My Straw lost her red after molt.

[TungTran]

Hi everyone . I have a Straw named Red for half a year. 2 months ago, she molted but i lost her red color after molt. I tried to feed her some carotene foods but she still orange . What I have to do to get back her beautiful red? Sun bath her? Feed her some kind of foods? or something? Please help me . Here is some pictures:
Before molt:


Iso after molt:


And now with Orange color

[marandashermies]

I know crabs can change colors ever time they molt. Maybe she will gradually gain back the color, or maybe it will come back on the next molt? I would keep feeding the high carotene foods, they do like the UVB as well..I have numerous under right now, but Boomer resurfaced last week and is 10x brighter than before. Hopefully someone else can chime in if they have ever had one of their Straws come up with less color.

[landlubber]

It's not unusual for straws to lose color in the first molt-it doesn't mean she isn't healthy. I think diet to keep that coloring is more complex than we might think. It's more than just feeding foods high in carotene, because other nutritionists work to help the body process the carotene and are necessary for creating coloration. You want great coloring I always say just focus on the most varied, crab safe way to feed that you can manage rather than specific coloration foods and you'll be more likely to get good coloring. Besides carotene some other nutrients related to color are (per Kilimanjaro)

Astaxanthin
Definition - a strong pigment molecule that is usually found in rich red foods.
Function - enhances color in land hermit crab's exoskeleton and aids in keeping organ systems and bodily functions healthy.
Foods - krill, plankton, red seaweeds, shrimp

Cellulose
Definition - a compound making up many tissues and cell walls in plants
Function - provides fiber in diet and also contains many color-enhancing molecules
Foods - fruits, tree bark, tree leaves, vegetables

Tannin
Definition - a pigment molecule that is found in fibrous foods
Function - enhances color in land hermit crabs and keeps bodily systems healthy
Foods - roots, tree bark, tree leaves

Zeaxanthin
Definition - a carotenoid found in various foods
Function - enhances color of the exoskeleton and also aids in bodily functions
Foods - avocado, bell pepper (orange and red), broccoli, brussel sprouts, carrot, cilantro, collards, corn (yellow), corn meal, dandelion greens, egg yolk, grape leaves, lettuce (romaine), papaya, parsley, peas, raspberry, spirulina

[hermitcrablover1]

Did your crab surface molt? The second picture shows exoskeleton.

[TungTran]

Did your crab surface molt? The second picture shows exoskeleton.

She molted under the cocohut

[TungTran]

I know crabs can change colors ever time they molt. Maybe she will gradually gain back the color, or maybe it will come back on the next molt? I would keep feeding the high carotene foods, they do like the UVB as well..I have numerous under right now, but Boomer resurfaced last week and is 10x brighter than before. Hopefully someone else can chime in if they have ever had one of their Straws come up with less color.

I dont know why but maybe because of this. I just remember the temperature when she molted is a little low (22 Celsius).

[TungTran]

It's not unusual for straws to lose color in the first molt-it doesn't mean she isn't healthy. I think diet to keep that coloring is more complex than we might think. It's more than just feeding foods high in carotene, because other nutritionists work to help the body process the carotene and are necessary for creating coloration. You want great coloring I always say just focus on the most varied, crab safe way to feed that you can manage rather than specific coloration foods and you'll be more likely to get good coloring. Besides carotene some other nutrients related to color are (per Kilimanjaro)

Astaxanthin
Definition - a strong pigment molecule that is usually found in rich red foods.
Function - enhances color in land hermit crab's exoskeleton and aids in keeping organ systems and bodily functions healthy.
Foods - krill, plankton, red seaweeds, shrimp

Cellulose
Definition - a compound making up many tissues and cell walls in plants
Function - provides fiber in diet and also contains many color-enhancing molecules
Foods - fruits, tree bark, tree leaves, vegetables

Tannin
Definition - a pigment molecule that is found in fibrous foods
Function - enhances color in land hermit crabs and keeps bodily systems healthy
Foods - roots, tree bark, tree leaves

Zeaxanthin
Definition - a carotenoid found in various foods
Function - enhances color of the exoskeleton and also aids in bodily functions
Foods - avocado, bell pepper (orange and red), broccoli, brussel sprouts, carrot, cilantro, collards, corn (yellow), corn meal, dandelion greens, egg yolk, grape leaves, lettuce (romaine), papaya, parsley, peas, raspberry, spirulina

Thank you i will feed her then wait for the next molt.