Post by RyansHermies on Jan 11, 2014 13:09:02 GMT -5
Copying and pasting from Emergency Help Template didn't work so I am typing answers to questions.
I have one crab for five months. Had three and just found two dead upon changing of tank.
What species I have is the purple pincher land hermit crab.
I have one 10-gallon tank.
My lid type is a screen with a half acrylic cover and half a Zilla 20" dual socket hood with 25 and 40 moolite heat bulbs.
Substrate used was not sufficient; about two inches of a mix of sand and coconut fiber. I now have four inches of Florida sand mixed with oyster shell and coconut fiber purchased online.
I mist daily.
My heat sources are an undertank heater and the 25 and 40 watt heat bulbs.
Temperature is between 75 and 80 degrees and humidity stays between 75 and 80%.
I used bottled spring water.
I make my salt water using Instant Ocean.
I feed my crabs a variety but one shell of food and one shell of snacks containing: All Living Things Variety Diet, Zoomed Hermit Crab Fruit Salad, Zoomed Hermit Crab Food, HBH Hermit Crab Cookies, newly acquired The Hermit Crab Patch Decadent Dinner, Crab Island by T-Rex Fresh Dried Coconut Treat.
I have a coconut hut, a crab shack, a large piece of Mopani wood and various fake and one real plant for climbing.
Yes, I have an isolation tank but have never needed to use it.
I cannot figure out how to attach an image as it asks for a url.
My issue is my three crabs were happy until winter months came along. Then they buried and started always hiding. The temp in the house is 65 degrees. I had been using a 60 watt red lamp for heat and the undertank heater. The undertank heater alone wasn't sufficient and the 60 watt red lamp removed all humidity. I was using saran wrap to keep the humidity in and the lamp and saran wrap couldn't be used together. I've since purchased all of the equipment noted above. I knew heat was an issue but simply could not find helpful answers online and thought 65 degrees wasn't THAT cold. I was wrong.
Now that I purchased all this awesome stuff, I went on my way with cleaning and changing the tank and changing to the new substrate.
I found two of my crabs dead. One of them in the shell still but inside of shell with mold built up on the body. The other crab was just pieces of crab left, no whole body to speak of. I am wondering if that one was molting.
I want to get more crabs so the one left isn't lonely, as I know they shouldn't be. My concern is if he is weak or ill from the same conditions that killed the other two, can I introduce new healthy crabs and when? I don't want my one survivor (who does seem ok; climbed up wire mesh of a mistaken tank I bought when I first got them and bathing in the salt water bowl) to get killed by new crabs.
Any help would be greatly appreciated. And I'd love to upload a pic if anyone can tell me how!