Really Worried Please Help! I think Speckles lost a leg!

 

 

  

 

   

 

 

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[Speckles]

 

OK I'm still a little new to this and all but I think my crab lost a leg.  Do they have 5 or six legs I can't remember?  My crab only has 5 now.  When I took him out of the crabitat today to check on him and he went into his shell it looked like he was missing the big pincher that you see when they go into their shells.  Does that make sense?  I'm worried my crab is dying.    What should I do? Here are some pictures...........

[scoobdoo]

I have heard of of them dropping limbs before or losing them due to injury. Does he act healthy other wise? I would just have him an iso tank give him really good foods and make sure he has calcium of some sort to, waters all right? Temp? Humidity? I wouldn't bother him for a while, maybe he is stressed over something? I don't play with my crabs or take them out unless it's to super clean. I just figure they don't have people playing with them in the wild & they are not domesticated animals, so playing with them might stress them.
this is just my opinion, but i wouldn't bother him anymore until one of the more experienced crab people can get to you, I've had mine for a yr now. 4 PP's

[Speckles]

Thanks for your post scoobdoo.  I've been reading all night trying to figure out what I might be doing wrong.  I have one of those half logs in my crabitat.  I'm not sure what kind of wood it is.  I don't know if I should take it out.  It might be made out of pine.  It is one of the half logs they sell at PetSmart.  I also need to get some Instant Ocean because I have been using saltwater glubb.  Also, is it ok to use the filtered water from your refrigerator or do I need to get distilled water?  I have been feeding him all kinds of green veggies, and fruits like bananas, strawberries, carrots, with his hermit crab food and treat.  I didn't know if I should also get some sand because I only have EcoEarth.  Is it ok to just have EcoEarth or should I get both? 

[emmac350]

EcoEarth is fine as a substrate - it's what I've been using almost a year now. For the food...you need to stop feeding him the hermit crab food and treat and give him meat (non-seasoned; cut off a piece before your mom cooks it) and calcium every day along with fruits and veggies. Otherwise he won't have the nutrients to regenerate that big claw.

[scoobdoo]

if it isn't cholla wood with all the little holes in it, I would take it out. You can even do both eco & sand, I'm trying to convert to eco, but have to wait until one more of my crabs comes up. I would use a declor in my water, never heard of slat water glubb. { maybe that is the culprit} Make sure you use the declor in both your waters to, just to safe I would do it in your filter water, I don't buy the waters I use mine straight from the tap but they are treated. pet stores have freeze dried shrimp, blood worms, worm castings, this site also has tons of foods you can buy for them a little goes a long way. They loved all natural crushed up peanuts  w no salt, or organic baby foods like apple sauce , I took mine & froze it so when I wanted a little I just shaved a little off with a spoon.

[Donny (TMNT)]

When it comes to missing limbs,
 meat, meat, meat, calcium, calcium, calcium.

[Hermies4Ever]

Thanks for your post scoobdoo.  I've been reading all night trying to figure out what I might be doing wrong.  I have one of those half logs in my crabitat.  I'm not sure what kind of wood it is.  I don't know if I should take it out.  It might be made out of pine.  It is one of the half logs they sell at PetSmart.  I also need to get some Instant Ocean because I have been using saltwater glubb.  Also, is it ok to use the filtered water from your refrigerator or do I need to get distilled water?  I have been feeding him all kinds of green veggies, and fruits like bananas, strawberries, carrots, with his hermit crab food and treat.  I didn't know if I should also get some sand because I only have EcoEarth.  Is it ok to just have EcoEarth or should I get both? 

Here ya, go, Speckles! Hope this helps! I copied a post made by Jellybean, (I hope you don't mind, Jellybean) listing a chart of safe and unsafe woods for your hermit crabs:

Here's a list of WOOD'S  for hermies...

Safe wood

Cholla wood
Cork bark
Cypress (swamp variety, taxodium species)
Grape vine
Madrona
Mangrove
Manzanita
Maple
Oak
Pear
Pecan
Sycamore

Unsafe Woods
Apricot
Bitter Almond
Boxwood
Cherry
Cherry Laurel
Eucalyptus
Evergreen of any kind (pine, cedar, redwood, etc.)
Hemlock
Laurel
Nectarine
Peach
Plum
Yew

   This is Wasabi. He is a PP, (Purple Pincher) and sadly, he has passed on. He was the biggest out of all the crabs I have owned so far, and out of them all, he lived the longest. He lived about 6-7 months.

~Hermies4Ever~

Land hermit crabs store a small amount of water in their shells just to keep their gills wet, thus allowing them to breath.