HCA: Hermit Crab Association

I'd monitor that closely, but if neither has moved in 3 weeks there is a very good chance they are both moulting.

pH will vary with where you are at in the world. It's not worth messing with and it isn't super important to aim for a certain reading. Freshwater will vary from around 6.5 to 8.5, with 7 being neutral. Oceans sit around 8.2 to 8.4, and Instant Ocean will also duplicate that for the most part withou...

I totally get what you're saying though. My husband had to move a 10 gallon that was 90% filled with sand and molters, and it wasn't all that bad for him to carry up a flight of steps and back again a few days later. I need him to dump a few inches of tank water when emptying an aquarium though, and...

I have 8-9 inches of sub and I bet I can slide the whole thing around on a tile floor. Not that I would but it seems much lighter than it did as an aquarium. A lot of that is the difference between a solid bottom heavy load of sand, and the properties of trying to move a liquid that wants to stay i...

I have both Flukers and Ultratherm, and they are extremely similar. The only difference is one brand has to be ordered online.

A moist sand mixture can weigh up to 16 pounds per gallon. If you fill it half full, you'll be looking at up to 440 in just the substrate alone. An empty 55, depending on the age of the tank and the brand, can weight between 70 and 170 pounds. (I have a 170 pounder, from the 1970's. My husband said ...

Dry looking exoskeleton can be an illusion from lower humidity, or it can be a sign that they are a long ways out from their last moult. The really big guys only go down every year or two, and their exterior takes a beating during that time. It's thicker so there isn't much damage, but visually it c...

@hermiesguardian I've just received the Prime conditioner.. I make up a litre at a time. Its so concentrated I'd have to use 0.025 ml to 1 litre of water.. I've looked for a less concentrated Prime but can't find one.. How do you use it please? Thanks You can dose it out at 2 to 4 drops per gallon,...

No, all hermits can use a combination of legs and their large claw to block the opening. It has a lot to do with the shape of the shell and how well it fits, as to what all will be exposed.

This is kinda normal crab behaviour, not even moulting behaviour, but just general goodly crab weirdness. I know how shocking it is when they suddenly start doing something new to them! I've had my Rug for almost 4 years, and last month she dug herself out a permanent burrow for the first time. Actu...

Bright colours in the joints can happen post moult, and it tends to fade the farther out it gets from the last time they went down. I've had them come up sporting near neon yellow, and bright orange joints before, and it usually lasts only a month on the biggest crabs.

I found one once at the pet store that had mummified in it's shell. There was no smell and it looked like it was all closed up tight.

Also, expect the crabs to double and triple in size while molting - sometimes on their very first molt but guaranteed within the first year. Little crabs do not stay little for very long, and each molt will just compound space issues and make future molts that much more dangerous.

While there are a few things that could cause issues down the road like Curly pointed out, I'm really wondering if it's just coincidence that both went on the surface at the same time. By numbers alone, you'll see more weirdness. A tank rescape can cause surface molts, as can new crabs with post-pur...

It really sounds like post-purchase syndrome, with them being so new. If you're talking a true jumbo crab - the size of a baseball or bigger - it's already decades old and they do not adapt well to captivity, if they can adapt at all. I have never had one survive longer than a couple of years, and t...