I had a hermit that died but he came out of his shell to do this.why? also using bottle water is okay ?

Answer 1

oops! no bottle water is NOT ok! they are a sea creature, and need a salt water and a fresh one, and shellgrit is a good base to anchor 2 shallow dishes into. it has the minerals etc they would find naturally.
salt added to bottle water to make it salt is ok...Must be SEA SALT not iodised table salt. about 1 level teaspoon of crystals to a 250ml volume of water. shreds of a spinach/lettuce leaf, some1/3 of a fish turtle food meat block or a few crumbs of cooked (boiled) eggyolk is ok too. and take out uneaten food daily!at a pinch some dry fish flakes just a few! with some drops of water splashed on is ok.
also they dont like being too cold a sunny window can bake in the day and get cold at night, naturally, they choose a warm rock to snuggle near at night, as it gives off heat.
as to leaving shell, well they do do that, always have a next size up available! but when they die i guess its just a natural drive of theirs. lke a dog will sometimes go off to die and cats. better luck next time! Laurel

Answer 2

Ours survived with spraying with tap water (depends on your quality of tap water) a couple times a day, along with a sponge soaked in water plain or with a little salt. Usually they come out of the shell to die. He may have dried up and was looking for more humidity, or grew too big for his shell, left to find a new one, and since he didn't, he died (they dry up quickly with no shell).

I do not recommend giving bottled water to animals. If you have mineral rich spring water, that is ok, but plain bottle water tends to not have any nutrients in it. Humans can also have teeth problems and mineral deficencies from only drinking bottled water.

If you are worried (or if your tap water has a lot of chlorine), you can give them tap water with Aqua Safe in it, which will nuetralize the chlorine and a couple other chemicals.

Answer 3

Hey may have not died...he may have just shed his skin. Most hermits get buried alive because of this. I have heard a lot of horror stories. He may have needed a bigger shell. Hermits grow and if you don't provide them with bigger empty shells they have no place to go and can essentially be crushed in a shell that is too small. Please research the care of hermit crabs at this site...if you choose to get another one you will be prepared. Most books available in pet stores about hermits are verry acurate as well.

http://www.seashellcity.com/crabs/hermitcrab.html

Answer 4

I don't think hermit craps drink from a water bottle. From what I recall. you need to keep a piece of sea sponge that is kept saturated.

Answer 5

I Hope Bottled Water Is Ok ! I Gave My Guinea Pig That !
And He's Ok , Maybe It Was Just Time ,