Dug up molter

[NLindsey921]

I had to clean out my tank because there was a very strong oder coming from the tank. All but one of my crabs were done molting. The one that wasn't done had eaten most of the exo and appears to be hardened but is still really pale. I put her in iso with a shelter, food and water. She's climbing up the hygrometer probes so am I to assume I can put her in the tank or leave her in I so a few more days

Sent from my SM-G360T1 using Tapatalk

[isadoraisacat]

I have the same issue my crab kiwi had been down for a month now from advise from people here.i decided to dig him as i truly felt he had passed on. Well he's fine he's hardened but very orange and bright brigjt purple he seems to have eaten a lot of his exo but not the whole thing. I have 2 other molters so i placed a tupper ware over the whole he was on with enough space for air hopefully he finishes eating and hardens up and makes it through same.with yours molting is scary not knowing whats going on down there with them.

Sent from my SM-G360T1 using Tapatalk

[MsWorld]

I have the same issue my crab kiwi had been down for a month now from advise from people here.i decided to dig him as i truly felt he had passed on. Well he's fine he's hardened but very orange and bright brigjt purple he seems to have eaten a lot of his exo but not the whole thing. I have 2 other molters so i placed a tupper ware over the whole he was on with enough space for air hopefully he finishes eating and hardens up and makes it through same.with yours molting is scary not knowing whats going on down there with them.

Sent from my SM-G360T1 using Tapatalk

Did you know a bigger older crab can go down for 6 months or 9 months or longer?

It is never a good idea to dig up a crab especially after only 1 month! If it had passed away you would smell the "death" smell!

Please do not dig up molters.

[isadoraisacat]

I have the same issue my crab kiwi had been down for a month now from advise from people here.i decided to dig him as i truly felt he had passed on. Well he's fine he's hardened but very orange and bright brigjt purple he seems to have eaten a lot of his exo but not the whole thing. I have 2 other molters so i placed a tupper ware over the whole he was on with enough space for air hopefully he finishes eating and hardens up and makes it through same.with yours molting is scary not knowing whats going on down there with them.

Sent from my SM-G360T1 using Tapatalk

Did you know a bigger older crab can go down for 6 months or 9 months or longer?

It is never a good idea to dig up a crab especially after only 1 month! If it had passed away you would smell the "death" smell!

Please do not dig up molters.

YES I'M AWARE. But i was told by 2 people here who post here a lot to dig him as i thought he was dead if you read my post you may see why. And i kept saying i didn't want to dig him up but i was urged to do so. And he's not a large crab btw. It's hard taking advise i try to go by the strict rules but than i have people here telling me different things.

Sent from my SM-G360T1 using Tapatalk

[isadoraisacat]

Btw i was also told you won't smell death unless you dig that being buried covers up the smell

Sent from my SM-G360T1 using Tapatalk

[isadoraisacat]

http://www.hermitcrabassociation.com/ph ... p?t=111585

Sent from my SM-G360T1 using Tapatalk

[MsWorld]

I have the same issue my crab kiwi had been down for a month now from advise from people here.i decided to dig him as i truly felt he had passed on. Well he's fine he's hardened but very orange and bright brigjt purple he seems to have eaten a lot of his exo but not the whole thing. I have 2 other molters so i placed a tupper ware over the whole he was on with enough space for air hopefully he finishes eating and hardens up and makes it through same.with yours molting is scary not knowing whats going on down there with them.

Sent from my SM-G360T1 using Tapatalk

Did you know a bigger older crab can go down for 6 months or 9 months or longer?

It is never a good idea to dig up a crab especially after only 1 month! If it had passed away you would smell the "death" smell!

Please do not dig up molters.

YES I'M AWARE. But i was told by 2 people here who post here a lot to dig him as i thought he was dead if you read my post you may see why. And i kept saying i didn't want to dig him up but i was urged to do so. And he's not a large crab btw. It's hard taking advise i try to go by the strict rules but than i have people here telling me different things.

Sent from my SM-G360T1 using Tapatalk

Sometimes you have to go with your gut. Not everyone has the best advice.

I never meant that your crab was a big one. I was just saying that they can be down for a LONG time. Geez no reason to take offense.

[isadoraisacat]

Did you know a bigger older crab can go down for 6 months or 9 months or longer?

It is never a good idea to dig up a crab especially after only 1 month! If it had passed away you would smell the "death" smell!

