Follow-up

Question
QUESTION: Hi Again Lola,

Since writing you last night, Hermie has lost his big purple pincher and is still hiding out, hasn't moved much or eaten/drunk anything. He appears to be moving slightly, though, and there's no fishy odor, so I'm assuming he is not molting but just stressed? or is he dying???

Is this a bad time to think of putting another hermie in there with him? Will that help with the stress, or only add more? And now that he doesn't have his big pincher, how will he defend himself if the other one becomes aggressive?

Thanks so much!

Concerned parent

ANSWER: The loss of the pincher shouldn't affect him. What are your temperature and humidity readings?

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hi Lola,

Thanks for your responses. But unfortunately, we lost our precious crab. Seems he didn't want to do much but hide in a corner, even though I offered him all the required things (shells, water dishes, food, climbing stuff, regulated temp/humidity). Could just be that he couldn't adjust after coming home from the beach. The next day, he ended up dropping all the rest of his legs, and I left him alone for a long time, but when I checked on him again 24 hours later, he hadn't moved and only his head was tucked way back up in the shell. I know he hadn't been molting because his limbs that he shed were not hollow and I don't think crabs molt that quickly!

Could it also be some of the loud noises in our home disturbed him? We have a grand piano that gets played a lot, as well as a noisy 2-year old.

I don't know if maybe we upped the humidity too much and he simply wasn't used to it - he was in deplorable conditions at the beach (one of those typical wire cages with no humidity control) - so maybe it was just too many changes for him at once? I've heard it's best to gradually up the humidity for beach crabs who are kept in wire cages at the stores.

Your thoughts would be appreciated, as we are contemplating starting over again - this time with at least a few crabs.

Thanks so much. I'm so sad about losing our 1st hermie.

ANSWER: Did he come from the beach or from a tourist store? Beach crabs are often marine crabs and cannot live long out of water.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: We bought him at a beach store on the Eastern shore - Bethany beach, DE - he's a medium purple pincher. The brochure that came with him said he's a "Land hermit crab" and that they spend their life on land and trees, not in the sea.

What are your thoughts on the loud noises, and upping the humidity too soon? Maybe he had gotten used to being in the wire cage out in the "open", and also with lots of other hermies?

Answer
Yes, I agree that you might try starting with humidity around 65 and slowly raising it a degree or two ever 3 days. The loud noises shouldn't be a problem. I have 2 kids under the age of 5 and my crabitat is in the living room and we've never had a problem. I have heard, in the past, crabs having issues with vibration, like loud music, or sitting on top of a television.  As for the piano, as long as it's not in contact with the crab tank it should be fine.