Your Reptile and Amphibian Resource and Information Site

Back to Hermit-Crabs Forum   Forums   Home   Members Area  

Hermit-Crabs Forum

Garrettk   Froggz37   Garrettk   Geckogirlemi   Garrettk   Garrettk   Garrettk   Geckogirlemi   Geckogirlemi   Ashmash   Geckogirlemi   Froggz37   Corbin   Hotguy   Jedigirl   Ashmash  
 Member  Message

 #886100


Garrettk
View Profile

 Molting?

I’m rather new to the Hermit Crabbing. I have a ten gallon glass tank with calcium sand substrate. I have two small reptile substrate heaters that keep the tank at a fairly constant 73-75 degrees Fahrenheit. I picked up some hermit crabs from a mall kiosk. I know now that that probably wasn’t smart. Anyway, I’m pretty sure 2 of them are Indos and one is a Purple Pincher. I only have three because that’s about all ten gallon tanks can keep. One of my Indos lost a limb and it’s quite lethargic. It just stays in the corner of the tank all day and night. I’m worried that I’m doing something wrong. The humidity is always above 70%. I hope that it’s not too cold for them in there. Does anyone know what’s going on?
07/15/06  06:44pm

 #886340


Froggz37
View Profile



   Message To: Garrettk   In reference to Message Id: 886100


 Molting?

Its very stressed. Its been caught in its natural enviroment, placed in a big bag with tons of other crabs and stored in a warehouse for an unknown time awaiting shipment. It was shipped and then dumped into a kiosk and handled by who knows how many different people.

Limb loss is a major sign of stress from all of the things they go through before they get to you. Your conditions seem fine, so just leave him completely alone. He might adjust to captivity and pull through, he may not. Sorry :(
07/15/06  09:43pm

 #886391


Garrettk
View Profile



   Message To: Froggz37   In reference to Message Id: 886340


 Molting?

So all I can do is just let him be? I mist my hermit crabs atleast once a day. Should I still mist that one? I feel kind of bad for it. It was doing just fine before. I’ve had these for about 2 weeks. It was pretty active and it’s not shy at all. Should I put any special food in the tank? Thanks for you information, I really appreciate it.
07/15/06  10:12pm

 #886481


Geckogirlemi
View Profile



   Message To: Garrettk   In reference to Message Id: 886391


 Molting?

Indo’s are the most arboreal of hermit crabs, so make sure they have a ton to climb on, the more the better. I use Dry apple branches from my apple tree(no we don’t use pesticides). But anything will work. I prefer to use Coconut fiber(Eco-Earth, Bed-A-Beast) because it hold humidity better and my hermies love it 10 times more than sand. Are you measuring substrate temps? Because it you are not the substrate might be a bit too hot. Also what are you feeding them? Also I wish you the best of luck.:)
07/15/06  11:02pm

 #886507


Garrettk
View Profile



   Message To: Geckogirlemi   In reference to Message Id: 886481


 Molting?

They have a large Zoo-Med Habba Hut thing in there to climb on. They also have the two granite rocks. Should I put something else in? How do I go about measuring the substrate temperature? I have one of those liquid crystal thermometers on the inside of the tank in the upper right corner. It stays about 73 all night and peaks at about 77 during the daytime. I am feeding them HBH Hermit Crab Variety Bites and Hermit Crab Cakes. I don’t think it’s too hot in there. Wouldn’t they be moving around a lot more instead of burying themselves? Thanks for the information.
07/15/06  11:22pm

 #886552


Garrettk
View Profile



   Message To: Garrettk   In reference to Message Id: 886507


 Molting?


">



Is this an Indo?
07/15/06  11:41pm

 #886557


Garrettk
View Profile



   Message To: Garrettk   In reference to Message Id: 886507


 Molting?


Is this an Indo? Or is it just a Purple Pincher?




07/15/06  11:44pm

 #886578


Geckogirlemi
View Profile



   Message To: Garrettk   In reference to Message Id: 886507


 Molting?

Eh, I’d have to see a pic of his claw to make sure but my Large Indo looks just like that. Don’t feed the HBH stuff, it’s no good here is a list that Froggz37 made me,

  • IN the freezer
    These are items kept in the freezer that are pre-cut in small rubbermaid freezer containers or baggies.
    Mango
    strawberry
    apple
    purple and green seedless grapes
    pineapple
    kiwi
    apricot
    blueberries
    papaya
    cherries
    red and black raspberries
    sliced corn on the cob(they love the cob too)
    spirulina
    black raspberry leaf
    red raspberry leaf
    carrot peices and tops
    peas
    brocoli heads and flowers
    peanuts
    sunflower seeds
    pumpkin seeds
    white millet seeds
    coconut meat
    coconut water
    whole raw shrimp
    freeze dried fish(cat treat section)
    freeze dried plankton
    freeze dried krill
    fresh frozen krill
    fresh frozen bloodworms
    fresh frozen brine shrimp
    rose petals
    hibiscus flowers
    nausturim flowers
    double impatients flowers
    dried chammomile
    dried jasmine
    dandelion leaf
    dandelion flowers
    red and white clover flowers
    calendula flowers
    red and white clover leaf
    dried oak leaf
    dried violets(wild american native violets, not african violets)
    mangrove roots
    copepods
    Kaytee healthy toppins(bird treats)
    Gerber fruit and veggie bites in banana-strawberry and corn. They are freeze dried bits of the fruits and veggie and my crabs LOVE them. I mix some of this with some dried apple I have, a bit of coconut, some oatmeal(plain quaker oats) and a bit of honey and they eat it faster than they ever did FMR treat!

