Hemrit crabs dieing

Hey guys, new to the boards. Best place to get information though~~ Anyways, I have bought red reef hermits and a blue hermit throughout the time I had the tank. I was just wonder how long do the red reef one usually live? Mine have all died, excpet for the two news ones i bought. However, they do not move. They have been in the same spot for 2 weeks now. Anyone know why? Also, the blue one, I'm guesssing died. It wouldnt come out of his shell and this mucus looking film was covering the hole for a week or so. So I took it out and threw him away. Usually when they were dead their bodies where laying around. I hope he wasnt molting. Anywyas, anyone know why my two that are alive do not move? Thanks!

 

Your hermits aren't moving because they are dead also! Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but the hermits shouldn't be in the same place for two weeks, or even two minutes, unless they are feeding IMO!
Did you have them in your tank during the cycling phase? Also, have you tested your water recently?
I would hold off on purchasing anything else for your tank until you are confident and assured that your water parameters are in a adequate range!!!!
Sorry to hear about the hermits dying also...

 

Do you have test kits? If so, post your results from them

 

LOL. No they are alive! There eyes and face move, and when I go to pick them up, they grab onto the rock, so they are alive. I have test kits, and everything is good.... they just dont move!

 

I had a bunch of hermits when I first started my tank. They all died except for a blue and a red. I had like eight total. It could be that your tank has just started, and there is a look of food source for the crabs.
Some people however have different opinions of keeping crabs, some say they are good for keeping the tank clean, yet others don't trust them period, like them, I have mostly snails now.

 

Stray voltage in the tank?? I would agree that you would need to post your test results.

Another wierd thought---what about some sort of parasite?

Other than that---totally clueless.

Anne

 

What do you mean by 'don't trust them' ?

 

Many think that crabs are more than scavangers...they're predators!

Beware...or not I dont have any atm

 

Ok my results are: Ph 8.2-8.3, Sp. Grav is 1.23, nitrates/ammonia 0 (so the test says. umm cant remember alk but i believe it was in range. if i missed anything else let me know. This week I started to add calcium for my new coral which I dont think is working out too well. I had the tank up for a little over 4 months so they were not in there while it was cycling. could it be because of tap water? I uses chemicals to remove chrorids and phosphates and that junk out of it befoe i add salt to the water then to the tank. I dont have any other way to filter my tap water. I just dont understand why they dont walk around. they dont even move their claws. looks like they just move their eyes or face!

 

OK, Jeremy, please note that these are my thoughts which may or maynot be correct.

You probably need to bring your salinity (gravity) up a little. Should be 1.024 to 1.025 some run it as high as 1.026 (I don't). Other than that my next guess would be stray voltage in the tank. Do you have a grounding probe in the tank?

What brand of Calcium are you adding?

Again, just my thoughts---take 'em or leave 'em

Anne