QuestionWe purchased hermit crabs this past weekend for our daughters
(2 each in 2 crabitats). Sadly, our eldest came downstairs this
morning crying because one of her crabs died overnight. (Yep,
we double checked and he was, indeed, dead.) Not wanting to
leave the other crab alone (we figure there's been enough trama
on the little guy) we purchased a new one. Our problem is this
(one of them, anyway *s*) our daughter really liked the shell on
the now defunct crab. So here we are with a dead crab still in its
shell. My questions are - 1) can we remove the dead crab
without doing anything unpleasant to its body? 2) If that is
possible, do we need to clean the shell in any way. And if so,
how do you recommend doing that? 3) Then, can we offer this
shell as a possible replacement for our living crabs?
I appreciate your help with this. Thanks, R Hartweg
AnswerWelcome to the world of crabbing!
Are you 100% positive it passed away? A molting crab can appear dead. One way of telling one has passed is a dead fishy smell. A molting crab will not have that odor.
If it has indeed passed, you will know by tipping the shell and the body should come forward. Sometimes the crabs body will slide right out. Other times not so easy. It's up to you on what to do if it doesnt slide right out on it's own.
You can re-use the shell. You will want to boil the shell in dechlorinated water(you can get dechlorinator in the fish section of any pet store) at a rolling boil for 5 minutes. Let the shell cool off then place it in the tank. This should be done for all shells, before introducing them into the tank.
Also, most pet stores have a guarantee of some sort on the pets they sell. 15 days to 30 days. You can usually get another crab replaced. Another option is to adopt a crab. A few sites have an adoption section.
For more hermit crab information, feel free to check out my forum.
http://hermitcrabaddiction.net/forum/index.php
Hope this helps,
Vicki
