Hermit Crab

[MickiMouth]

I did a search on Hermit Crabs but couldn't find anything. My DD's hermit crab came out of his shell and doesn't look to good. I'm not sure how long he has been out. We usually keep him in the family room but DD recently moved him to her room. He does have two shells in his cage but I just don't know. We've had him for 1yr. and 7 months. I'm sad. I have a feeling he isn't going to take to one of the shells. Is this a sign he's dying?

 

[dreams91]

My sister had hermit crabs. If you put the crab and two shells in a small container that he can't get out of, but doesn't have a lot of room to move around in, they usually go and choose a shell. This link has some info. Good luck.

 

[MickiMouth]

Thanks for the info. I just told DH what you suggested. I think we care more then our DD's. Thanks again.

 

[dreams91]

Yeah...let me know if he chooses a shell. Is this the first time he has left the old shell?

 

[MickiMouth]

He switched shells before but while we were sleeping. We were surprised the next day to see him in his new shell. This time he's walking aroung naked.

 

[dreams91]

If you only have the shell he was originally in and the shell he changed to during the night, he may need a larger shell. He might not go into either of the two that he had already resided in. I'd pick him up another shell soon if you can. They won't live long without their shells.

 

[MickiMouth]

We had 2 new shells in his cage knowing eventually he'd need a bigger one. He is still walking around naked.

 

[dreams91]

"Traumatized individuals may not take any shell. Minimizing the handling of shelless animals, avoiding putting shellless animals in with others, and not using glaring lights seems to reduce stress"

 

[Jaimee]

We have hermit crabs also...visit

www.hermitcrabassociation.com they have AWESOME info.

 

[MickiMouth]

I think he's dead. He never took to a new shell. Like I said he had 2 to choose from that were bigger then the one he was in. He did switch once right after we got him. We hardly ever touched him and he was in his cage alone. I guess it was just his time. Thanks for all the advice.

 

[dreams91]

I'm sorry.

 

[HappyMommy2]

Oh I'm sorry about your hermit crab!
I know how you feel. When DS4's fish died, DS cried a few tears and I cried more than he did! We care for these innocent little creatures and it is sad to see them go, even if it was just "their time."

 

[cactus]

aww...my crab only lived for 3 weeks. His name was Bert. I tried spraying it with water, to clean it. But I didn't know how to feed it. I also had a female crab named Mary but she ran away. I found her shell undera rock.

 

[magicmirror]

sorry to hear about your crab. Last year my daughter was collecting shells on the beach not long after one of the hurricanes. She said big pretty shells were everywhere, the most she had ever seen. Anyway, a couple of days after she got home, I was in her room and kept hearing a noise, I followed the sound and there was a big, scary (to me) crab in her backpack. She never knew it was there, later her boyfriend admitted he knew a crab was in the shell, he didn't tell her, hoping it would come out in her hand, then later forgot about it. I got it a cage, and food, trying to keep it alive till I could get it to the beach. I had a trip planned for 3 weeks later, I took it back and put it in the sand. I hope it lived. When I first saw it, it scared the crap out of me, the only ones I had ever seen were the little cute, painted-shell ones in gift shops. It was not little, and not so cute. It was an interesting little critter though.

 

[cactus]

If I were you I'd never want to see another crab again

 

[pkasbohm]

We have had 4 hermit crabs in the past. We never had much luck with them finding shells that they would go into if it wasn't a fast switch. They ended up dying if they didn't pick a shell right away.

Sorry to hear about your hermit crab!

 

[PixiePop]

Sorry to hear about your crab. We had the same thing happen to ours.

 

[cactus]

I took Mary and Bert to Joe's crab shack...they weren't too happy.