Gone!

Yep. So, almost as soon as I got Herman, both he and Minuit disappeared. There was a tunnel in the sand that I couldn't see to the end of, so I assumed they were in there.

Few days later, the tunnel's gone. Collapsed or filled in, I don't know which. Minuit and Herman still nowhere to be found.

That evening, Bazooka disappeared. Couldn't find him anywhere.

Next night, Batman disappeared. I got really worried. Where were they all going!?

Today Batman reappeared. He was under the sand in the coconut hut. I can tell because there's a tunnel leading out from under the coconut hut. So glad he's okay.

Hope the others show up soon. Getting really worried. Plus, I want to take pictures of the new guys so I can show you.

Radical Turn of Events

It's been a while since I last posted. And when I last posted, things were looking up. New food had come, super excited to get it in their cage and in their bellies, everything was hunky-dory, despite me drained funds.

But things have changed since then. Let me catch you up.

August 31st, 2012

The day before we left for a short vacation Labor Day weekend. Everyone was packing and doing last minute things. I was cleaning my guinea pig's cage and straightening my room and getting my hermit crabs situated for the time they would be alone (until the babysitter came over). I hadn't seen Amy since I moved her into the coconut hut when she was not moving much. There was always the possibility that she was only coming out at night and I just wasn't seeing her. I picked up the coconut hut.

She was on her back. Unmoving.

I was worried. I placed her in my hand and waited for her to come out. Nothing. The possibility of her being dead crossed my mind. If she was, I had read she would smell like rotten fish. I gave her a whiff. My heart sunk. Yep, rotten fish smell.

Just to make sure, I moved her legs. They weren't being pulled back in. She was definitely dead.

It was hard to believe, but it was true. I guess she died of poisoning from eating chips of paint or something. But vacation awaited and I didn't have time to grieve. When we left, only Bazooka and Batman were left of my crabs. 

September 7th, 2012

It was an evening of shopping and cruising around our little town. My dad took us to see his new office. Then we went to Best Buys, then Wal-Mart, and finally... Petco!!! 

I was excited to finally get a new third crab for my diminished duo. Sure, it would never be the same without Amy, but I couldn't leave Bazooka and Batman high and dry without a third wheel.

I was very happy to find that they had added to their selection of crabs since I had bought my original three.  Now they had Ecuadorians in natural shells, instead of only painted ones. I was thrilled. The one that caught my eye was the one was was running across the cage when we got over to the hermit crab tank. He stopped when we suddenly appeared, and hid in his shell. It was only acceptable. I looked at some of the crabs, but I knew the whole time he was going to be the one I got. They had some really cute crabs though. Some jumbo  Purple Pincher crabs in cool sandy-colored conch shells the size of tennis balls, and this TEENY TINY little PP in a shell no bigger than a penny!

We left with the crab I knew I was going to get. He's in a pearly white shell (I think it's a shark eye). After watching him in his new home with Bazooka and Batman, I decided to name him Minuit (pronounced Min-wee). He's been doing well since then. He's a bit reserved, but when I've seen him active he's very agile and fast and curious.

September 9th, 2012

So I went back to Petco. Why? Because I couldn't stand how adorable the one teeny tiny PP crab! I was able to find him again, buried in a pile of jumbo PPs. I had managed to find a Petco gift card left over so some distant birthday that had $2.54 on it left, and bought the little crab. I named him Herman, after Pee Wee Herman. Not because he's a pedophile, but because the little crab is so pee wee! I was so happy to have him! I was exploring the big medium sized shells, and he looked so dwarfed compared to it! Even though my trio will never be the same without Amy, I think my Quartet of crabs will be a big happy family for a long time to come.

Food's Here!

Recent Activity:

Today the new food I ordered got here! I'm sooo super excited for my crabs to try it! For most it's been a bit of a stressful day. Amy is NOT happy that her shell got taken from her AGAIN, so I took all the extra shells out of the crabitat and cleaned them in dechlorinated water with baking soda, let them dry thoroughly, then put the ones that Bazooka took interest in (Shark Eyes, Whale Eye, and Babylon Areloa) back into the crabitat. Came home just now to find him back in a Babylon Areola and took the liberty to put Amy's shell in the coconut hut (where Amy is sulking). Hopefully she'll be more perky once she has her shell back and take interest in the new food. If not, I'm positive my crabs will gobble it up tonight. After all, most people end up buying malnourished and dying crabs from awful pet stores, and their crabs would stop at nothing to stuff their faces with the super nutritious foods and supplements I bought. My crabs, on the other hand, came from quite the wonderful pet store that knows what it's doing, so they're healthy as can be!

