Keep Losing Blue Legged Hermit Crabs in Tiny Pico Jar

[Blitz7737]

Running a tiny pico tank and for some reason blue legged hermit crabs keep dying on us! Check out my build thread for rough details, but it is a two gallon jar, water has been fairly stable, and over the lifetime of trying to keep hermits we have had 3 (now maybe 4) of the 5 hermits living in it not make it. The one that is struggling right now was on top of the big rock this morning, but hanging fairly far out of his shell. Also looked a bit pinkish, which was a new coloration that developed in the last day or so. He has molted before and exited his shell, but I haven't seen him acting like this or this pink.

Shortly after this picture was taken, he left his shell and fell off the big rock. Has been rolling around and twitching a bit, as if struggling to right himself and hold onto things. Now he has been swept by the flow under the shelf of a rock, which is a safer space, but is on his back with legs in the air. My friend just texted me that he doesn't seem to be twitching anymore, just laying there.

Did he bite the bullet? Or is he just going through an intense stress with a molt? I haven't actually observed a molt yet (though I know it has happened in the little jar as I have cleaned out the exos after a molt).

With how tiny the tank is, I worry about leaving him in there, but if he is molting I don't want to disturb him through the process.

Things that worry me is his behavior of not seeming to have the strength to hold himself in place and also being so pink, which is an odd change. One of the ones we lost the other week changed a bit pinkish as well before going lifeless.

What is happening to all my hermits and why are these supposedly extremely hardy warriors so hard to care for in this tiny ocean?! ;Drowning

 

[Biglew11]

Are you feeding them? I don't see much algea for them to eat. In a reef tank as clean up crew its recommended 1 per 10 or so gallons.

 

[Blitz7737]

Are you feeding them? I don't see much algea for them to eat. In a reef tank as clean up crew its recommended 1 per 10 or so gallons.

There is ample brown algae and film algae floating around, but we still haven't grown into a phase of green algae. I can try to get some clearer pictures tonight before our next water change.

We have been debating grinding up a few sinking pellets and spritzing that, but with the tank being so small it is kind of scary to add decaying matter. Swings in a pico are terrifying.

If we ground up pellets and mixed it into a small test tube, how much and how often should we add a bit? Maybe a mL or 2 once a day? Keep in mind the tank is only 2 gallons, maybe a tad more with our attached live rock canister filter.

 

[PicassoClown04]

There is ample brown algae and film algae floating around, but we still haven't grown into a phase of green algae. I can try to get some clearer pictures tonight before our next water change.

We have been debating grinding up a few sinking pellets and spritzing that, but with the tank being so small it is kind of scary to add decaying matter. Swings in a pico are terrifying.

If we ground up pellets and mixed it into a small test tube, how much and how often should we add a bit? Maybe a mL or 2 once a day? Keep in mind the tank is only 2 gallons, maybe a tad more with our attached live rock canister filter.

Just target feeding him with a pipette or syringe. You can buy ‘shrimp pellets’ and introduce one to the next hermit. It should be easy to remove extra food. My thoughts here are that they are starving to death

 

[Biglew11]

Just target feeding him with a pipette or syringe. You can buy ‘shrimp pellets’ and introduce one to the next hermit. It should be easy to remove extra food. My thoughts here are that they are starving to death

that's what i was thinking. maybe one or two pellets per crab. maybe a small piece of nori on a clip that they can eat.
https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petco...b8GLP_7LwwaLA__ZzYxoCvEgQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

 

[PicassoClown04]

that's what i was thinking. maybe one or two pellets per crab.
https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petco...b8GLP_7LwwaLA__ZzYxoCvEgQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Yeah! That’s the stuff! I’d cut one in half then feed it directly to the hermit. I’d do this probably 2x a day and up the food as the crab grows (if it grows)

 

[Blitz7737]

Awww, I didn't even know I had to spot feed them. This makes me real sad, I thought it was maybe something weird in the chemistry, as I always saw them picking at things off the rocks. I will still post some pictures of the algae that is in there to help assess if it is too light.

Thank you for the feedback @footgal and @Biglew11.

 

[PicassoClown04]

Awww, I didn't even know I had to spot feed them. This makes me real sad, I thought it was maybe something weird in the chemistry, as I always saw them picking at things off the rocks. I will still post some pictures of the algae that is in there to help assess if it is too light.

Thank you for the feedback @footgal and @Biglew11.

It’s okay! I had a bunch of GHA and I saw the crabs picking at it but I found they were dying. Now I drop in a couple sinking pellets for them and I haven’t lost a crab in months. This hobby is all about learning

 

[Biglew11]

You don't normally have to spot feed them. but if there not enough food For them then you do. If you have a fish in the tank then they will eat leftover crumbs and stuff.

 

[r20crazy]

in my 2g pico I drop in 1 small sinking pellet twice a week to keep algae for my 1 snail and 30million pods. you dont have to target feed hermits... they have legs and will find it.

 

[Blitz7737]

in my 2g pico I drop in 1 small sinking pellet twice a week to keep algae for my 1 snail and 30million pods. you dont have to target feed hermits... they have legs and will find it.

Awesome, excited that you are on the same scale as us too! You should post more in your build thread and also follow mine. Always looking for good advice to help the little ocean grow! ;Cat

Curious to see how your pico is running, challenges, learnings, good growth. Knowledge is a good thing.

 

[Blitz7737]

So I took some pellet food, ground it up with a mortar/pestle to make them much smaller and turn it into fishy dust. Added a pinch to a vial and mixed with some tank water and spritzed it in. Right away our remaining hermit got active and excited. Think you guys were onto something. Planning to feed once a week to start and watch the chemistry. If it seems stable, will step up to twice a week.

Thanks again for the learnings. ;Cat

 

[Cole.mormon]

Feed mysis for example they love meaty foods and algae