molting and shell thief questions

[amethystkytten]

I had a crab that was buried and I woke up this morning to see that it was in a different shell which was upside down on the other side of the tank. Another crab I have that has been in a shell too small is now in the spot where the molter was buried and is examining the empty shell.My freshly molted crab isn't completely dry if that makes sense,its claw is still damp looking and is a light greyish color it also looks as if its got small chips or pieces of darker skin on it.I had several larger sized shells to try to entice my bigger crab out of his small shell because he couldn't pull his body all the way into his shell anymore and my newly molted crab is smaller in size than most of these shells. 1.Did my molter get bullied out of its shell OR did it leave to find a new shell? 2.The molted crab also looks like the shell its in is too large and isn't very active- I'm worried he just took the closest shell because it was disturbed during molt should I isolate it with different shells?3.Is it common for a freshly molted crab to move immediately into a new shell if that is what happened?4.This crab I think has bullied another smaller crab to the point that it died do I have a shell thief on my hands?

[GotButterflies]

Hello
Please answer the following template for us, so that we can help you further: viewtopic.php?f=27&t=46102

If the freshly molted crab cannot move around on it's own, then it needs to be isolated. Sometimes freshly molted crabs take larger shells than needed for them to have more room. Hermits are very strong. Their abdomen is muscle.

To entice a crab to change shells, you can dip the shells in dechlorinated msw. Freshly molted crabs really should be left alone though, imo

[amethystkytten]

The molted crab can retract into its shell though it hasn't come out so I don't know if it's able to walk about yet.And the other crab decided to bury itself in the exact spot the other crab was and has now dug under the shell as though its going to molt..so maybe it just wanted that spot to molt and the shell is extra cover?

[GotButterflies]

The molted crab can retract into its shell though it hasn't come out so I don't know if it's able to walk about yet.And the other crab decided to bury itself in the exact spot the other crab was and has now dug under the shell as though its going to molt..so maybe it just wanted that spot to molt and the shell is extra cover?

Do you know for sure that the crab did actually molt? Hairy legs, pointed tips at the end of the legs? If you are unsure, you could provide calcium, honey, and protein just in case he didn't get to eat his exoskeleton....

[amethystkytten]

Ok so I think all of my crabs have gone crazy. So after calming down I pieced together what happened or may have. My active crab buried itself for two weeks and my aggressive crab picked a fight to steal his shell.My active crab vacated his shell moved into the first shell it found and the bully buried in the same spot and the next morning switched into the stolen shell. My other crab took his attacker's shell. I found him soaking in freshwater this morning hanging out of his shell by a lot. I left it be and when I replaced the saltwater which was a little warm due to me not having any so I made my own-he hopped in and slipped out his shell!! I isolated him and put as many shells as I could find in there and sprayed everything down-washed out the shells too before I put them back in. I have been dropping water on his abdomen and watching to see if he will crawl back into a new shell. I know he had to have molted he has hairy legs and black tips on his feet and the color is bright.There is some damage to the bottom of his large claw I think from the fight and its soft in the spot on the bottom part where its missing exoskeleton.My biggest problem is I don't have any shells like the one he was originally wearing that was stolen from him and I think that is what he wants.He doesn't seem to like turbo shells he likes the spotted ones-the giraffe ones I think they are called.

My smallest crab is very shy-he was a dark purple/deep red when I got him.He hides alot so him going mia is normal and I didn't really think anything of it but I found him hiding in the coconut. I don't know what was going on but I put out peanut butter last night and found a tiny claw that was his size in the dish. I took him out and he has his claws and is now a very pale white? I can't see much of him because he's shy and is retracted all the way into his shell I only see a claw and a leg!He has been more active and is suddenly out during the day and soaking in the water and eating.All this seemed to have started right after the fight between my two bigger crabs.

I'm so worried this was my most active and friendly crab I don't want to another one because this large crab is a bully!

[Happyhermiehome]

So dose the little guy still have both his pinchers? Check to see if the little pincher u found in the dish is hallow or if it's meaty inside.

[amethystkytten]

The pincher is hollow and every one has all of their pinchers counted for !

My poor little naked crab is isolated in a 10g tank and keeps going from shell to shell then it rests and wanders around more.He has even eaten some peanut butter. Its like he wants to be naked or can't find a shell? He goes to a shell pokes his head in and then sits there for a while . I did manage to uncurl his abdomen and reshell him but I think that did more harm than good. He isn't very active now though he is hanging onto the shell he is half out and when I reshelled him I couldn't get him to go completely into the shell. I was terrified I was going to get pinched. He spread all his legs out when I touched his abdomen and leaned forward over my fingers like he didn't want to go into the shell. I lightly put his back end into the shell and he kind twisted around when I put him back down he didn't fall out the shell but is hanging out of it barely moving. He is either weak or dying I'm guessing-the fight disturbed him and started this whole mess. I knew I should've taken his shell when it was empty and him out of the tank before the bully got into it.I'm wondering also if maybe he didn't get to molt but was preparing to and the nakedness is his way of getting ready,he kept digging small holes but then would abandon them and go check another shell. I have about 20 in the tank and none seem to satisfy him.

Either that or I mixed up the two crabs after the fight because of the shell swapping it could be possible that this one isn't the one who was buried but was in fact the aggressor. I examined my other crab who is alot brighter in color and looks a lot like a freshly molted crab. But I could have sworn that my more active crab which was in the spotted shell was not that big the one in the spotted shell now is very large compared what it was. I didn't see everything that happened is it possible I am wrong and they swapped shells only to swap again? I found the shell of my buried crab empty and the attacker or who I thought was the attacker buried in the same spot while someone was in a different shell and that someone switched into the attackers shell and the attacker ended up in the spotted shell which belonged to my buried crab who I am assuming is my streaker. Or maybe they swapped shells didn't like the fit and swapped again?Which means my streaker wasn't the buried crab and possibly has not molted yet...which may explain why it took the same shell it had before for a temporary time before getting nakie....so many mysteries! Crabs are crazy

[GotButterflies]

Okay - first of all - don't be upset with yourself. Second of all - the white crab is either freshly molted or getting ready to. Usually when crabs molt it takes them a couple of days to a week to get their color bright.

Offer raw organic honey for energy. Bee pollen is good for energy also. Give protein, calcium also. Try to quit handling. Can you purchase shells similar to the babylonian shell he/she had? Try michaels, hobby lobby, joann's fabrics. Don't spray abdomen let him/her moisten it on his/her own. Provide dechlorinated fw and dechlorinated msw. Continue to isolate. Good luck

[Happyhermiehome]

So if everyone's pinchers are accounted for then the extra pincher left in dish must have been left over exo that one of the other crabs dug up. Often times they don't finish it all and don't eat the pinchers.

[amethystkytten]

Good news is he stayed in a shell all night and all day yesterday.I think he chowed down on some peanut butter and ate honey but didn't touch anything else I offered. Funny thing is the big claw was missing a part of the dark red exo on the bottom on the pincher and now it suddenly has it and its dark red again but its still slightly soft ! His legs also appear to have more orange than the day before or maybe I just missed it the first time in my panic? Or maybe he was starting to molt and got disturbed and thats why he went naked?? He keeps flipping upside down and when I checked on him recently he was hanging half out of the shell but retreated back in when I peeked in. Not sure what is going on but until he either passes on or is moving and acting normal again its isolation for this one!