Crabby Activity:

Bazooka in his "new" shell with Amy's beside him

Like I said, it's been a tough day for poor little Amy. When I first looked in the cage today, I thought that the shell she was in (Bazooka's shell) was empty because I could see no crab in it. Later, I could see legs and a bit of an antenna, but no movement. I panicked, thinking she had gotten hurt or even killed by Bazooka when he took her shell. I picked her up and placed her on my hand, which usually prompts any of my crabs to come out of their shell and run on (and off) my hand. But she didn't budge. I picked her up to look in her shell and she withdrew more, the only sign that she was alive. I placed her back in the crabitat, but when she didn't move I picked her up a second time. This time she was fairly prompt about coming out of her shell to walk around. I checked her for missing limbs or any sign of injury, but I found none. Upon putting her back in the crabitat, she withdrew once more. I then moved her inside the coconut hut, where she would be less exposed to having crab traffic run over her. She hasn't been out since, and I just put her shell back in after Bazooka switched. I'm hoping she'll be happier once she gets her shell back.

Amazing Food on It's Way!

Today I bought The Hermit Crab Patch Sample Variety Pack. It's a generous sample size of The Hermit Crab Patch's four top-selling food and supplements: the Oyster Shell Calcium Supplement, the Surf-n-Turf Protein Combo, the Organic Soil Diet Supplement, and THCP Natural Mineral Blend.

I'd love to add pictures, but THCP's photos are copy-written.

I always love to read the reviews on products, not only to get a good idea of how people feel about the product, but also just to hear their stories about it. The problem I ran into was that the four food and supplements above came in different amounts, and each amount had different comments.

So what did I do?

I put all the comments in one place. Here.

Of the course, all the reviews belong to their respective owners, and so on and so forth. I just wanted to make it easier for someone to read up on each product. I hope it helps. :)

Shell Swapping of Aug. 13

For a full log of all the shell swapping of my hermit crabs, visit The Shell Swapping Log

Bazooka changed into a Shark Eye

Amy got her shell back!

Bazooka changed back to his old shell, then changed back again

Batman changed into Bazooka's old shell

... then back into his.

The Shells are Here!!!

Recent Activity:

THE SHELLS ARRIVED!!!!

Still in the bags!

1 Japanese Land Snail , 2 Babylon Aerolas, 3 Shark Eyes, 1 Whale Eye, 4 Crown Conch

I'm SOOO happy they're finally here!!! Unfortunately, they seem a little big... I didn't even put in the Japanese Land Snail shell because it was so huge. They didn't seem too big until I put them in my tank. Compared with the shells my crabbies are currently in, I feel that most of the shells are much too big for them. I hope that tonight they'll at least check out the new shells. Batman and Bazooka didn't seem too interested when I placed them among the shells.

Batman and Bazooka among the new shells

They weren't too interested.... :(

Sand, Sand, Got More Sand!

Recent Activity:

Yay! I got more sand for my hermit crabbies! 

My tank yesterday, low sand level :(

My tank today! Much more sand! :)

Crabby Activity:

Batman digging in one of his many spots

The reason I got more sand is because of the consistent digging behavior of my crabs. First it was Batman digging, then Bazooka was too. I kept reading on how important it was for hermit crabs to be able to bury themselves to molt, because they do in the wild. Well, hermit crabs in pet stores were shipped in directly from the wild! Now my babies are able to bury themselves! I'm hoping this will lead to successful molts in the near future. 

Batman and Bazooka digging together before I added more sand

Shell Swap...!?

Recent Activity:

Got an email confirming that my shells have been shipped! Yay! They should be here in 1-3 days.

Crabby Activity:

Okay, so yesterday Bazooka stayed in the coconut hut, and then Amy joined him. They stayed in there forever, and were still in there when I fell asleep.

"Bazooka" has been sitting peacefully on the log since I woke up, and "Amy" just came boldly out of the coconut hut and began scuttling around.

Strange....

The first thing that tipped me off was how "Amy" was acting, and "her" size. She was bigger than I remember, plus she wasn't hiding in her shell when I put my face close to the glass, like she and Batman do.

