3 of My hermit crabs leaved their shells & died...Why?

Question

They have replacement shells of their sizes at their crabitat bu they dont want to enter any shell.

3 of them died.

What should I do to avoid these incedents and What are the 1st aids if it happens again.

There is a diverse sizes of empty shells that fits them on their tank.

Answer 1

Do you know what kind of hermits yours were? It may have been their environment rather than molting that caused them to die. Besides extra shells, they need the proper temperature, deep sand or coconut bedding to hide in, access to fresh water (and salt water for some) both for drinking and bathing.

These websites will help you identify your hermits (probably purple pincher, as these are the most common), and help you with the requirements.

Answer 2

They may have come out of their shells because you are not batheing them enough. If you see one out of their shell get a water bottle and spray him with the water a couple times. After this you should leave him and he'll go back in his shell. This has happened to me before and I did this same thing and it worked. You should bathe your Hermit crabs once a week. Make sure they have a variety of shells. Also, If they cling on to something and you force them off that could kill them.

A$H!

Answer 3

I am guessing that you are talking about a saltwater tank??
Or are you talking about LAND hermit crabs??
Hermit crabs will leave there shells when they outgrow there old home and in many cases they are attacked by other crabs before they can find or get into a new home.
I and every other saltwater keeper that use crabs and snails and other critters to do 99% of the mechanical filtration will tell you that your crabs and snails are going to get killed and you are going to have to continuosly replace them.
I also have a LOT of DIFFERENT size new homes for them but I have also WITNESSED crabs ripping other crabs out of there shells and taking over that shell leaving the loser to float around the tank to be killed.
I have about 40 of them in my reef tank and I have to replace about 5 or 6 every month($1 ea)

Answer 4

if you can't care for a pet properly you return to the store or find someone else to take them ... and if your hermit crab is leaving it's shell, the number one reason is an improper environment ... spraying does not mean the humidity is correct, and without the correct humidity they can't breathe and die slowly and painfully ... spare shells sounds like that is the least of your worries ... and if you got them from a pet store, i doubt they are large crabs as it is illegal to harvest large hermit crabs for the pet trade ...

Answer 5

Changing shells is stressful for hermit crabs.

Also, when they come out of their shells to change to a different size, they are "naked", and their bodies are somewhat soft, making them prone to things like environment changes (temperature, humidity). Depending on how old the hermit crabs were, it could have also been from old age.

I had a hermit crab for about 2 years, and when he went to change his shell, he also died.

Answer 6

What is their setup like? How big is it? What do you have on the bottom? Sand, gravel, other? What is the temp in the tank? What is the humidity? Did they have both fresh water and salt water? What and how often did you feed them? Are you sure they weren't molting? They usually do it under the sand (or whatever you use) but some do surface molts.

Answer 7

Yeah, maybe next time, over do it on the amount of replacement shells. Perhaps they just didn't like any of the ones you left? Other than that... I'm really not sure.

Answer 8

Were the replacement shells big enouph? When they get bigger they leave thier shells for larger ones.

Answer 9

because they need a shell to live gosh!!!

Answer 10

There are several different reasons your hermit crabs may have left their shells. There is, of course, the issue of a shell size. It sounds like you tried to cover that problem but maybe next time you'd like to go by a few basic rules that may help insure you have the right sizes for your hermit crabs. Here is that information.

How do I Know if the Shell Fits Correctly?Your crab should be able to completely withdraw into its shell and seal the opening with its large pincher. Some crabs like shells a little larger or a bit smaller, but as long as the shell covers the abdomen closely and completely, there is no real reason to fret over your crab being in a shell that is too small. The same goes for a crab in a shell that you think is too large. If the crab is able to maneuver the shell while it is walking, there is no need for you to worry that the shell is too large.

How do I Measure my Crab for a Shell? Take your crab in your hand and look at his large claw. The perfect-fitting shell will have an opening about the size of the large claw plus about 1/8" all around (for larger crabs it will be more) or 1/10" all around. You're ultimately looking for a shell whose entrance the crab will be able to plug with his or her large claw and far left walking leg.

