This was my first experience with a crab going under for a long period of time. Short backstory: I adopted 2 hermies from someone who was giving them and their crabitat away. Since I"m a teacher, I thought they'd make good classroom pets. Well, one went under presumably to molt before I could take them into the classroom. So, I set up a spare 10g tank for the one still topside and brought him in. He's been a hit with my kiddos. Theylove to read to him.
The one at home...I kept monitoring temp and humidity, and had some egg shells in the corner and some other food that keeps a while before getting moldy. Well today someone had messed with the eggshells! I think my molter is back up!
Meanwhile, the one I took into the classroom has been under for at least a week, so now it's that one's turn I guess. I'm concerned because I do have to pack up my classroom next week, and I will need to move the crabitat at least out if my classroom and back home for the summer.
He's Back!
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piratetoothgir
- Posts: 1341
- Joined: Mon Jun 05, 2017 7:08 am
- Location: Texas
Re: He's Back!
Hello, and welcome to the HCA! 
That's great! I am glad he successfully molted, that's a relief!
I think you should be fine with moving it, that'd be harder with a molter.
That's great! I am glad he successfully molted, that's a relief!
I think you should be fine with moving it, that'd be harder with a molter.
Crabber Since 2016
7 Caribbeans & 2 Ecuadorians
I am the proud owner of my hermit crabs, aquarium fish, and isopod totes!
7 Caribbeans & 2 Ecuadorians
I am the proud owner of my hermit crabs, aquarium fish, and isopod totes!
Re: He's Back!
I hope so. I haven't actually seen him, though.StellaCrab wrote:Hello, and welcome to the HCA!
That's great! I am glad he successfully molted, that's a relief!
I think you should be fine with moving it, that'd be harder with a molter.
If I wasn't clear, there are two, each now in individual 10g tanks. One at home (molter that just came up) and one at school (Molter? who just went down) I will have to move the molter at school at some point, since I have to move out of my classroom.
2 PPs
Re: He's Back!
How long has the classroom crab been down? Also, how big is that crab? If you try to move the tank with them still down it is likely that their molting cave will collapse and the crab will suffocate. The only way to move him/her would be to dig them up, but that can be very dangerous if they have already shed their exo.
If you read some of the HCA threads in Molting, you'll learn that the molting process itself only takes them an hour or two. They can spend a long amount of time underground before they shed their exo to be sure that they picked a safe spot and will not be disturbed by predators, so if they went down recently you might be able to catch them before they shed.
I had this problem when I moved to my college apartment. My biggest guy went down 3 weeks before I moved and it took him 3 months to finish up. His first molting cave was under a water dish, so i saw him every time I changed the water for 2 weeks. I left him at home with my family (who aren't educated in crab care) for a month and a half before I decided to dig. Since it was late in his molting period, he was hardened and was just finishing eating his old exo.
If it's a smaller crab and they've been down for more than a week, you could try waiting it out (if you will still have access to your classroom for a couple weeks). They are extremely low maintenance when they're down, especially if your temp and humidity levels stay steady without your help. I'd still pop in once or twice a week to change waters and food and check if the crab is back up.
I'd also recommend keeping a log of when your crabs go up and down so it's easier to predict and plan moving times in the future. I'm doing this with my crabbos so that I can hopefully make moving into next year's place as low stress as possible.
As always, more experienced crabbers can feel free to correct anything I've said.
Good luck!
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If you read some of the HCA threads in Molting, you'll learn that the molting process itself only takes them an hour or two. They can spend a long amount of time underground before they shed their exo to be sure that they picked a safe spot and will not be disturbed by predators, so if they went down recently you might be able to catch them before they shed.
I had this problem when I moved to my college apartment. My biggest guy went down 3 weeks before I moved and it took him 3 months to finish up. His first molting cave was under a water dish, so i saw him every time I changed the water for 2 weeks. I left him at home with my family (who aren't educated in crab care) for a month and a half before I decided to dig. Since it was late in his molting period, he was hardened and was just finishing eating his old exo.
If it's a smaller crab and they've been down for more than a week, you could try waiting it out (if you will still have access to your classroom for a couple weeks). They are extremely low maintenance when they're down, especially if your temp and humidity levels stay steady without your help. I'd still pop in once or twice a week to change waters and food and check if the crab is back up.
I'd also recommend keeping a log of when your crabs go up and down so it's easier to predict and plan moving times in the future. I'm doing this with my crabbos so that I can hopefully make moving into next year's place as low stress as possible.
As always, more experienced crabbers can feel free to correct anything I've said.
Good luck!
Sent from my SM-G920R4 using Tapatalk
4 PPs at this party: Toby(f), Robin(f), Speedy(m), Wally(TBD)
Re: He's Back!
Hey thanks for the reply!
He's been down for about 2 weeks now - last movement shown on May 19. I do tend to keep track because I have a motion activated camera on him. I can ask for the crabitat to be left alone and be put on the last classroom to be update - I think admin would be OK with that. I will have access to the building over the summer, and admin will be in the building all summer as well.
He's been down for about 2 weeks now - last movement shown on May 19. I do tend to keep track because I have a motion activated camera on him. I can ask for the crabitat to be left alone and be put on the last classroom to be update - I think admin would be OK with that. I will have access to the building over the summer, and admin will be in the building all summer as well.
2 PPs