Is my Crab Dead?

[chazzeroni]

I can't tell if my hermit crab is dead or not!? :(

It is usually shy, but it hasn't moved in two days!!! it hasn't eaten much and his limbs move freely when you move his shell! :confused: I want to dispose of him, but I don't want him to still be alive! I need HELP!!

[Daethian]

If he's dead he will smell like rotting fish.
If there is no smell your crab is most likely molting.
Do you know what that is all about??

If not let me know and I can help you. I have 46 hermit crabs :D
A place you can check for all the basics is www.hermit-crabs.com

[chazzeroni]

:(

AGHHHHHHHH! I threw him away because.........how long does the molting prosess take? I can still go and get him out of the trash, but how can I tell if he is dead or molting???! I really need help!

P.S. YOu can't even see his eyes or his little fealling things!!!!!


I think he'z dead! :(

[Daethian]

Just now? Go get him and smell him!
Molting can take days or weeks depending on the crab.

What do you mean you can't see them?
If your crab molted you should see a soft pink crab way way back in the shell. The exo will be light and fragile.

[JordanK]

Anagly : How would you feel if you were in a coma, or molting :-P and the doctor just pronounced you dead and buried you without seeing if you were really dead? Get the crab out of the garbage. Smell it

[chazzeroni]

:( What happened was as follows :( .........


It never was very active but one night I picked him up.......I heald him for like 5 minutes, but he didn't move. I put him back in his cage but the next afternoon he was still in the same place! THat day we left for a trip..I put him in another cage as not to harm the other crabs if he was sick or dead.

When I came back two days later he was in the same spot anxd he sill would not move. He has no pink exoskeliton and I got him out of the trash so please drop the whole coma thing cuz you might be trying to help, but when you don't know the whole story.........it sounds rude and can make you look ignorant.

[LeahPrincess]

Their just trying to help....

[Cornflower]

:fluffy: heeheehee... Take him outta the trash and wash him. Smell him then. Bathe him in SHALLOW LUKEWARM WATER ok? Not too warm or too cold. Crabs usually come out in water, but just in case he's shy and won't come out, put him in shallow water so he won't drown and REALLY be dead. Does he smell like rotten :goldfish: ?

:( is he dead? :confused: ? Cross fingers...I'll be :disappoin if he is dead

[Revenge]

Deathian or whatever your name is that was the worst look of advice I have seen even though I can't give good advice myself please look for more stuff to say like try not to give them flase hope.

[lilgypsyhammy]

Trust me, you would definatley (sp?) know if he was dead. When mine died he was shrivled up and white :dead:

[LeahPrincess]

gypsy i want to know what kind of dog is in your avatar! :)

[chazzeroni]

:(



He is dead! I got him out and smelt him five days after we left for the trip and he did smell like rotten fish. He didnt the third day but he did when I last smelt him. He wasn't shriveled up,but you could tell he was dead :( !



thanks!

[lilgypsyhammy]

gypsy i want to know what kind of dog is in your avatar! :)

I told you on the hamster forums, hehe :D It's a cavelier king chareles spaniel puppy

[Daethian]

:(



He is dead! I got him out and smelt him five days after we left for the trip and he did smell like rotten fish. He didnt the third day but he did when I last smelt him. He wasn't shriveled up,but you could tell he was dead :( !



thanks!

Sorry to hear about that :(

[Revenge]

Thats how I felt after all my hermit crabs just dropped dead

[JenHan disease]

:( im sorry to hear about ur hermit crab! :(

[Revenge]

Am wondering to know why my hermit crabs just keep on dying I used to have them but they just kept dying

[hermiesareneat]

Am wondering to know why my hermit crabs just keep on dying I used to have them but they just kept dying

Maybe your temp and humidity aren't within range?? What is your tank like? Hermies have VERY specific requirements that MOST petstores fail to mention when they sell their crabs. :o

[Revenge]

