# hermit crabs are dieing



## seba (Dec 17, 2007)

Need help guys, my 60 gal tank has been up for close to a year now, all of a sudden my herit crabs are not moving at all, they are staying in one spot for 6 days now.
checked levels
nitrite, ph, and amonia is perfect
nitrate is around 10 --did a water change a few days ago and has not moved from 10, plan to do another 10% water change today.
the only strange thing is that my calcium is very high around 600. I have not dosed with calcium for over a week now and levels are still the same. (could this be the prob?)

I have about 70lbs of live rock, 3 fish; 2 clown and small yellow tang.
and some corals(hammer head, torch, clams)

please help. :-?


----------



## Kellsindell (Sep 15, 2008)

600 is extreme. What are you dosing, how often, how are you dosing it, and are you checking right after you dose?


----------



## seba (Dec 17, 2007)

I have been dosing with puple up and my calcium level were always around 500 but now I dose with "brightwell aquatics concentrated calcium" it was ok for a good while, checked 2-3 week, last week I checked before a water change and it showed around 600 that is when I stoped dosing I checked 3 days later -->no change 6 days later no change even after a water change. Checking with Api test kit that is 5 months old.


----------



## Kellsindell (Sep 15, 2008)

First off, you don't really want your Calcium to get over 480ppm. I keep many SPS and don't have it that high. 

How big of a water change did you do? When i overdosed i had to do about a 15% before i saw any changes in Ca.


----------



## seba (Dec 17, 2007)

I do a 10% water change every week 60 gal tank so 6 gal. 
now before i noticed the problem with the calcium i have not changed the water for 2 weeks. maybee that is the problem, not sure, plan to do another water change today and re-check the levels.


----------



## Kellsindell (Sep 15, 2008)

sounds good. let us know what all lvls are, alk, SG, ca, no3, po4, mag please.


----------



## okiemavis (Nov 10, 2007)

High levels of calcium can drive down alkalinity and pH, so make sure you check those levels immediately. What else are you dosing? Certain other elements can drive your Ca up (such as strontium or magnesium). The best rule is don't ever dose what you're not testing for...

A few small water changes should help; obviously not too much at one time, but water changes will be the best way to get your tank straight.


----------



## seba (Dec 17, 2007)

Tested calcium today and went down to 580, did not get a chance to do a water change today, will do that tomorow. 
"okiemavis" Calcium is the only thing that i dose my tank other they pytoplanton and zooluplankton (not sure about the spelling) should I dose with anything else?


----------



## onefish2fish (Jul 22, 2008)

calcium, magnesium and alk all go hand and hand. if one is low or high it will most likely effect the others. i HIGHLY recommend testing and dosing for all three.
and Purple Up in my opionion is just over priced alk, but use whatever works for you.


----------



## Kellsindell (Sep 15, 2008)

Onefish is quite right, but since you don't have but soft corals you don't really need to dose anything unless it becomes low. regular water changes will take care of the needs of any trace materials required to keep the corals healthy.


----------



## ajmckay (Oct 28, 2008)

Hmmm... I don't hear a lot about hermit crab maladies... In my experience they are really hardy and seemingly impervious to disease (of course that idea is completely ridiculous, but I do know they can go through some rough stuff) I'm sure someone has written a book on hermit crab care... Maybe check your library for some books? 

Do you have sufficient empty shells of varying sizes and shapes in there for them to grow into? 

Given that your tank is almost 1 yr old I'm assuming you've got plenty of growth on your live rock and things for the hermits to eat, but is it possible that the competition for food is too high? How many crabs/snails/shrimps/etc. do you have? Maybe they aren't getting enough, or more likely the wrong types of food? Try some sinking pellets? 

Good luck! I love hermits... Hopefully they recover well.


----------



## onefish2fish (Jul 22, 2008)

ajmckay said:


> Good luck! I love hermits... Hopefully they recover well.


 
some good advice however i do not think dead hermit crabs recover well:hmm:


what kind of water do you use? is there any possible way copper got into your tank? or was there to begin with and enough leeched out? what other inverts do you have? and how well are they doing? are you sure its not a molting?


