Noticably smaller crab

[3littleherms]

Nice! Should I wash the play sand before I put it in or is it ok to just put it right in?

[KyMart]

Nice! Should I wash the play sand before I put it in or is it ok to just put it right in?

I would moisten it until sand castle consistency, but that's just so tunnels hold up, it's already washed and screened so your good to go straight out of the bag, but it just needs to be sand castle consistency!

[Pumpkincrab]

Just want to put my two cents in:
My OG crab, Pine, was purchased a little over three years ago. She's successfully molted many, many times and is given excellent care, including a great diet with plenty of added nutrients ( worm castings, chlorella, lots of calcium ) but she just doesn't grow. While her tankmates grow bigger and gain beautiful coloration every time, Pine just...doesn't. She is the same size as when she came up from her first molt with me, and has resided in the same shell for just about her entire time with me. I've heard this happen with other crabbers, and it seems like nobody can really figure out why this happens.
This probably isn't the case with your crab, but still...crabs are funky sometimes!

[3littleherms]

So my littlest crab burryed himself and lest his old shell. I was excited because I figured he was finally molting! I left the tank undisturbed for a while (other then food and water stuff) and it's been a few weeks from that point. There tank was a mess so I was cleaning things up and I found him. He's in a shell that is way to big for him and I looked Into the shell and he looks extremely pale. I'm pretty sure he's alive because I think he moved deeper into the shell when I picked him up, but idk he's not looking to great. There all in a waiting tank while I get the playsand in. I haven't seen him move since.
Edit: just looked over and the other two crabs where pulling him and his shell around. I suspect he might be gone but I still separated him. I'm not sure how to tell if he's really gone or not and I'm not sure why he would have died if he is. The other two seem happy, healthy and energetic.

Edit 2: he is Alive. He came out of his shell when I separated them. He's extremely pale though.

[curlysister]

When you found him, was he on the surface? Or did you dig him up? Was his exoskeleton with him?

You will need to isolate him from the other crabs for sure.

[3littleherms]

He was underground. I didn't intentionally dig him up but when I was smoothing out the sand I found him. He was under the water dish. And I didn't see and exoskeleton.
Edit: put the play sand in. It's moist but I'm unsure if it's a good moist. Like idk if the water is clean. Is it fine to put them straight I to that?

[curlysister]

If it was already moist while in the bag, I would put it straight in. You want it wet enough that it holds it's shape but not so wet that water pools in the bottom.
Your crab may have still been underground after molting, while waiting for his new exo to harden up. Keep him separated from the others. Feed him foods high in calcium and protein.

[3littleherms]

Ok! Already on all of that. I was confused since he was in a shell, but that could have been the case. He's doing good.

[curlysister]

Crabs do not leave their shells to molt. They stay in the shell, tunnel underground and make a cave, then shed their old exoskeleton. They stay in the little cave until they eat the old exo, and until the new exo hardens up.