They said not to have a light next to them if you got a lizard heating pad for the tank

[Gr8bgspz]

i think that my crab is dead. my other crab just molted for the first time since I got him, but the other one is definitely not molting like he did. He has been in the same spot since last night. Last night his antenna were moving some and today ...there is nothing. He came out of his shell a couple of days ago, and I read how to put him back into his shell because I didn't want to stress him any more. He slowly entered back into his shell, but now, he is doing nothing, His antenna are not moving now, nor is anything else. He does have a faint smell, but not overwhelming. His color is still Purple and reddish orange and that is what makes me believe that he is still alive. Can you please help me. I do not want to bury him IF he is still alive! Thanks--Gr8

[Lacre]

Hmmm... I unfortunately have encountered this problem before. In my case (not saying this applies to you!) he wound up dead. The best thing to do varies with the situation. Is he alone? If so, leave him that way for a few more days, until the smell begins (if he passed) or he begins to get active (if he's still kickin'). I know this sounds like no fun whatsoever--and it isn't--but it prevents accidental death.

If the crab is NOT isolated, the situation becomes stickier. You can try cutting off the top of a 2L or gallon bottle (depending on size of crab and crabitat) and placing it over the poor buddy in question. Hopefully the other crabs won't root it up and mess with him, but that's just a risk you need to take. If you try to isolate him now, odds are good you'll overstress him if he's still alive.

By the way, all of my crabs that have passed have smelled horrible. It reminded me of smelling a dead cat or cow. I didn't really notice anything too fishy about it. That might not be the case for everyone, though. The point is, the smell was VERY obvious.

Hope that helps. I really hope your crab is OK. I'll keep my fingers crossed!

[Gr8bgspz]

Hmmm... I unfortunately have encountered this problem before. In my case (not saying this applies to you!) he wound up dead. The best thing to do varies with the situation. Is he alone? If so, leave him that way for a few more days, until the smell begins (if he passed) or he begins to get active (if he's still kickin'). I know this sounds like no fun whatsoever--and it isn't--but it prevents accidental death.

If the crab is NOT isolated, the situation becomes stickier. You can try cutting off the top of a 2L or gallon bottle (depending on size of crab and crabitat) and placing it over the poor buddy in question. Hopefully the other crabs won't root it up and mess with him, but that's just a risk you need to take. If you try to isolate him now, odds are good you'll overstress him if he's still alive.

By the way, all of my crabs that have passed have smelled horrible. It reminded me of smelling a dead cat or cow. I didn't really notice anything too fishy about it. That might not be the case for everyone, though. The point is, the smell was VERY obvious.

Hope that helps. I really hope your crab is OK. I'll keep my fingers crossed!
well, thank you so much for your concern and advice. I have just the two crabs and the are each in their own containers since little Pinkie has molted already. Scribbles is the one that has not moved in a day or so. there is definitely a different smell in his tank than the other one...for sure! SO thank GOd that they are already seperated. I am thinking that he may have already been sick when I got him on March 9th. I hope that if he is dead, that Pinkie does not end up sick as well. For now though, I will keep his tank covered and hope for the best, but I think that he may have already gone to Hermit Heaven! I did pick him up several times and his body just hang out of his shell and does not move at all, nor do his antenna, he is still his dark colored purples and pinks, so that is why I thought that maybe he was still alive??? Thank you again for your help and let me know again what ya think okay!

[Armohermitcrabb]

Ya it happens, i lost quite a few also. But now and from on i pick my crabs wisely. Make sur they are active, they are dark collered or red, avoid the grey and whitish ones. Avoid the shy ones also...all my shy ones ( stressed ones) have died.

[Gr8bgspz]

thanks for your advice. I thought that he was a great crab. he was very active at first, but then I really do not know what happened. Scribbles did die, and we have buried him in the back yard. I even sent out a small obituary to my friends who knew him...I know, silly huh! He deserved a great funeral so that is what he got. R.I.P Scribbles!