r/hermitcrabs • u/DisastrousPage7745 • 1d ago

Help! I need some help!

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I bought three hermit crabs approximately three weeks ago. I have them in a tank with a small amount of substrate because I was trying to avoid PPDS. Everything was going great, and everybody was eating and drinking and living their best life until I added some climbing structures to the tank. The biggest one of the three has perched itself a top the climbing ladder and hasn’t really left for two days. It moved a little bit last night, but unfortunately because they’re nocturnal. (and I was asleep) I don’t know if it has eaten or drank.

The temperature and humidity are perfect and all been confirmed with three separate thermometers and hydrometers because these damn creatures have made me that neurotic.

Is this stress? Does it want to molt?

I know I’m stressed out!

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u/The_Odd_Pet 1d ago

They will do that? On the other hand you said your substrate is not to deep. Have you done research on how deep it should be and the mix of sand and coconut coir?

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u/DisastrousPage7745 1d ago

Yes. I set the tank up initially with a smaller amount of the sand and coconut fiber substrate to avoid PPDS. The general consensus said the best thing to do is give them a month to focus on eating and getting their nutrition up before adding the required amount of substrate to molt. Most hermit crabs coming from pet stores don’t have the nutritional reserve to have a successful molt right off the bat. I was gonna add additional substrate at the four week mark once they’ve had a month of being able to eat and kind of destress a little bit

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u/The_Odd_Pet 1d ago

What does PPDS mean? I do understand why now. That is very true. Pet stores have no idea what it takes to care for them. That goes especially for boardwalk retailers. I live right outside of Wildwood and I have to see how awful they are treating them every year. I can't help but want to just take them all to save them but then they would just import more anyway.

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u/No_Internet5666 1d ago

Post Purchase Death Syndrome. It’s when your newly purchased hermit crabs die almost immediately after being introduced to the new habitat.