Observed Premolt Symptoms

by Marie (aka ladybug15057)

We are sorry that you are experiencing a crab care emergency. Below are some links and information to our most commonly experienced
emergency situations.

After reading these items if you still need some help, please return to the Emergency Forum and locate the list of questions. Copy and paste these questions into a new topic along with your answers.

By answering ALL of the questions you will make it easier for us to help you. If we have to question you at length for details it simply delays the process of determining your issue.

If you are unwilling to answer all of the questions, understand that your post will not be given priority in determining the order in which to answer new help requests.

One of the biggest concerns when buying hermit crabs is early death due to PPS or Post Purchase Stress. The term PPS has been used commonly for many, many years in the hermit crab community. PPS is blamed for unexplained deaths of new crabs. The physical stress occurs mostly PRIOR to your purchase and how many of your new crabs die unexpectedly relies on how much stress was inflicted prior to purchase. The act of harvesting and shipping hermit crabs is very stressful as the crabs are denied humidity, food, water and warmth for long periods prior to shipping and during shipping. They mostly arrive at pet stores dry, hungry, dehydrated and sometimes cold. The last crabs harvested before shipping will be less stressed and more likely to survive. Naturally the opposite holds true for the first crabs to be harvested. Often it takes a period of time for the stress and dehydration to catch up with them but it does and the hermit crab dies. Sometimes it’s a week, or a month but it could take longer. Gill damage from dry air (lack of humidity) can be a slow painful death for a hermit crab.

This recipe can be modified, made stronger for use with very sick crabs, although this strength is fine for more minor cases!

Hermit Crab Food Ingredients