Measuring the Aperture (Opening) A method sea shell collectors often use to judge the size of a shell is by its aperture or opening. Take the shell and put a ruler across the mouth of it and there you have it! Small crabs require a shell with an aperture of 1/4", larger crabs with 1 1/2" to 2" and up. If you're trying to buy your crab a shell that will fit better than the one he is in, take a rough estimate of the aperture of the shell he's occupying, and guess-timate the proper size. A good sea shell shop will accept a shell if it is returned in new condition, so you have nothing to lose if you fail to order the correct size.

What is the 'Best' Shell for my Crab? The best shell for your crab is one that he chooses, no matter if you think it is pretty or not. To be blunt, it is not your abdomen in that shell so if you provide him with a beautiful shell with a dirty interior or holes, the crab will not want it! Provide your crabs with clean shells. All shells you give to them should be boiled on the stove at a rolling boil for about five minutes, the allowed to cool. If you have an especially beautiful shell that you're excited about giving to the crab as soon as possible, you can boil it, and then after the required five minutes, gradually pour off the boiled water while you pour cold water into the pot. This will cool down the water (and thus the shell) faster so you can give it to your crab.

Also, crabs are drawn to shells with circular openings (an exception to this is the Ecuadorian crab. This will be discussed later on). For some mysterious reason, hermit crabs are drawn to shells lined with mother-of-pearl. It is suspected that they like these types of shells because (1) mother-of-pearl is an excellent insulation from the environment, and (2) mother-of-pearl is very smooth and 'comfortable' on a crab's abdomen. Most crabs find a shell of the correct size, with no holes and a smooth mother-of-pearl interior hard to resist!

Another reason your hermit crabs may have died is because of stress from their environment. Temperature & humidity are two very important things to look into. & there is what you have in their tank & how clean you keep things & how often you bathe them yourself. Here is some information on that.

Just the Basics
To live comfortably in captivity, hermit crabs require the following:

Temperature no lower than 72°F. Consistent low temperatures can kill a hermit crab. Don't allow them to bake in a window, either. If they get too hot they will die, and overheating causes irreversible damage and a slow, painful death. Signs of overheating are a musty smell and discharge of brown liquid;

A constant humidity level of at LEAST 70% humidity. Try to remember that you want the inside of your crabitat to have a moist, "tropical" feel to it;

Substrate deep enough that the crabs can bury but not so deep that it negates the effects of your under-tank heater. If you are having trouble keeping your crabitat warm, try moving some substrate from over the heater. If you are having trouble getting the crabitat to cool down, turn off the heater. See the molting page if you need information on heating a molter's isolation tank;

Food, water, shells and other tank decorations to keep the crabs engaged and active.
Friends!
I'm sure you've heard this before, but you really shouldn't keep only one hermit crab alone as a pet. The name 'hermit' is misapplied to our little friends -- they are quite gregarious and like to be around their own kind. In the wild, they travel in packs of up to 100 crabs, scavenging the beach for food and shells. The reason they travel in packs is simple: Where there are more crabs, there are more shells. Researchers have found by putting one clean, empty shell on the beach, they can initiate a "cascade" of shells changes: One crab changes in to the new shell, another changes into his old shell, and another changes into the other empty shell, and so on. Quite often I find about 20 hermies of my clan all piled on top each other, sleeping. So, please don't consign your friendly hermie to a life of loneliness. As one seasoned crabber once remarked, "Two crabs does not a colony make." Go get him a friend, or better yet, two friends.


HOUSING
The very first thing your new pet will need is a 'crabitat.' A crabitat is where your hermit crab will spend most of its time, so choose a home that is clean and roomy. A 10-gallon glass aquarium can be purchased at a reasonable price and makes an ideal 'starter home' for your crab. If you are unable to purchase an aquarium, there are other options available, such as plastic critter carriers. Keep in mind how many crabs you ultimately plan on housing and how you would like their home to look. It will help you make up your mind when the time comes to decide on the size of your crabitat. Make sure the cage will hold your pets, their food and water dishes, extra shells and climbing toys. You want a cage large enough to hold all these things and still have space for the crab to roam if he wishes. This means that the small plastic box that you got from a mall kiosk or boardwalk store is not an adequate shelter for any hermit crab. One way to give the crabs room to wander is to leave an area at the back or front of the crabitat that is completely clear of obstructions. This way the crab has an "express lane" to run down if s/he needs to get some energy out and doesn't want to climb.

While a plastic critter carrier makes a good temporary home or 'hospital cage,' it is not recommended as a permanent home.