----------



## Kellsindell (Sep 15, 2008)

onefish2fish said:


> some good advice however i do not think dead hermit crabs recover well:hmm:


 
:rofl:


----------



## seba (Dec 17, 2007)

I use r/o water for water changes, tested for copper and it is zero. I do use sinking pellets and they do eat it. Calcium seems to be lowering slowly, It is funny because I use to dose every couple of days now I haven't dosed in two weeks and it is still high. I have a lot of empty shells inside the tank. 

I have 3 shrimps, 6 turbo snails, now down to 5 hermit crabs (red, blue, haloween crabs) 2 clownfish, 1 yellow tang, emerald crab, porcelain crab,
and corals.


Maybee it is my test kit that is the problem?
It is only 6 months old (API drip test kit)


----------



## Kellsindell (Sep 15, 2008)

what are you feeding the tank?


----------



## seba (Dec 17, 2007)

I got sinking pellets, sea weed, and some flakes for the fish.
for corals i use Kent Marine Phytoplex (5 times a week)
and Kent Marine Zooplex (2 times a week)

Did anther water change last night and todays readings:
Calcium 660 (have not dosed in about 3 weeks now)
-->checked with 2 test kits
KH 100
Salt 1.022
ph 8.4
amonia 0
nitrite 0 
Nitrate 0

Also I purchased Bionic calcium and alkalinity additive last night but have not used it yet.

just read this article --might be good help
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/nov2002/chem.htm


----------



## seba (Dec 17, 2007)

Tested calcium today at it is still at 660, Alk at 100 so I dosed with bionic Alk buffer to bring it up a little.
Can something in my tank give off calcium, I have not dosed in about a month.


----------



## karaim (Aug 28, 2008)

Maybe there is something wrong with your RO water (meaning the machine doesn't remove calcium properly)? Did you check the RO water for calcium before adding it to the tank?


----------



## seba (Dec 17, 2007)

I did not check r/o water, but I checked pre mixed r/o salt water and it was around 200.


----------



## Pasfur (Mar 29, 2008)

Wow. This is a fun thread. Can you post some pictures? I know it sounds funny to ask, but it is easier to brainstorm when I can see the tank.

Did i understand correct that your calcium level in the r/0 saltwater is 200ppm? Did you also test pH and alkalinity of this water?

If Calcium is >600 ppm you will have low alkalinity. What EXACTLY are you adding to tank, how often, at what dose, and at what readings?

Also, this is extremely important. We need phosphate test results to properly discuss unusual calcium issues. Test for phosphate.

Finally, on the hermit crabs. Maybe this is nothing, but...
Calcareous substrates absorb copper and can release it back into solution when the pH drops. High Calcium will cause pH to drop. Even undetectable levels of copper could cause the behavior you describe in your hermits.
Have you EVER dosed copper before in an aquarium that used this same substrate?


----------



## seba (Dec 17, 2007)

I will get the pictures for you and reading later tonight when i get home. 
As per copper medication goes, this tank was used for my fresh water setup about 2 years ago and i did use a product called "all gone" for my algea that had copper in it for a couple of times. 
Before setting up my saltwater tank though i throughly cleaned the tank with vinager 3 days before and rinsed it. Then added new substrate "live sand" and live rock for the cycle. 
Tested for copper and it always shows zero. 
Phosphates allways at zero--using r/o water and both filter changed about 2 months ago, also i put in couple phoshate spunges inside my sump.


----------



## seba (Dec 17, 2007)

ok here it is tested today
calcium with api test kit 640 with salifert test kit 630
kh 110 mg/l
phosphate 0
copper 0
ph 8.4
amonia 0
nitrate 0
gravity 1.023


Now the water that i am pre mixing for 2 days now (not heated yet)
gravity 1.025
calcium 400
kh 140 mg/l (not sure why so high)
phosphate 0
copper 0

Here are some picks of the tank:


----------



## seba (Dec 17, 2007)

tested last night calcium 660, and kh at 100


----------



## Pasfur (Mar 29, 2008)

Have you tried a different calcium test kit?


----------



## seba (Dec 17, 2007)

I have an API and Salifert test kit, API test kit is about 7 months old and Salifer about 3 weeks old


----------



## seba (Dec 17, 2007)

checked last night calcium at 600 
and alk at 90


----------



## cerianthus (Jul 13, 2008)

See if can find variety of different sizes of empty shells. clean them and add to tank. they need to change their shells as gets bigger. i even saw many hermits moving? LOL


----------