I'm almost positive Amy and Bazooka switched shells. "Amy" is actually Bazooka, and vice versa!

I can't be sure, but from what I've observed I think this is the case. Bazooka has always been the biggest and boldest of my crabs, while Amy and Batman were slightly smaller and more cautious. The crab in Amy's shell is bigger and very bold, while the crab in Bazooka's shell is partially hiding in the shell, sitting on the log, looking out the window.

They definitely switched. Wow. How confusing....

Bazooka from the other day

Bazooka in Amy's shell...?

Amy from the other day

Amy in Bazooka's shell...?

On a side note, Batman is digging again. I'm really hoping it's just him having fun, or trying to get warm. I don't know if I'll be able to get more sand. I asked yesterday if I could get more and my mom replied, "You have no money.". She's right. I had to scrounge together $8.55 in coins to get her to let me buy my shells. I could add in more Jungle Bed™, because I have more of it. Not much, but more. I just don't think it will cut it if he's burying himself for a molt....

New Shells on Their Way!

Yay! Finally, I have new shells purchased and on their way to be shipped! In the end, I bought from Naples Sea Shell Company. I was reluctant to do so at first, because their hermit crabs shells were often categorized as say 7/8"-1", meaning the size wasn't exact. But in the end, their $0.45 shells beat the $1.50 ones I was looking at. I bought 11 shells for $8.55 at Naples, when I was going to spend $11.50 at The Hermit Crab Patch for 7 shells. But I don't want to put them down! The Hermit Crab Patch, or THCP, is one of the greatest online hermit crab stores! It's just when it came down to shells, the specialty sea shell store was cheaper.

My order from Naples Sea Shell Company

Anyway, I'm SUPER excited for the shells to get here! I hope my crabbies will be just as thrilled. I also have my fingers crossed that with 5 different types of shells, my three crabs will each choose a different one. But hey, beggars cant be choosers.

Gnat! Yikes!

I was just checking out my crabs, watching Amy sit and eat by the food dish, and YIKES! There was a gnat in the bowl!

I quickly gathered up the pieces of carrot from yesterday from where they had been drug around last night and dump them in the trash, then rinsed the food (and the gnat) down the sink. I'm hoping there wasn't more.

New rule of thumb!

• Fresh food should be placed in the crabitat at sundown and removed in the morning, just to be safe.

And just an update on Batman's digging, he got bored with it and climbed back onto the log (his favorite place to perch and look out the window). He didn't show any signs of molting, such as a slight cloudiness in his eyes, but a lot of experts say there really isn't a sure way to tell is a molt is happening, so I was unsure and worried.

All's well again in "Crabitat pour Trois", as I am now tanking to calling my tank. Hopefully it will stay that way! :)

Shell Shopping!

Recently Happenings:

As you probably know, my three crabbies have painted shells. Even worse, their shells have stuff glued on, like googly eyes, and for Batman, Mickey Mouse ears!

Batman's shell is supposed to be Micky Mouse.

I feel really bad for the little guys. With all the crap sticking off their shells, it's very hard for them to squeeze around anything! So, naturally, I've been shell shopping for them.

I know that Ecuadorian crabs are VERY picky when it comes to switching shells. I hope that in my crabs' minds, anything is better than what they have now. I know that's my opinion.

I've been doing my shopping at http://www.hermitcrabpatch.com. They have a great selection of not only shells, but all things hermit crabs. Their food and supplements are superb! From what I've read on many sights, a general rule of thumb with shell changing is as follows:

1. try to get a rough measurement of your current crab's shell opening
2. have three shells for each crab: one a size smaller than their current shell (1/8" smaller), and one or two one size up (1/8" bigger)
3. one bigger and one the same size works too

My cart looks like this: 

• 3 Babylonia Areolata shells with 7/8", 1", and 1 1/8" openings
• 3 Shark Eye shells with 7/8", 1", and 1 1/8" openings
• 2 Crown Conch shells with 7/8" and 1" openings.
• 1 Japanese Land Snail shell with 1 1/8" opening

Sadly, the Babylonia Areolata shells with 1" and 1 1/8" openings are currently sold out. I'm waiting for them to be in stock again, but I have a bad feeling that when they are, one or more of the other shells I want to buy will be sold out. I waiting to hear back from the owners if they could hold the shells I want that are currently in stock for me until the 2 types of Babylonia Areolata shells are back in stock.

