HELP!!!!! not sure if crab is alive or dead!!!

[isadoraisacat]

So for the past 2 weeks a new crab kiwi went down. I saw a visable what looked like exoskeleton (i was hoping was shed and not his body.
I just got home from work and my crab pitch had dug a tunnel right above where is exo/body is. I assume hes trying to eat him.
I moved the tank a bit and under i can see red legs, but whats visible on the front of the tank is white/ashy/dry looking skin what appears to
be the head/and arms but looks 'crunchy'. I don't know what to do, no idea if hes ok/dead/still molting/in danger of other crab. I had set up a
new tank but decided i would wait until all molters came up, (theres 3 down there now) should i isolate and take pitch (when hes done digging) and my tiny crab out and put them in the new tank? Btw there is no foul smell no fishy smell. Just a earthy smell. I'm very worried and no clue what to do here. My sub is 6" btw maybe i should have made it deeper

[isadoraisacat]

there appears to be white looking mites crawling on his legs i have never seen mites on any of my crabs
or in the food. I'm assuming he has passed on and these are some kind of mites eating his body. I'm also
assuming my other one or possibly other 2 were searching to eat him. Should i assume hes dead/should i dig him up
what should i do?

[soilentgringa]

White mites are food mites. They probably took advantage of the freshly molted crab.

Your crab surface molted. ISO with the exoskeleton in good conditions.

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[isadoraisacat]

White mites are food mites. They probably took advantage of the freshly molted crab.

Your crab surface molted. ISO with the exoskeleton in good conditions.

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but hes underground (just dug a tunnel with visible window) but when i looked under the tank i could see legs and
i saw what appears to be food mites (looks like little white grands of sand) on his legs. He doesn't appear to be moving
but his legs are BRIGHT red, and the exo in the front is ashy/tan and dry almost looks like a cicada exo they leave behind.
there is no smell, of death. I have no idea what to do should i remove the too not underground crabs to other tank? 2 others
are underground could be molting or just playing underground they have been there for almost 2 weeks now. I thought surface molt
is when they don't dig undeground? he is literally 6 inches down in the sub just happened to have made a 'window' where i can see the exo
pressed up against the glass.

[soilentgringa]

Okay sorry I was distracted when I replied and didn't catch the part where he was underground.

I personally would very carefully dig the crab up. If the crab is hardened, gently dip in freshwater to get the mites off and isolate with the exo so that it can finish eating it.

It is normal for the exo to be light, crunchy and ashy looking.

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[isadoraisacat]

Okay sorry I was distracted when I replied and didn't catch the part where he was underground.

I personally would very carefully dig the crab up. If the crab is hardened, gently dip in freshwater to get the mites off and isolate with the exo so that it can finish eating it.

It is normal for the exo to be light, crunchy and ashy looking.

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I'm so scared, what if digging kills him so basically the mites are trying to
get at him? and hes too weak to do anything? is he going to be strong enough
to withstand all this??? is it possible he didn't make it?

I had no idea mites attacked molters, i thought it would be only
if they had passed on.

[soilentgringa]

Okay sorry I was distracted when I replied and didn't catch the part where he was underground.

I personally would very carefully dig the crab up. If the crab is hardened, gently dip in freshwater to get the mites off and isolate with the exo so that it can finish eating it.

It is normal for the exo to be light, crunchy and ashy looking.

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I'm so scared, what if digging kills him so basically the mites are trying to
get at him? and hes too weak to do anything? is he going to be strong enough
to withstand all this??? is it possible he didn't make it?

I had no idea mites attacked molters, i thought it would be only
if they had passed on.

And honestly the crab could be dead.

Molting crabs are easy pickings. Hopefully the mites haven't done him in.

He has a better chance of surviving if you dig and iso than if you allow the mites to keep eating at it.

And it may have passed during the molt.

I am sure others will have a different opinion or advice and that is okay.

It really is up to you how you want to handle the situation; I don't want you to feel that you are doing something that you don't want to and I understand being scared to dig.

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[isadoraisacat]

Okay sorry I was distracted when I replied and didn't catch the part where he was underground.

I personally would very carefully dig the crab up. If the crab is hardened, gently dip in freshwater to get the mites off and isolate with the exo so that it can finish eating it.

It is normal for the exo to be light, crunchy and ashy looking.

Sent from my LGLS665 using Tapatalk

I'm so scared, what if digging kills him so basically the mites are trying to
get at him? and hes too weak to do anything? is he going to be strong enough
to withstand all this??? is it possible he didn't make it?

I had no idea mites attacked molters, i thought it would be only
if they had passed on.

And honestly the crab could be dead.

Molting crabs are easy pickings. Hopefully the mites haven't done him in.

He has a better chance of surviving if you dig and iso than if you allow the mites to keep eating at it.

And it may have passed during the molt.

I am sure others will have a different opinion or advice and that is okay.

It really is up to you how you want to handle the situation; I don't want you to feel that you are doing something that you don't want to and I understand being scared to dig.

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i wish i knew what to do here. I'm new to hermits only been a few months. so far
2 healthy and successful molts and no issues. Can the mites actually kill him like just eat him
alive? it didn't seem like there was hoards of mites on him but just a few. I have never seen
mites on any of my guys or in the food or anywhere in the tank before. Im a bit freaked out
and unsure what the right move is here. I can see his colors and i see bright purples and reds
and what appears to be an exo right in front of him. I'm also scared to dig because I have another
one who dug (who may be molting too) very close to where this one is and another one whos missing
where i have no idea where it is, any more guidence would b e great i'm kind of panic stricken at this point.

[isadoraisacat]

I checked on him again there appears to be only one mite that wasn't moving on his leg. I don't see movement. Still no smell no idea what to do and i have 2 others down too

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[medlongSC]

I would leave him be. The bright red and purple color sounds like a beautiful healthy PP.
But, I 'm a newbie. My largest pp that has a beautiful bright red leg and purple pincher. He' s gorgeous!

-Mary

[soilentgringa]

I checked on him again there appears to be only one mite that wasn't moving on his leg. I don't see movement. Still no smell no idea what to do and i have 2 others down too

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You aren't going to smell anything if the crab is buried under the substrate.

I would have dug the crab up because the mites were either: A taking advantage of an immobile, soft, freshly molted crab and eating it. Or B: crab died during a molt and they're eating a dead crab.

The only way to know if the crab is alive at this point is to dig it up.

It is your choice, but the longer you wait to do anything, the more likely it is that the crab is dead and being eaten by mites.



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[isadoraisacat]

Ok i guess I'll dig it up when i get home hopefully i don't dig anyone else up in the process

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[KayedeeLove<3]

I would dig and iso!!
If he is being attacked he could be killed very slowly! Just because you dig doesn't guarantee death! I had to excavate my whole tank with a total of two molters, a pre-molt and a post-molt. Both came out beautiful alive and active!

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[isadoraisacat]

So what am i supposed to do with the other two who are down which i don't see ?

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[isadoraisacat]

How do i know if he's passed ?€

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