Help! i think i hurt my hermit crab!!!?

Question

mmmm i put him in tap water and i think i hurt him....... help plz... they r turning lighter....grey kindaa..

Answer 1

never put hot un dechloranized water on him!!!! he'll get blisters on his gills and slowly die. though if theyre digging alot and look pale and cloudy eyes theyre about to molt.

Answer 2

You did hurt him.

Municipal tap water contains chlorine and chloramines, chemicals which burn hermit crabs' sensitive gills. If a hermit crab is exposed to chlorine, its gills blister painfully and cause it to suffocate.

You should give him a good dunk in de-chlorinated water immediately, to wash off any residue, then make sure your habitat confitions are appropriate: temperature 75 - 80 degrees F; humidity 75% - 80%; bedding moistened sand or coconut husk fiber, twice as deep as your biggest hermit crab; DE-CHLORINATED ONLY fresh water and marine salt water dishes (made from a marine aquarium salt).

Set him back in and leave him alone without handling or disturbing him, near his food and water dishes so he doesn't have to move far to get to them. It's hard to say whether or not he will be all right-- it sounds like he's going to die-- but this will at least give him the best chance of recovering if he possibly can.

Please never do that to a hermit crab again. Good luck.

Answer 3

Is he a marine or land crab?? Was it hot water?? You could give us some more details.

Answer 4

Oh Gina! It's not getting better? I'm so sorry.

Hermits are land crabs. They live near the water but not in it. Ours would often sit in their water dish though, and it never hurt them. If you have submerged him, there may be nothing anyone can do. Do you have any sand in his bowl? They love to burrow in that. Just let him be quiet and see what happens.  

Answer 5

i think crabs belong in salt water you should put him/her on salt water its going to change back to normal