't use the hermit crabs salts, these are just table salt - which is poisonousness - you need the salts that marine fishkeepers use. This might seem ridicous, but a 10G tub will last you a long time and the hermies will tahnk you for it!
Also, those hermit crab food are dangourous for them. They contain cemicals and perservatives which make them sick or ill. Most things marketed towards crabs are infact dangourous for them!
Your doing a wonderful job, keep it up
And also welcome, you love it here - and become very addicted to the crabbies!
Oh and here is the sizing chart I use.. Click here
Sorry for the long post!

[mimirabbit]

I suggest getting them out of the KK (Kitter Keeper) in to a sturdy glass tank (like what you said, at least a 10G), or a tote (once again, 10G). Those 5G KK's don't retain the humidity at all, it also way too small!
For me, 80 - 85F is the perfect temp, and have the UTH (under the tank heater) on the side is great! You want to warm the air, not the sub - so keep it on the side, a great place!
70 - 80% humidity is great, try to keep it in that range. But once again, I find 80 - 85% humidty better for me - for temp and heat, it all a case o trial and error, every crab clan prefers a different range.. Just don't go below 70 (either heat or humidity).
The not moving crab might be moulting, if dead, do it have a strong fishy smell? It also could be distressing; as your substrate level looks way too low. It might sound silly, but you want to get 6 inches of substrate (Play sand or EE with a bit of sphagnum moss mixed in is perfect - EE and sphagnum moss traps releases humidity) for them to burrow down, they probably want to destress or moult in the improved conditions! And you said that they had calcium sand, this is bad for them if it gets wet, as once it hardens it turns into rock - literally - and can trap a crab under it, make it undigable, become lodged in the shell or puncturing the abdomen. Best you take it out, however, if you put it in a dish for calcium inside to tank, it is fine!
The crab will not burn unless the heat mat is placed near the sub, however, I have my heat mat that heat 2 inches of my sub (about half the tank) and the crabs will make little caves/holes and lie next to it and haven't got burned. So if worried, move it so it is above to substrate.
You also want to get them sea-salt ASAP! They use it like they do with freshwater. Don't use the hermit crabs salts, these are just table salt - which is poisonousness - you need the salts that marine fishkeepers use. This might seem ridicous, but a 10G tub will last you a long time and the hermies will tahnk you for it!
Also, those hermit crab food are dangourous for them. They contain cemicals and perservatives which make them sick or ill. Most things marketed towards crabs are infact dangourous for them!
Your doing a wonderful job, keep it up
And also welcome, you love it here - and become very addicted to the crabbies!
Oh and here is the sizing chart I use.. Click here
Sorry for the long post!

Thank you! Don't worry, they'll be out and into a 10 gallon in the next week, I'm working to clean it out (it contained another animal before). I'm happy to say that after a few more hours he did move around and eat, and both look healthy

I didn't know that about the calcium sand! It hasn't hardened yet, but I'll definitely remove it. How many inches should the substrate be? I'll be going to the petstore for shells soon, I'll pick some forest bedding up while I'm at it.

[emmac350]

It does get a bit distressing when crabs don't move...I still get worried about mine if they stay in the same spot too long! I'll try to get any movement, an antenna flick or something, just to appease me. I know that it's silly because I've smelled dead crab before and it seriously stinks (plus they would most likely drop their shell if they were dead due to relaxing muscles) but...still.

Be patient, and good job on working your conditions up to where they need to be! For cleaning out the 10G, vinegar and water should be fine (white vinegar; I rinse the tank, then rub down with vinegar, then rinse the tank usually) to get whatever out. Plus it's cheap and non-toxic!

The substrate should be at least 2" or more taller than your biggest crab so that he/she will have enough of a covering for a molting burrow. Once you have a bigger tank that will be easier to achieve. While they're in this temporary tank, I would say don't raise the level of substrate up any so they don't try to molt in it before you get them to the new tank.

I personally love Eco Earth/coconut fiber for a substrate. It's fairly cheap (compared to aquarium sands, which are better than playsand) and cleanup is easy. Throw out the old, clean the tank, expand new in the tank, done! For my 30G tank, I usually use around 5-6 bricks (but I have several upper levels and keep about 8" of substrate anyways), so for your 10g, 2 might be perfect.

[aussieJJDude]

for me, i find that 6 inches is a nice setup..
But if you had a larger crabs, I would look around 8"+!

[mimirabbit]

It does get a bit distressing when crabs don't move...I still get worried about mine if they stay in the same spot too long! I'll try to get any movement, an antenna flick or something, just to appease me. I know that it's silly because I've smelled dead crab before and it seriously stinks (plus they would most likely drop their shell if they were dead due to relaxing muscles) but...still.

Be patient, and good job on working your conditions up to where they need to be! For cleaning out the 10G, vinegar and water should be fine (white vinegar; I rinse the tank, then rub down with vinegar, then rinse the tank usually) to get whatever out. Plus it's cheap and non-toxic!

The substrate should be at least 2" or more taller than your biggest crab so that he/she will have enough of a covering for a molting burrow. Once you have a bigger tank that will be easier to achieve. While they're in this temporary tank, I would say don't raise the level of substrate up any so they don't try to molt in it before you get them to the new tank.

I personally love Eco Earth/coconut fiber for a substrate. It's fairly cheap (compared to aquarium sands, which are better than playsand) and cleanup is easy. Throw out the old, clean the tank, expand new in the tank, done! For my 30G tank, I usually use around 5-6 bricks (but I have several upper levels and keep about 8" of substrate anyways), so for your 10g, 2 might be perfect.

The cleanout of the new tank is just about done! Wish I had read this post a bit earlier, I filled the substrate up high in the 5g tank... Thankfully I don't see any molting signs besides digging a lot (and they are probably just regulating their temperature/humidity) and drinking salt water. If one does happen to molt, I'd leave him in the 5g and move the other into the 12-15g since 5g will be the ISO tank anyway.

I really think I'm worrying too much about these guys. They always dig up at one point or another, and the food is definitely being nibbled on (they love mangoes). I got the PP to move into a larger green shell, yet he keeps switching between the two (testing both out?). The E refuses to change, but I read that E's are more stubborn

But all in all, crabbies are doing well!!

[emmac350]

Looking at your two crabs, you have two PPs. One is a bit paler than the other, but that can be helped (at least somewhat) with diet. Foods high in Zeaxanthin (dried shrimp, krill, plankton, etc. from the pet store for fish are an easy way or other brightly colored things - bright peppers, dark green veggies, etc.) will boost color after the next molt. Even dried oak/maple leaves can boost color if you have unsprayed trees near you.

A jar of the shrimp/krill/plankton/whatever (check ingredients!) will definitely help color and is an easy meat/calcium combo that you can use to boost their nutrition. They're pretty cheap and last forever too, since they only need a few mini shrimp per day, if that.

[aussieJJDude]

Yep, I agree with Emmac350 - they both beautiful PP's!
They way I tell if they pp's, E's or whatever is that I look at the Eye, eyestalks, claw and legs - not always colour though!
PP's have:
00
While e's are more like:
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Google search the two, look at the images - compare!