naked crab

Question
our hermit crab has shed its shell and has not picked a new one...how long can it live like that..is it ill..it has salt water, is heated and has food....

Answer
Dear Patty,
thank you for your question.
If you keep the humidity high, the crab can survive without a shell for a long time. But usually, crabs that  stay without a shell are sick and often die after some time. There's not much you can do about that, except for offering perfect conditions and leaving the crabalone as much as possible. Yu can try to put it gently back into its shell, either by putting its abdomen into the shell or by putting it into a small box with a few shells, but I would only try that once since it's a lot of stress for the crab.

Do you also offer fresh water? They need both kinds to stay healthy. Also, crabs shouldn't be kept alone, they are very social and are better kept in small groups. If you are interested, here are some websites that have very good information on crab care (including crabs going shell-less):
www.thecrabbagepatch.com
www.epicurean-hermit.com
www.landhermitcrabs.com
www.hermitcrabassociation.com
www.hermit-crabs.com

I hope I was of some help to you
Jennifer