First things first: if you buy a Halloween crab that is already sick, you are not going to have much luck in turning it into a long-term pet. Crabs are not like dogs- they are not fully domesticated and used to living in houses and they cannot be taken to a vet when they get sick or stressed. All they can do is simply die. That why it is vitally important that you check for the following symptoms:
1. Missing claws and legs- This is a sign that the crab is either sick or stressed. I once purchased a Halloween crab that was already missing a couple of legs in a pet shop just outside of Dallas, TX. Bad idea- the crab (it was a female) only continued to lose legs, until she only had three (one on one side, and two on the other!) The poor thing could barely walk, and after about a month of trying to keep her alive, she passed on.
2. Lack of energy- A few days after I bought the Halloween crab who lost a bunch of legs (her name was Pumpkin), I found another Halloween crab for sale within the DFW metroplex and bought him (he was a male) on a whim. He was the snappiest little crab I had ever seen; he flipped over on his back every time I tried to pick him up in order to prevent me from getting ahold of him! Every time I touched him or tried to pet him, he dashed around his tank like a crazy crab, while Pumpkin watched from a safe distance (I kept them in the same tank.) One night, however, I approached Feisty (his name) and gently touched him like I always did. He moved a tiny bit, but not much. I instantly sensed that something was wrong; he had to be sick. But there was nothing I could do. I simply poured some more water in his dish, tossed some more hermit crab food into the tank, and went to bed. The next morning, I found him on his back- only this time, it wasn’t because he was scared of being picked up, but because he had died.
I mourned the loss of these two crabs, especially since I had already owned two other Halloween crabs before them that didn’t manage to last very long. Unlike Pumpkin and Feisty, those two crabs appeared to be healthy, but they still passed on very quickly.
So, what’s the key to keeping a healthy Halloween crab alive and crawling, you ask? The answers will be posted very soon!
1. Missing claws and legs- This is a sign that the crab is either sick or stressed. I once purchased a Halloween crab that was already missing a couple of legs in a pet shop just outside of Dallas, TX. Bad idea- the crab (it was a female) only continued to lose legs, until she only had three (one on one side, and two on the other!) The poor thing could barely walk, and after about a month of trying to keep her alive, she passed on.
2. Lack of energy- A few days after I bought the Halloween crab who lost a bunch of legs (her name was Pumpkin), I found another Halloween crab for sale within the DFW metroplex and bought him (he was a male) on a whim. He was the snappiest little crab I had ever seen; he flipped over on his back every time I tried to pick him up in order to prevent me from getting ahold of him! Every time I touched him or tried to pet him, he dashed around his tank like a crazy crab, while Pumpkin watched from a safe distance (I kept them in the same tank.) One night, however, I approached Feisty (his name) and gently touched him like I always did. He moved a tiny bit, but not much. I instantly sensed that something was wrong; he had to be sick. But there was nothing I could do. I simply poured some more water in his dish, tossed some more hermit crab food into the tank, and went to bed. The next morning, I found him on his back- only this time, it wasn’t because he was scared of being picked up, but because he had died.
I mourned the loss of these two crabs, especially since I had already owned two other Halloween crabs before them that didn’t manage to last very long. Unlike Pumpkin and Feisty, those two crabs appeared to be healthy, but they still passed on very quickly.
So, what’s the key to keeping a healthy Halloween crab alive and crawling, you ask? The answers will be posted very soon!
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