The second most important aspect of the crabitat is the type of substrate you put in the bottom of your crabitat. After all, your crab will in all likelihood be sitting on it every day! There are many different types of substrate available, but not all of them are ideal for land hermit crabs. You want a substrate that is relatively easy to clean, attractive and holds up to hermit crabs' tunnelling activities. The best substrates are sand and coconut fiber (also known as Forest Bedding®, Bed-A-Beast®, and Eco-Earth®.

There are also many different varieties of sand available. The most expensive is Calci-sand. Calci-sand is actually powdered calcium carbonate, which is a valuable mineral in land hermit crab exoskeletons (the reason this is valuable will discussed later on). Other (less expensive and perfectly adequate) aquarium sand can be found in the pet store -- however, if you’re really looking for a great deal, check out your local hardware store for play (sand box) sand. You can usually purchase it there for approximately $2.50 per 25 lbs. (Try to get a bag of play sand which is towards the middle of the pallet, otherwise, it may be wet or contaminated.) A word of caution about play sand. Some crab owners have reported problems with an orangy-colored play sand they purchased from Home Depot. The sand had an oily, diesel-like smell to it. If you open the bag of sand and notice any "off" smell, throw it out or take it back to the store. Do not put any strong-smelling sand into your crabitat.

Most sand comes pre-washed and/or sterilized. Sometimes, however, individual bags can develop leaks through which moisture, insects, etc. invade. As a precautionary measure, please take a close look at the substrate before you put it into your crabitat. Pour some into a bowl and sift it through your fingers, hold it to a strong light and watch for insects. Lastly, put your nose to it and take a whiff to check for a musty smell which would indicate moisture contamination.

Coconut fiber (Forest Bedding or "FB") is another excellent substrate. The coconut is processed to be very fine, almost like earth, and pressed into a dry, hard brick. To prepare FB, you put the brick in a large bowl or tub and add enough water until the brick absorbs the water and become soft enough for you to break apart with your hands. Then you add the moist FB to your crabitat. There are many benefits to using forest bedding, not the least of which is that it appears to be one of the very best molting mediums out there. Over time, the FB compacts a little bit and becomes stable, which allows the crabs to dig little tunnels all through it. An advantage of the FB over sand is that FB will not collapse heavily upon a newly-molted crab and damage it. I have had many beautiful molts in the FB. The moisture in the FB helps to keep the humidity in the crabitat at a good range, without resorting to sponges and misting.

There is one unique drawback to using FB and that is that it attracts fungus gnats. Fungus gnats are teeny black bugs that look like midget mosquitoes. They are attracted to warm, moist areas and will lay eggs and start a colony of their own in your crabitat. Fungus gnat larvae are worm-like with black shiny heads.
Since hermit crabs and fungus gnats are both arthropods, you can not use any pesticides in your crabitat or it will kill the crabs! There is however a solution to this problem. Back in October 2003 I found and used -- biological warfare! You can view all the creepy details on the FAQ page.


There is one universal problem with all good hermit crab substrates. They are messy. Expect to have sand or forest bedding in your kitchen and bathroom at one time or another. Hermit crabs are not the most orderly critters and they do drag sand, FB or what have you into their food and water dishes. Also they bury shells that they aren't interested in. So you'll be cleaning out their dishes and shaking substrate out of shells, no matter what substrate you use! If it's crab-friendly, chances are it's going to be messy.



Tiny crab after molt.
Notice the pink color as contrasted with the black eyes.


WATER: DRINKING AND BATHING


The basic rule of thumb for land hermit crabs’ drinking water is this: Do not give the crab any water you would not put in a tropical fish tank.

This means that you’ll need to remove the chlorine and other harmful chemicals from water prior to giving it to your crab. Bottled and filtered water are also acceptable, but usually more expensive. Plus there is no way of guaranteeing that during processing (with bottled water) that the chlorine was adequately removed or (with filtered water) that the filter you’re using wasn’t clogged or contaminated. I’d go with the method below, regardless of the type of water you use.

