Hermie help and MATES academy

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TheOneThatGotAway

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Oct 7, 2007
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NJ, USA
I need a little help with a female purple hermit crab. she's been extremely lethargic, even at night. she doesn't eat or drink unless i move her in the water or on the food, and doesn't move at all unless i move her. even then she moves back to the exact same spot i moved her from. i've tried handling her daily, misting her, varrying her diet, changing the gravel to sand, and giving her her own heat lamp instead of sharing with the turtle. i think it might be because i bought her with a male, who died a few months after we got him. any ideas?

Also, i'll be going to high school next year, and applied for a votec school called MATES (marine academy of technology and environmental science). I went to the open house, and OMG ITS AWESOME!!! in the labs, they had EPTs, RESs, a longneck, a softshell, striped bass, a beardie, a FBN, some wild-caught fish, grabs, and a few several thousand gallon vats of shellfish. all LIVE. i was having a field day! and they have subs that they take out into the bay, and they go on field trips almost daily, and they do beach volleyball for gyms, and oh god i cant wait! anyway, its in ocean county, NJ. any of you guys ever heard of it?

Wish me luck on the acceptance exams!
 
maybe you should buy a male for her. i know that they aren't that intelligent, but maybe she is just a little lonely.

that school sounds great! i can't believe that there is a school like that. maybe i'll go there:D
 
Sounds like a tight school dude! Now just figure out how to transfer LOL

Hermit crabs are social animals. Like schooling fish. Its not 'companionship', just company of another animal. Safety in numbers, that sort of thing. :)
 
does it have a larger shell to go to?And buy another anyways,what are they,50 cents?jk
 
I've been considering buying her a new boyfriend, if i can find one. She has 2 shells to change into, also

Yes, you have to be high school aged, and you have to live or transfer to ocean county. plus the application deadline is monday.
 
loconorc;1319407; said:
Sounds like a tight school dude! Now just figure out how to transfer LOL

Hermit crabs are social animals. Like schooling fish. Its not 'companionship', just company of another animal. Safety in numbers, that sort of thing. :)
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Sorry had to Loco, LOL, but I get totally what your saying.

I want a Kermit Crab. :(
 
It is possible your crab is preparing to molt. Try giving it a substrate it can burrow in, sand really isn't all that appropriate for them in captivity as it doesn't hold humidity or allow for burrowing. Any coconut fiber based substrate should work. Also, how can you tell male from female? As far as I had read that had to do with internal characteristics only visible upon dissection.
 
Tucc185;1352823; said:
It is possible your crab is preparing to molt. Try giving it a substrate it can burrow in, sand really isn't all that appropriate for them in captivity as it doesn't hold humidity or allow for burrowing. Any coconut fiber based substrate should work. Also, how can you tell male from female? As far as I had read that had to do with internal characteristics only visible upon dissection.
Click to expand...

Great. I JUST switched to sand, too. -sigh- about how much does coconut fiber cost?

And as for sexing, its not easy for all hermit crabs. On the underside, on the very first digits of the legs, females have small dots where males do not. It's not always easy because a) many times, they wont come out of their shell when upside-down, and b) if they do, they try to set themselves straight. The picture here is of a female.

variabilis_480.gif
 
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