First time molting

[clynne]

So over the weekend I noticed a huge tunnel that appeared over night that went from one corner of the habitat to the other side of the habitat (other end lead to a hideout). My temp gauge was covering up the one end of the tunnel because that's just where Hercules decided to dig down a week or so ago. Once i picked up the gauge i noticed his shell was laying with the opening face up and he was not in his shell, and then when I picked up the shell i saw his big purple claw under there, detached from him, long story short i found pieces of him. I then removed all the pieces and started smoothing out the substrate and changing out the water and food. I lifted up a different hideout than mentioned previously and was startled to find a shell-less crab. Turns out it was Hercules, he has since taken up his old shell but keeps showing interest in other shells. He is very pale in color, looks almost like he was molting but came up early and his exoskeleton still isn't fully hardened, but the pieces of him that i did find were very bright in color. There are three other crabs in the tank with him, but he is more active now than he has been in weeks. Is this normal? What should I do?

[Sunndannce]

I hope you still have the "pieces of him" that you found. That was his exo-skeleton. He needed to eat those in order to harden back up. I'm surprised that he's up and moving around at all.

He probably needs to placed in ISO with his exo in a dark place. Offer him plenty of proteins, calcium and maybe some honey for energy. Whatever you do DON'T go looking for him if you don't find him. He should have been buried to molt - and not in a hidey spot. If he was surface molting, chances are you don't have the appropriate amount of substrate available. I suggest you fill out the template in the Emergency section.

So long as you got him re-shelled try not to mess with the substrate at all , or to mess with him. Change only the water and food as needed - but try to leave him alone as much as possible after that.

He's going to be very delicate and pretty stressed out at this point.

[clynne]

I forgot to post, but I placed him in an ISO along with his exoskeleton. he never fully ate it all, my substrate was at the time and currently is 7 inches deep and two other hermies have molted since then and they were underground when they molted.

[YYWW]

How is he now?


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[clynne]

He's more active now than he was when I first got him, he climbs all over and barely digs down. He's been eating a bunch lately, and his color is very bright.

[KellyCrabbieLove]

Yay!

[clynne]

I don't understand this crab, I had another incident with him molting. He dug down and was there for 2 weeks and he came up and was very active. Later that same night he resurfaced he was attacked. I isolated him immediately by placing a clear 2 liter bottle around him. Yes the bottle was clean and yes I made sure I the bottle went all the way down to the bottom of the tank. Hercules molted and had three legs after that. I cleaned out the crabitat and put down new substrate and added another inch. He was very active still and then wound up digging down a little earlier this month, but I could still see his shell, he molted and has all his little legs back. He now keeps wondering around without a shell on, goes back to his old shell and then goes for a swim. My other four crabs molt normally below the surface and they have all switched shells. I have a shell shop with a bunch of different sizes, I don't know what to do about Hercules. I feel like a horrible crab mommy!!

[YYWW]

What water type is he swimming in? Can you show a pic of it so i can see what he likes so much? How long is he going without a shell? Do you know who is attacking him?


Crabbers unite!!!

[clynne]

He's swimming in a saltwater pool, it has glass pebbles in it so the smaller crabbies can climb out easily. Two different crabs have attacked him, but both are smaller than him. As far as I've seen he's gone an hour or less without a shell, but there was one morning I came out and he was wondering without his shell so I don't know how long that time was. I don't know how to post pics on here.

[YYWW]

Ok. Lets make some assumptions.
-he needs to stop streaking
-he needs to molt, and keeps trying or doing it, but gets attacked or disturbed when he does
-there is a reason he keeps going to SW
IF IT WERE ME (mini disclaimer just happened) i would think that he is trying to molt something OFF or OUT. It could be on his body or in his shell. I would deepen the SW pool, so that he can REALLY swim in it, and give him a plastic plant he can climb, and use to invert and flush his shell and stuff. I use a 2.5 gallon tank as my SW pool, sooo go towards that. Use a tupperware if you need to. After he baths enough, hopefully he would have done his thing, HOPEFULLY he will change shells. Try enticing him by rinsing and soaking the shells in SW.
Are the shells in a shell shop?
After some deep end diving and a shell change, he might molt. ISO him if possible, if not, no biggie. Offer lots of protein and calcium (bugs, eggs, etc) and fruit/energy foods. Hopefully he can load up for his molt and you can distract/satiate his prior attackers at the same time.
Can we go from here?
-


Crabbers unite!!!

[clynne]

Okay so I had to change the water in the water dishes last night, when they were put back in he went right into the SW pool, there is always a plant in the pool along with the pebbles. I'm assuming he didn't have the strength to get out because he came out of his shell and went into his hermit hut. I soaked his shell in SW and put it right by the opening of his hut. I downloaded tapatalk but I still can't upload pics. He has been out of his shell since last night, he's tried on 4 or 5 new ones but hasn't stayed in them very long. I don't know what to do! I have calcium, bloodworms and shrimp out right now and I have to hard boil an egg because they finished the last bit. I have half a red pummelo (citrus fruit) in the fridge, is that safe? And a couple cucumbers.


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[clynne]

The other crabs have been leaving him alone, they're exploring their new moss pit at the other end. I did have a shell shop but the suction cups kept letting go and I was scared they were going to get hurt so the shells are placed throughout the tank, most of them are by where Hercules spends most of his time. if this worked you can see my streaking crab next to that one shell.


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[YYWW]

I think i see his butt. Not cool! Can you pick him up and see if you notice anything wrong with his body, like swelling or mites or injury? The mites are SUPER TINY, like those red mites that crawl all over stuff outside in the summer. They like to lodge in joints and stuff i think.


Crabbers unite!!!

[YYWW]

Aside from his streaking is he moving around alright, or does he seem lethargic and weak?


Crabbers unite!!!

[YYWW]

OH i'd like to add that i think SW helps crabs restore minerals in order to harden their exo.


Crabbers unite!!!