Removing the Bad Stuff: Chlorine
Chlorine is harmful to land hermit crabs. Repeated exposure to it causes blisters to form on the crabs' gills, resulting in suffocation and death. You can remove this harmful chemical by purchasing from your pet store a general dechlorinizer (or tap water conditioner). It’s relatively inexpensive and usually comes in a dropper-style bottle. You do not need to buy a large amount of it (in fact, you shouldn’t, because the drops may gradually lose the ability to dechlorinate the water if stored for a long period of time). Try to get a brand with instructions on how to mix only ONE GALLON of dechlorinated water, otherwise you’ll have to do some calculating as to how many drops per quart, etc.

Read the instructions on the bottle or packaging. Usually you'll need something like 1 drop per gallon (if the dechlorinizer is really strong) or 5 drops per quart. Check your individual brand, though, because the amount per brand can vary significantly. Put the required amount of drops in the bottom of the gallon (or ½ gallon) jug and fill it up in the sink, tub, whatever. I usually let the water sit open overnight after treatment, to be sure all the chemicals are neutralized.

Once you've dechlorinized the water, it can be served to the crabs in practically any non-metallic, non-porous container. The two things you need to consider when selecting water dishes for your crabs are: How much water it will hold; and how deep the container is. If you have large crabs, you will need a larger container, obviously. Hermit crabs like to drag themselves (shell and all) into the water dish and just sit there sometimes. They may be replenishing their ‘shell water’ or they may be cleaning out their shells. It’s important you check the water dish daily, and make sure that it is clean and full of water. To clean the water dish, run it under the tap and dry it well with a dishcloth. The best water dishes I have seen are molded plastic or cement reptile-type dishes that look like rock, sea shells, plastic jar lids and individual-serving size small Pyrex casserole dishes. NEVER use anything metal as a water dish. Land hermit crabs are extremely sensitive to metal.

VERY IMPORTANT! Be sure your water dish is not so deep that your smaller crabs will drown in it. If you have large crabs and small crabs together, put glass or regular pebbles into the large crabs’ dish so a stray small crab will have a way to get out if it stumbles into the large dish. Smaller water dishes and jar lids don’t need a sponge in them, but a sponge is critical if you’re using a large clam shell, which may be very deep toward the middle-back areas. If the water seems deeper than your smallest crabs, don’t take the risk. Put a sponge into the dish.

Wash Yer Dishes!
You may notice when you refill the crabs' water dishes that there is sometimes a slimy residue in the bottom of the water dishes. This ‘scum’ is probably the residue from the (traces of) oil that is used in many of the commercial crab foods. This oil is used since our hermies need a bit of it in their diet. However, this does NOT mean to add extra oil to their crab food or feed them extra oil -- THAT could kill them! FMR, does use/add some oil (soybean and coconut) in/to their food, but not their treat. Another culprit could well be the oils from the natural foods (such as the coconut, etc.) you feed your crabs. The scum is probably a residue of this oil, combined with food particles and other items the crabs drag into the dish along with them. It is no cause for alarm. Just scrub out the scum (do NOT use any chemicals, a damp paper towel works perfectly).

RUB-A-DUB-DUB -- HERMIES IN THE TUB!
It's true. Your land hermit crabs need to be bathed every week. Why, you ask? In the wild hermit crabs are frequently rained on and live in a very humid environment. We can't provide rain for them, so the next best thing is for us to bathe them. Bathing is absolutely necessary -- it keeps their modified (stiffened) gills moist. When your hermie is taken from his island home, you need to provide him with a method to keep his gills moist, as well.
Remember that your hermit crab cannot tolerate chlorine, so please be sure to dechlorinated the bath water. The temperature of the water should be tepid, that is, about the temperature of the surrounding room (not noticeably hot OR cold). For a really special (ultra healthy) hermie bath, put in a couple drops of Stress Coat® (click on the name to find out why). Most people bathe their hermit crabs in dishes, mixing bowls and plastic containers.

Take your sweet, unsuspecting hermit crab from his crabitat and slowly immerse him in the bath water. Set him at the bottom of the 'tub' upside-down. That way when he comes out of his shell, the water will rush in a flush out all the dirt clinging to his cephalothorax (head & body) and abdomen. If he does not come out, let him sit in the bottom of the tub for about three minutes and then remove him. Keep an eye on him, bathing crabs makes them VERY active and he may decide to quickly crawl out of the bath! Let him walk around (or frantically run, as the case may be in smaller crabs and Ecuadorians) for a couple minutes. Then remove him from the tub, drain the excess water from his shell and allow him to dry off. Some people have special 'playgrounds' for their crabs to exercise in while drying off. Their 'drying off area' can be a simple as a shoe box with a paper towel in it to absorb the excess moisture.