    For my dried foods I have
    Gardners treecrab food. Its the only commercial food I will use and I only offer it once a month or so
    wardley dried tubifex worm cubes
    wardley shrimp pellets
    wardley tropical fish flakes
    tetramin pro tropical crisps
    algae wafers
    dried apple
    dried raspberries
    dried brocoli
    dried white and red clover
    dried hibiscus flowers
    dried carrots (I have my own food dehydrator. I love it)
    dried dandelion leaf
    dried red raspberry leaf
    dried grape leaf
    dried oak leaf
    freeze dried tuna flakes(cat treat)
    powdered cuttlebone
    crushed eggshell
    honey(not dried, but its not frozen either)
    plain quaker oatmeal
    POPCORN!!!!!(one of my tanks all time favorites, this is always eaten. All you have to do is get the plain bagged kernals, not the microwave packaged stuff. Put about ten kernals into a little paper lunch bag, fold it over quite a bit so that its sealed well and microwave it for about three minutes, it depends on your microwave. When you offer them you can sprinkle spirulina or honey, or both and they just devour the popcorn. I often find popcorn pieces hidden around tank.

    Occasionally I will give them a live cricket or a guppy in their water dish for extra protein.
    For a real treat occasionally they get a cleaned(not rinsed, just most all of the meat gone and all of the skin gone) chicken bone thats been broken so that they can get at the marrow inside.
    Once in a while they will also eat one of my button mushrooms. I always just give that to them fresh.



    The store bought hermit crab diets are no good. About water Declorinator, make sure that it has NO aloe and NO slim coating, 2 of the brands that froggz recommended me was "wardley chlor-out" or "aqua safe". Get DIAL type thermometers or Digital. I use a dial type, one on each side to make sure then cool side stays around 70F and the hot around 80F. Your humidity should be around 70 to 80% being the best.



    		•
    07/15/06  11:58pm

     #886582


    Geckogirlemi
    View Profile



    		   Message To: Geckogirlemi   In reference to Message Id: 886578


     Molting?

    Oh and get some Cholla wood or some grapevine and make sure you offer declorinated saltwater along with the fresh. Indo’s LOVE their saltwater, in my experience.
    07/16/06  12:00am

     #886660


    Ashmash
    View Profile



    		   Message To: Geckogirlemi   In reference to Message Id: 886582


     Molting?

    geckogirlemi- Your tank sounds very interesting, do you think you could post a picture of it? I would really like to see what it looks like.


    -Ashlee
    07/16/06  12:43am

     #886667


    Geckogirlemi
    View Profile



    		   Message To: Ashmash   In reference to Message Id: 886660


     Molting?

    Yeah sure! I’ll get some soon for ya.:)
    07/16/06  12:50am

     #887217


    Froggz37
    View Profile



    		   Message To: Geckogirlemi   In reference to Message Id: 886667


     Molting?

    The crab pictured is a purple pincher.
    07/16/06  02:13pm

     #943096


    Corbin
    View Profile



    		   Message To: Froggz37   In reference to Message Id: 887217


     Molting?

    HEY Garrettk

    How many bags of calcium sand did you have to use for youre crabitat you might think its a weird question but ya
    thanks
    08/16/06  10:16pm

     #1107662


    Hotguy
    View Profile



    		   Message To: Garrettk   In reference to Message Id: 886557


     Molting?

    Your crab looks like a indo.
    12/26/06  07:48pm

     #1136698


    Jedigirl
    View Profile



    		   Message To: Geckogirlemi   In reference to Message Id: 886481


     Molting?

    wat should i use 4 substrate? i bought T-Rex Jungle Bed but a friend says use rocks. they had sand but it got all over the house and they said the mulchey type stuff does not work. wat does u use?Thnks
    01/17/07  10:30am

     #1137565


    Ashmash
    View Profile



    		   Message To: Jedigirl   In reference to Message Id: 1136698


     Molting?

    I use 1/3 eco earth mixed with 2/3 sand. It works perfectly for me. DO NOT use rocks or gravel! Hermit crabs need to dig and hide in the substrate and they can’t dig in rocks or gravel. This will cause major stress and could result in death.

    Hope this helps!

    Ash

    ps. next time start a new thread, you’ll probably get more answers sooner.



    01/17/07  10:19pm


    Back to Hermit-Crabs Forum   Forums   Home   Members Area