Crabby Activity:

Woke up today to find there had been a lot of crab traffic last night. I had put in more Crab Island™ Jungle Bed® (a mix of Forest Bed®, Coconut bark, Calci-Sand, and Pumice) onto the surface of the sand and this morning it had been mixed in.

I also put a little crumb of peanut butter cookie into the food dish. I broke off a tiny crumble and put it by each of them. Amy ate in right away on the log. I'm pretty sure Bazooka ate most of his while he was in the coconut hut, and there was just a few bits left where Batman ate his.

It looks like Batman is trying to climb the sealant in the tank, without much success. Now he's digging down in the sand. I'm wondering if its too cold, though my thermometer says the temperature is about 77°F. I'm worried that he's trying to molt. There isn't enough substrate for him to bury himself. I pushed the sand over so there's more around him, so if he wanted he could at least be covered in sand. I need to go out and buy more, but I don't know if I'll be allowed to, with all my money gone.

Pretty lackadaisical day today other than the digging and me worrying my head off.

The Beginning

After upgrading my fish to a bigger fish tank, I pondered what to do with my now abandoned ten gallon tank. I could have another small fish tank, or an african clawed frog.... or how about hermit crabs!

I begun reading every hermit crab site Google could spit out and was astounded with what I learned. I've had hermit crabs before, except I wasn't the actual owner. My 2nd grade class and my little siblings have had hermit crabs before. Not me specifically.

And we/they did everything wrong! We didn't give them saltwater! We didn't dechlorinate the water! We didn't monitor the humidity! My siblings kept their two in a Kritter Karrier! 
No wonder they didn't live long happy lives!  

I was going to do better!

I kept bugging my mom. Showing her my shopping lists. Updating her on my recent research. Telling her interesting facts. But I think what really made her give in was when I made the tennis team for my school. She was so proud, and I kept pushing the "Can I get a hermit crab?" question that she made a deal with me. "You have to get rid of that (abandoned) fish tank in your room first! AND spend your own money!" But of course, mom. I was planning on doing all that anyways.

In one night it was done. My fish tank was emptied and scrubbed. My spare ten gallon tank (that once housed mice for my science fair project on diet and memory) was brought to my room and space was cleared for it on my bookshelf.
It was actually happening! I was getting hermit crabs!  

The very next day (yesterday, actually), we went back to the pet store and bought the supplies. It was time for me to pick out the crabs. I had already prepared myself by printing diagrams of Ecuadorian crab features and shell preference. The pet store guy that helped us out was quite amused that I had a specific species I was more than prepared to weed out of their selection. The enclosure had hermit crabs in natural shells and painted ones. I checked every crab, finding only four Ecuadorians. Sadly, they all had painted shells. I picked the three I fancied best (including the one the sped off as soon as I set him down) and headed home with my new buddies! (you know, after a quick stop at walmart for a cheap spray bottle and a better price on water conditioner).

I set up the crabitat as fast as I could, with my new hermies trying to climb out of their little cardboard pet carrier. Once everything was set up, I put the crabs in and they immediately scattered. Bazooka, the biggest (the one who ran away in the pet store), immediately ran through the water dishes and got them filled with sand.  Batman climbed up to the tippy-top of the gnarly driftwood in the tank, and Amy got stuck behind the coconut house. I moved it so she could pass and she followed Bazooka around.

I was soo happy to have the little guys! And they were happy to have something to climb on. A little fighting ensued when Bazooka tried to get to the top of the driftwood, where Batman and Amy were already peacefully resting. Batman was not at all happy. Their antennas started twiddling overtime and Bazooka punched Batman! Like, his big claw litterally shot out and punched him!  He knocked Batman off the log and the poor little guy landed on his shell. I flipped him upright and tried to remove Bazooka from the log. His little feet and claws were too strong, and I wasn't about to hurt him, so he stayed put.
A little while later, I walked in on him and Amy. It was literally just like the scene in The Lion King where Mufasa is hanging off the cliff and Scar pulls his hands/paws off and makes him fall to his doom. Bazooka yanked her one claw free of the log and then the other and she fell off! Not to her doom, thankfully, but into the soft sand.

I was able to get Bazooka off the log and he took a new interest in one of the corners of the tank, allowing Batman and Amy to get back up to their spots. Bazooka came back up the log later, but everyone was friends again and no more fighting went on. The trio are inseparable now!

From Top to Bottom: Bazooka, Batman, and Amy