Place your dried-off hermie back in his crabitat and sit back and watch. They are incredibly active after their bath time and love to explore!

Bath time is also an excellent time for you to clean and re-order your crabitat. Use a kitchen strainer or fish net to strain the sand to remove all crab poopies, bits of exoskeleton and buried food. Shake the sand out of the empty shells and replace the food in the food dish. Put all their climbing toys back to where they were the week before, or arrange them differently for a new look. I strongly advocate that all crabitats be 'remodeled' occasionally to keep your crabs from becoming bored with their environment.

TOYS!
Hermit crabs LOVE toys! They really enjoy climbing all over and hiding in almost anything you can give them. There are many varieties of 'hermie toys' available in your average pet store. Some of the better ones are:

Dried choya (or cholla) wood (they actually like to eat it too)

Sand-blasted grapevine

Driftwood in any shape or form

Plastic plants

Coral, barnacles and sea fans (coral also provides additional calcium)

Man-made 'hermie huts' for them to hide in

Man-made 'half logs' also as hiding places

Unpainted clay flower pots

Metal hardware cloth (chickenwire)
Plastic reptile ladders
Plastic "hamster" ball (I put one crab at a time in the ball and let him or her take a stroll around the house. They are great because they don't get lost under the furniture.)

So you see, there are all kinds of things you can put into your crabs' tank to keep them interested and active. Just be careful and don't put and resinous (evergreen) wood into the crabitat. Crabs are arthropods (in the same phylum as insects) and, just as cedar or pine irritates moths, it also annoys hermit crabs.

Sponge Care
A large (baseball-sized or larger) natural sponge in a dish with water in it, close to or over the substrate covering the undertank heater is VERY effective as a means of dispersing humidity into the air. The sponge helps to 'pump' the humidity into the air better by providing a larger surface from which the water evaporates. You might compare it to how quickly a kitchen sponge dries out, as opposed to the time it takes a dish of water to evaporate.

The key to using the sponges is to have a couple of them, so they may be switched out on a regular basis to prevent any mold or bacterial growth. A thorough rinse in hot water only and a short soak in a sea salt solution, followed by a rinse in with some dechlorinated water helps to clean the sponges. Squeeze out the extra water and allow them to air dry. If additional disinfecting is needed, place the COMPLETELY DRY sponge in the microwave for two minutes. Don’t put it in the microwave when they are moist (or even damp), or it will quickly shrink to the size of a walnut.

Large natural sponges can be expensive, and the upkeep of them is mandatory. Since they sit in water and the crabs crawl on them, they are a prime breeding site for bacteria which could kill your crabs. Anyone 'electing' to try this method needs to be aware that neglecting the cleaning of the sponge on a regular basis is asking for problems.


Handling
There is a lot of information floating around about the proper way to handle hermit crabs. Some people recommend picking the crab up by his shell, and others recommend placing the crab on your outstretched palm. The proper handling of hermit crabs is tricky; if you hold them by the shell, they could reach around and pinch your fingers. If you place them on your hand they could wander a ways and then grasp on to the flesh between the thumb and forefinger.

Ouch! So I Shouldn't Hold Them?
It is perfectly fine for you to hold your hermit crabs. However you have to respect the crabs' ability to pinch. They are in fact CRABS and most people associate crabs with claws. The key thing to remember when you are holding your hermit crabs is to not take your eyes off of them. If you are paying attention to your wandering crabbie, you cut down on your chances of getting nipped and you also reduce the possibility that the crab could escape from you and become "lost."

When you pick up your crab, always grasp him by the back of his shell. NEVER pick up a crab from the front, or put a crab in your pocket and close your fist around him. The crab will become alarmed and stick out the claw and pinch. Pick up the crab carefully by his shell. If it is a very active crab, be ready to quickly transfer him to another surface, such as a sofa or bed. If you want to hold the crab in your hand, keep an eye on it and make sure that it has room to both wander and also that it seems to be comfortable. A good example of a happy, held hermit crab is one that wanders from hand to hand without stopping. You do this by placing one hand horizontally in front of the other hand, giving the crab a continuous walking surface. Do not place your hands fingertip to fingertip -- because there is not enough surface area and the crab will become alarmed and pinch.

