Hermit crab shed skin..not moving...?

Question

Our hermit crab has shed his shell and he now isn't moving is he dead?

Answer 1

No he is not dead. But do you have another shell for him? That is probably what he needs.

Answer 2

The person who claims to be a hermit crab breeder is flat-out lying. Land hermit crabs are notoriously impossible to breed successfully in captivity. It's only been done one time by anyone, ever. There are no "hermit crab breeders."

By "shed his shell" do you mean he is out of his SEASHELL, or his EXOSKELETON? Without more information, it's going to be almost impossible to help you. If the former case, he may be: dying, sick, suffocating, too hot, plagued by mites, or something may be wrong with his old shell and he wants a new one. If it's the latter case, this is a natural and normal process in his life. The most important thing is to leave him alone in his tank with his old exoskeleton and let him recover without touching him or picking him up for several weeks, until his behavior is back to normal.

If he is out of his seashell, try these steps:

1. Rinse out his old shell with distilled or de-chlorinated water (NOT tap water!). Clear out any debris that might be caught inside.

2. Put the shell inside a cup, such as a big coffee mug, along with the crab.

3. Place the cup inside the main habitat and leave him and it undisturbed. The close proximity to the shell will encourage him to get back in, if he is ever going to.

You should also review your crab's habitat confitions to make sure everything is safe:

- Temperature between 74-80 degrees F

- Humidity between 74-80 percent

- Enclosure no smaller than a 10-gallon glass aquarium

- De-chlorinated or distilled fresh water (NOT tap water)

- De-chlorinated or distilled salt water, made from a proper marine salt meant for saltwater aquariums (NOT table salt)

- Substrate damp sand or damp coconut husk fiber, twice the depth of your largest crab (NOT gravel, bare glass, tree bark or water)

- Four extra UNPAINTED shells of appropriate shape and size for each crab (the paint chips off and crabs eat it; paint is poisonous over time)

- No harsh chemicals, cleaning products, smoke, incense, air freshener sprays, etc. anywhere near the crabs or their habitat

- A hiding cave

- Things to climb on, such as driftwood and fake plants

- A nutritionally complete diet, including a source of calcium (such as ground oyster shell or cuttlebone), a source of protein (such as freeze-dried shrimp), a source of cellulose (such as dried oak and maple leaves from trees that have never been exposed to pesticides or strong chemicals) and a wide variety of organic fresh fruits and vegetables

Good luck. I sincerely hope your hermit crab pulls through. If you have any more questions, the first few sources linked below are wonderful sources of information on correct care of land hermit crabs.

Answer 3

hes probly about to die if his legs fall of that means its a goner