Hermit crab lost a fight...

[JVH]

Aw he lookslike hes alright. Just put a couple pieces of live rock nd nori in there for him to climb on an eat, also put holes in the cup so the water can vent

Good idea about the holes in the cup! After I dropped pellet food in there tomorrow I'm going to change out the cup I will replace it with one with holes!

 

[JVH]

Following. This is a heartwarming story of recovery and determination. You going to sell the movie rights?

Haha! Maybe! It depends how the story ends

 

[Mrs. Crabs]

I dug through my photo-archive and found the pictures of my poor hermit crab, a Clibanarius tricolor.

That's at the beginning. I put the little hermit in a 1 gal micro reef with protopalythoa and some algae (and no other "moving" animals). I fed it with enriched frost food (artemia, mysis). Just the mandibles were still working, the hermit itself was immobile. Even the shell was partly destroyed.

Four tiny legs were regenerated and one tiny claw. The eyes began to regenerate. The hermit was still blind and moved very slowly, not to crash into something.

The eyes are still not yet ready...

Ready!! The hermit is able to see again, even a new tank is no problem anymore ...

But it stays tiny. Since the "accident" three years ago, it didn't grow anymore. It became the janitor in my grow-out tank for my tiny sexy shrimps ^^

 

[JVH]

OH WOW!!! What a fighter!
My little guy looks way better than him and he made it so I have hope. Thank you so much for finding those pictures I have to say after being on this thread yesterday hearing all the stories and now seeing your picture I have no doubt that my little guy will be back in his main tank sometime soon. I like to hand feed certain fish that are shy and certain crabs so taking the extra time to take care of this little guy in my sump is no trouble and now gives me great joy to know he has a fighting chance..

 

[JVH]

OH WOW!!! What a fighter!
My little guy looks way better than him and he made it so I have hope. Thank you so much for finding those pictures I have to say after being on this thread yesterday hearing all the stories and now seeing your picture I have no doubt that my little guy will be back in his main tank sometime soon. I like to hand feed certain fish that are shy and certain crabs so taking the extra time to take care of this little guy in my sump is no trouble and now gives me great joy to know he has a fighting chance..

 

[JVH]

While I am in this active crab threaddo you guys think the burgundy or maroon let good hermit crabs are more aggressive? I had two or three white ones like this guy. I have a couple of red Legged ones. And I picked up for burgundy Legget crabs about three months ago and they are always moving always active and when a snail recently died everyone converged on this now but The maroon hermits seemed relentless pushing everybody else out of the way..so the show that my original little patient was in is now occupied by a maroon leg hermit crab! So I guess I'm answering my own question what is there one that tends to be more aggressive should I have not had so many of the same ones together ? I am wondering if I shouldn't separate a couple of them and put them in the sump not with my patients of course.

 

[JVH]

OK it's update time! After a week of being in icu, I moved my patients to hang on container which has holes in it and now he is in the main tank but still separated from everybody else in his little shell and I can observe him. Here is what he's been up to... He is sitting up and trying to climb out of the shelf . he's also turn the show completely over on himself though he has yet to move it. By the way one of his front legs started growing back already it's very stubby and small but it's got to fuzz on it and today when he set up I saw him actually use it .. He's so cute he looks like he's in a little rowboat !

 

[JVH]

Sorry Once again I can't seem to get the video going but here's a still shot

 

[runzwithscissors]

Awesome! Looks like he'll be out of icu soon. Good job!

 

[JVH]

Today my little HC turned over AND walked across his cup OVER rocks! I don't believe how strong he is without his other legs! I'm totally convinced now he will live! I flipped him over to feed him and he flipped himself back over with his shell on top! YAY!
I'm just not sure when or IF I should put him back in the main tank or let him make a new home in the sump? He's not ready yet since legs still need to grow but after all this I'm afraid!

 

[runzwithscissors]

He'll be talking and off to college before you know it, lol [emoji38]

 

[runzwithscissors]

Plenty of empty shells might prevent that in the future. Can dump them behind lr so they won't be seen. Crabs will find them though.

 

[JVH]

Update on my HC.

Came home yesterday and I thought he was a gonner! I had no idea he would molt again in his current condition so I thought he was dead! His shell was empty and there was that disturbing molt which looked like the total HC. I flipped over what I thought was an empty shell and it was occupied! YAY! And the best news his one long leg was gone with the molt but he had other NEW legs with claws. They are small but he grew new ones already. He is almost good as new!
So Happy!!

 

[Sabellafella]

Update on my HC.

Came home yesterday and I thought he was a gonner! I had no idea he would molt again in his current condition so I thought he was dead! His shell was empty and there was that disturbing molt which looked like the total HC. I flipped over what I thought was an empty shell and it was occupied! YAY! And the best news his one long leg was gone with the molt but he had other NEW legs with claws. They are small but he grew new ones already. He is almost good as new!
So Happy!!

Amazing right? Love to hear stuff like this, he should be ready to go back home in notime