possible molt

babyhermitcrab · Post by **babyhermitcrab** » Sun Jun 19, 2011 11:41 am

I think that one of my hermit crabs has been getting ready to molt for awhile. He keeps getting more white in color. I moved him to the ISO tank and am going to give him more calcium rich foods should I do anything else?

MudCrabDude · Post by **MudCrabDude** » Sun Jun 19, 2011 10:56 pm

For the most part, we generally do not ISO molters.

Predicting a possible molter is a bit tricky, plus there is the belief (that I personally hold) that moving a crab back and forth between tanks would stress out a crab (crabs seem to be more restless each time it is introduced to a new enclosure - not really sure indicative of stress, but is generally assumed as such - perhaps this is why some of my last few adoptees didn't acclimate well, perhaps not).

What I would do is just provide a deep substrate in a relatively spacious permanent enclosure (in this case, about 5-6 inches of substrate in a 20 gallon tank) and let the crabs bury themselves whenever they do feel like molting whenever they feel like it - at least for my 2 current crabs for the past 3-4 years, this has resulted in successful molts with noticeable growth and apparent good health.

babyhermitcrab · Post by **babyhermitcrab** » Sun Jun 19, 2011 11:00 pm

Thanks. We only have a ten gallon for now. We are working on getting the stuff to make a much larger tank. I have a 5 gallon tank and a 10 gallon tank.

CrabbyIrene · Post by **CrabbyIrene** » Mon Jun 20, 2011 7:14 am

Just provide calcium rish foods along with proteins, fruits & vegs and marine salt water & reg. dechlor water. Salt water is especially important prior to molting as they will begin to store it & it will assist them in the actual shedding of the old exo.