HCA: Hermit Crab Association

I messed up. I was rearranging my tank and pushed a decoration into the sand and instantly knew I had just pushed into a tunnel. I didn’t think any of my molters were where I was working. I didn’t want to cover up the tunnel because I was afraid of my crab suffocating so I made a 10 gallon isolation tank and found my crab just under that tunnel. He’s pulled inside his shell completely with his big claw blocking the opening. I put him in the tank with some freshwater and covered him up with a butter dish with a hole cut out. I’m not really sure what their excoskelton looks like this is my first molter. There were like 2 leg tips (maybe?), could this have been part of his excoskelton? Do I need to put anything else in the isolation tank with him? Does it sound like he already molted?

It happens to all of us. If there were leg tips around him he likely has already molted, sometimes they won’t eat that part.


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Should I just leave him im the isolation tank until he starts moving around and eating again?

Yes, you should leave him.

A freshly molted crab is weak and vulnerable. The actual act of molting is a fairly quick process. The months they spend underground are so they can harden their exoskeletons and regain their strength afterwards.

His tank mates could very well take advantage of him, so he’ll have to remain isolated until he recovers.


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Once you move him back to the main tank, you should put him in the water bowl so he will smell like the tankmates.

Uhm, I just checked on him and he’s already up and moving??? I just found him in his water dish. I’m going to leave him in isolation for a few days just to be safe. I gave him some bee pollen and almonds since those were his favorites.

It is good that you have him isolated for now. Moving to fast and assuming everything is okay can lead to bad outcomes. I've done it myself.

How long should I leave him in isolation? He seems to be doing great. He’s out and about every night and eating a ton I don’t want to keep him isolated too long, but I also don’t want to rush it and move him to the big tank.

ha_haley wrote:How long should I leave him in isolation? He seems to be doing great. He’s out and about every night and eating a ton I don’t want to keep him isolated too long, but I also don’t want to rush it and move him to the big tank.

If your crab is hardened and eating and walking around normally then it can go back into the main tank.

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How can I tell if he’s hardened up? Sorry, this is my first molter

ha_haley wrote:How can I tell if he’s hardened up? Sorry, this is my first molter

It's not whitish pink anymore and is walking around and eating.

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Once they are eating and drinking normally they are ready to go back. Dunk in the freehwater pool to rinse off any lingering molt smells so he can blend back in with the others.