HCA: Hermit Crab Association

I’m a fairly new crab owner and I’m concerned because one of my crabs (Mr. Krabs) completely buried himself. I’ve seen him bury himself many times but the tip of his shell always showed. This time he’s all the way under. Can he breath? Is he molting? I’m just worried because I recently had a crab I was babysitting that passed and I don’t want to go through that heartbreak again. Yesterday I was able to see him through a little seeing spot in the glass tank but now I can’t see him. It’s like he moved and the sand covered the little seeing spot. I think he’s in the same spot but I don’t know.

digging all the way under and tunneling is completely normal behavior

Do you know how long he will be under? The sand is on top of him will he be able to crawl out? He’s been like this since yesterday. I don’t know if he’s molting or not. I do have another crab in the tank so incase he is molting I was going to put something over the spot he’s at so the other crab can’t go over by him.


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Jlmills525 wrote:digging all the way under and tunneling is completely normal behavior

Do you know how long he will be under? The sand is on top of him will he be able to crawl out? He’s been like this since yesterday. I don’t know if he’s molting or not. I do have another crab in the tank so incase he is molting I was going to put something over the spot he’s at so the other crab can’t go over by him.


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do you recall if he was eating alot or drinking alot before he went down? That would be one indicator he might be molting.

either molting or just tunneling or destressing, there is really no telling how long he will be. He may even be coming up at night, since they are primarily nocturnal.

He can get out just fine as long as the substrate isn't disturbed or packed down while he's under, Hermit crabs backfill their tunnels as a defense mechanism

Jlmills525 wrote:do you recall if he was eating alot or drinking alot before he went down? That would be one indicator he might be molting.

either molting or just tunneling or destressing, there is really no telling how long he will be. He may even be coming up at night, since they are primarily nocturnal.

He can get out just fine as long as the substrate isn't disturbed or packed down while he's under, Hermit crabs backfill their tunnels as a defense mechanism

I really can’t recall at all. Thank you so much for helping me because I was stressing considering I go off to college and can’t keep an eye on him and my other crab like how I do now. If he does come up I’ll reply on this to let you know just incase you wanted to know.


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