Handling Tips for New Crab Owners
Be especially cautious with new crabs that you don't know, crabs that have in most cases been abused at the pet store and have every right to be pinchy. Think about it -- if someone picked you up and poked at you all the time, you'd pinch too! One of the reasons that new crabs pinch is because they are literally starving to death and they automatically pinch onto things, in the vain hope that they might snag some kind of food. A friend and I once went into a pet store and found a jumbo crab who was pathetically pinching the air about every 3 minutes and bringing up his empty claw to his mouthparts. It was heartbreaking, and on the way home with us, he ate an entire cracker all by himself. A simple suggestion that plays on this is to feed your new crabs well, and try not to play with them for the first few days they are living with you.

Use gloves if you are nervous. There is nothing wrong with protecting your skin from a crab that you don't know. Thinner gloves are better because then you can feel the crab walking and get used to his weight on your hand. If you're nervous about them however, thicker gloves are fine. Start out by holding the crab over a bed or sofa, so if the crab makes a move that startles you and you drop him, he will land on a soft surface and not be harmed.

Never allow a child to hold a new pet crab in a kitchen, bathroom or other areas with uncarpeted floors. A fall from three feet or more onto a hard surface can be fatal (the crab's delicate internal organs rupture). So please supervise all children with their new crabbies until they are comfortable with the crab and respectful of the crushing power of his claws. On the one hand, a softball-sized hermit crab can completely crush a No. 2 pencil in seconds with the large claw. On the other hand, the large crabs are generally more gentle. Respect the claws and you won't be caught by surprise.

Helping Children Get Used to the Crabs
When I was a little girl, one of my favorite ways to play with my hermies was to lay on my stomach and put my arms out in front of me in a big circle, and put the crabs in the circle. They would crawl around in there, and I got used to how their feelers and legs feel on my skin (inner arms) without worrying too much about being pinched. If you have carpeting, that is fine (they won't get snagged), or you can put down a blanket. Sometimes they try to escape underneath the armpit, but then since they were on the floor already, I'd just move myself and make a new circle around them, or roll them back into place.


CRITICAL CARE TIPS!! CRITICAL CARE TIPS!! CRITICAL CARE TIPS!! CRITICAL CARE TIPS!! CRITICAL CARE TIPS!!

I've often been asked "What is the single most critical element of keeping land hermit crabs alive?" The answer to that question would have to be keeping their environment humid. Land hermit crabs have modified, stiffened gills which allow them to breathe air. They are GILLS, however, and not lungs, so are not able to breathe as we do. The air a hermit crab breathes has to be humid or the gills will dry out and the crab will endure a long unpleasant death of suffocation, similar to a human's death by dehydration.

To make sure your crab does not suffer this awful, very common fate, make sure the humidity in your crabitat is kept at a steady humidity level. Make sure of this by purchasing a humidity gauge, and check it daily. Most humidity gauges read relative humidity, so unless your gauge specifically says it reads [b]actual[/b] humidity, you want to keep it at at least 70%. Many crabbers report success with a humidity reading of between 70% and 80% relative humidity. If you are keeping your crabs in a plastic critter keeper, use plastic wrap to cover the holes on the lid to trap humidity, or place a warm moist towel over the lid for an immediate humidity boost. If your crabs live in a glass aquarium, you can purchase a glass lid for it at most pet stores. Since the glass lids store flat and out of the way, many pet store employees might not be aware they stock them. Go to this site and print out a picture of the lid so they will know what you are looking for. Note that the All Glass Aquarium Company also makes most aquarium sizes and posts them (with their dimensions) here. This site comes in handy if you happen upon a 'leaker' or used tank and are not sure of its size.

Do not overdo the humidity, however. Like all things, too much of it can be bad for the crabs and can cause unhealthy bacteria to bloom in their habitat. I have personally gone for months without a single crab death, and I firmly believe that having adequate humidity in the tank is the main reason. If your hermies are acting listless and bored, check your humidity gauges, it might be that they are struggling for breath!

For more information on hermit crabs, check out the website I used to give you this information. I used to have hermit crabs as well & I thought it was very hard to care for them properly so eventually I gave it up. I enjoyed them though. Good luck!