Please do not dig up molters.

YES I'M AWARE. But i was told by 2 people here who post here a lot to dig him as i thought he was dead if you read my post you may see why. And i kept saying i didn't want to dig him up but i was urged to do so. And he's not a large crab btw. It's hard taking advise i try to go by the strict rules but than i have people here telling me different things.

Sent from my SM-G360T1 using Tapatalk

Sometimes you have to go with your gut. Not everyone has the best advice.

I never meant that your crab was a big one. I was just saying that they can be down for a LONG time. Geez no reason to take offense.

No offense taken I'm just frustrated because i don't know which advise to take here and all in trying to do is the right thing and so many different people telling me different things. For now on I'm going by the book and that's its no avant garde ideas here with a life in my hands.

Sent from my SM-G360T1 using Tapatalk

[NLindsey921]

Just go with your gut. I assumed that one of my crabs were dead because of the odor. I did find a couple empty shells but other than that my crabs were fine. Who knows. Your crab could have been dead. I read your post and was glad everything turned out OK.

Sent from my SM-G360T1 using Tapatalk

[NLindsey921]

But what about my question. Is it safe to put him back in the tank or leave him in iso

Sent from my SM-G360T1 using Tapatalk

[soilentgringa]

Okay. First of all. Keep the threads civil please.

Second: I keep trying to explain that there are no "hard and fast" rules of crabbing. There are many grey areas and what works for one person will not work for another.

In @isadoraisacat's situation, yes, he needed to dig because 1. He stated that he saw mites all over a molting crab and was worried that the crab had died and had been eaten by the mites. 2. He dug the crab up, discovered that it was alive, then reburied it.

NLindsey921 If your crab has hardened up and is moving around well, yes, it is safe to go back into the tank.

@MsWorld There is a reason that us mods exist on the forum, to guide people based on our experiences and the recommendations made in the HCA care guides. I trust every mod and admin in this group with my crab's lives. There are also very experienced crabbers in the group who have been doing this for years and have run into just about every situation you can think of. You can always click on a user name if you are unsure how long they have been here, how often they've posted, or what their status is on the forum.

I also wanted to clear something up: if you have several inches of substrate and a crab dies underground, you should not be able to smell anything.

If a crab dies on the surface, yes, you will sometimes, but not always, smell a rotting fish smell. It depends on if the crab becomes putrid or if it dries out.




Sent from my LGLS665 using Tapatalk

[NLindsey921]

He dug down in the I so so should I wait for him to come back up.

Sent from my SM-G360T1 using Tapatalk

[soilentgringa]

He dug down in the I so so should I wait for him to come back up.

Sent from my SM-G360T1 using Tapatalk

Yes. If he buried himself, wait for him to come back up.

Sent from my LGLS665 using Tapatalk

[isadoraisacat]

Okay. First of all. Keep the threads civil please.

Second: I keep trying to explain that there are no "hard and fast" rules of crabbing. There are many grey areas and what works for one person will not work for another.

In @isadoraisacat's situation, yes, he needed to dig because 1. He stated that he saw mites all over a molting crab and was worried that the crab had died and had been eaten by the mites. 2. He dug the crab up, discovered that it was alive, then reburied it.

NLindsey921 If your crab has hardened up and is moving around well, yes, it is safe to go back into the tank.

@MsWorld There is a reason that us mods exist on the forum, to guide people based on our experiences and the recommendations made in the HCA care guides. I trust every mod and admin in this group with my crab's lives. There are also very experienced crabbers in the group who have been doing this for years and have run into just about every situation you can think of. You can always click on a user name if you are unsure how long they have been here, how often they've posted, or what their status is on the forum.

I also wanted to clear something up: if you have several inches of substrate and a crab dies underground, you should not be able to smell anything.

If a crab dies on the surface, yes, you will sometimes, but not always, smell a rotting fish smell. It depends on if the crab becomes putrid or if it dries out.




Sent from my LGLS665 using Tapatalk

When the crab is finished hardening will his color change from a bright orange to the usual tan/red color?
because my crab appears to be of normal skin texture when i checked him last, just his color is bright
and he hadn't finished eating the exo and he appears to be not moving much but he is not dead. I assume
the hardening period takes the longest???

[soilentgringa]

Crabs can change color after a molt. Your crab may stay bright orange or it may become darker.
He may not finish all the exoskeleton.



Sent from my LGLS665 using Tapatalk