Hermit in & out of shell for past 3 weeks

Question
Hi...

I have had hermit crabs for about 9 ms. now.  I started with 3.  One died, I got a new one.  Another one died.  So now I have two.  I know one of them is one of the original crabs.  He is also the only one that has molted.

I have a salt water bath for them and treated water in a shell with a sponge for drinking.  I feed them two different types of store bought food.  They have a coconut and a log to go under.  There is also a heater on the bottom of one corner.  This is the same side I have the coconut on and which is where they prefer to be.  I also have about 2 inches of substrate which is the kind you buy from the pet store and add water to it.  I don't have a temp. gauge but there is always a little bit of moisture on the glass.

My question is this.....I have one crab (not the one that molted) that has been in and out of his shell for the past 3 weeks.  I went and bought 3 new shells so he now has about 10 to pick from.  I re-boiled them to make sure there was nothing inside of them that may be irritating him.  I have also sprayed him to keep him moist as well as gently trying to coax him back into a shell.  This seems to work for awhile, then he ends up naked again.  He is hanging out naked under the coconut.  However when I touch him, he is very active, not lethargic at all like he was when he first came out of his shell.  I also have not isolated him from the other hermit because the healthy hermit does not seem aggressive at all and as he has already been naked so many times without the other hermit injuring him.

If it his something with the conditions of the tank, wouldn't the other hermit crab be acting the same way?  

I am at my wits end.  I really thought he was going to die within days of coming out of his shell as that is what happened to the other one but he is a fighter so I keep on fighting.  However, at this point....I have tried everything and am wondering if I should just let him be?  I figure if he stays out of shell, there is no way he can live but how many times can I keep trying to coax him back in a shell?

Also....if he does pass, I don't plan on getting any more hermits.  I know they are social but if I keep replacing one everytime one dies, I will have them forever and I do not want to keep them forever as I am becoming disheartened with them dying.  Would it be horrible to just have the alone?  

Thank you!

Jennifer

Answer
Okay. First, you need to get a temperature/humidity gauge.You can get a cheapish one ($6) from walmart in their home improvement section by the rain gauges. It is possible for off humidity and temp to affect one crab more than the other just like sometimes one person in a family will get sick and the others wont.

As for keeping a lone crab I wouldn't recommend it. If you are wanting to make a clean break from crabbing I would recommend going to www.crabstreetjournal.com and visiting their adoption center. We do have people all over the country who are willing to drive a bit to rehome crabs in just this sort of situation. A healthy crab can live up to 30 years in captivity so even if you just have the one, you could have him for quite some time.