# blue leg losing color



## malawi_love (Dec 1, 2011)

So I was checking on my salt inhabitants today like I do everyday and I noticed Henry, my blue leg hermit crab, seems to have lost some color. My water peramintors aren't the greatest as I am just starting out. The nitrate is at 80 ppm which has been dropping. What's going on with him? Should I be concerned? Yes I know he's just a hermit crab but I do enjoy watching him and his hitchhikers on his shell


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## phil_n_fish (Nov 19, 2011)

hi and welcome to the forum!

The nitrate is pretty high which is more likely the reason he is losing color. If the tank is new then I would assume it is still cycling. Having inverts like hermit crab and other crustaceans will help cycle your tank(fish can get real stressed)

A fully cycled tank is when the ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate are 0. Its ok if your nitrate is barely above 0 as long as everything is looking good.
I would do a 50 percent water change if you want to make an impact on that nitrate level. 
I would test the water using the liquid tests with test tubes which are more accurate than the strips. Test the water and write it down each day to see how fast your tank is cycling. 

post some pics


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## malawi_love (Dec 1, 2011)

Thank you! Is he going to be ok you think? I had to lightly scrub his friends the other day because they were getting brown algae on him and around his coralline. I don't wanna stress his friends either.


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## malawi_love (Dec 1, 2011)

His picture is in my gallery  I prob have 100 on my phone of him  I can watch him for hours haha forget the reef I have a hermit crab *r2


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## phil_n_fish (Nov 19, 2011)

that brown algae is diatom. Its completely normal in a cycling tank and will go away in a week or two. You dont have to do anything to it. Its just passing through 

He should be alright.


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## malawi_love (Dec 1, 2011)

Aww what? Lol some guy at a salt specialty store scared me saying it would kill my feather dusters and the coralline couldn't grow because of the brown algae. I scrubbed most of my tank but leaving some behind for him and some new snails. Henry's feather sdusters have been much happier though since I cleaned them up a little bit.


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## phil_n_fish (Nov 19, 2011)

yea it wouldn't hurt to clean it up. I usually just let my hermit crabs eat it up after it dies off. It usually dies in a week or two. If you want your rocks real clean, An emerald crab would be a great addition. I have one as part of my reef cleaner crew.


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## Reefing Madness (Aug 12, 2011)

phil_n_fish said:


> that brown algae is diatom. Its completely normal in a cycling tank and will go away in a week or two. You dont have to do anything to it. Its just passing through
> 
> He should be alright.


He's completely correct. No need to knock yourself out trying to clean it up.
Brown Diatom Algae Control | Aquariums Life


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## malawi_love (Dec 1, 2011)

He molted! I should've known that's what he was doing! My land hermit crabs do this all the time! He's very happy now and is moving around more!


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## phil_n_fish (Nov 19, 2011)

congrats. now make sure he has plenty of shells that are different sizes for him to move into when he gets too big


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