HCA: Hermit Crab Association

I have 2 hermit crabs, one small and one large (just smaller than a tennis ball). The large hermit crab went under the substrate to molt on January 29, and since then has not come up. I know that larger crabs take longer to molt, but is this too long? Should I start being concerned? I’ve maintained the temperature and humidity the whole time, and changed the food hoping he’ll surface. The smaller hermit crab even molted for a little over a month and finally surfaced today. Any advice and knowledge is appreciated!!

It sounds like it's been under for about three months now. I'd give it more time.

They can stay down for months! Don't worry! They will come up when they are ready. Just don't go digging.

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I wouldn't worry. Upgraded the tank and had a single crab that hadn't come up. Waited months for her to come to the surface, nothing. Eventually convinced myself she was dead, did the big no-no of digging for crabs, found her just chilling at the bottom of the tank in a nice cozy hidey hole, no signs of having molted recently or having prepared for a molt. Perfectly fine.

If they went down late January then I would not be concerned. 4 month mark is when I get worried

trashbees wrote: ↑

Fri Apr 17, 2020 10:26 pm

I wouldn't worry. Upgraded the tank and had a single crab that hadn't come up. Waited months for her to come to the surface, nothing. Eventually convinced myself she was dead, did the big no-no of digging for crabs, found her just chilling at the bottom of the tank in a nice cozy hidey hole, no signs of having molted recently or having prepared for a molt. Perfectly fine.

How long was the molt?

AwesomeHermit wrote: ↑

Sat Apr 18, 2020 7:27 pm

How long was the molt?

No clue! But regardless of molting time it should be perfectly fine if your crab is underground for extended periods of time.

I’ve been waiting 7 months, I know he’s gone but I can never get rid of the “small spark of hope”

Here's the way I look at it. If the crab is dead, there is nothing you can do for it even if you dig it up.
But if the crab is alive. you could do potentially fatal damage by digging it up.

The only exception of course is an emergency such as a flood or bacterial bloom.

Curly is right. Once they are down there isn't much you can do. We have crabs that have been MIA since around mid December. I read recently on another group of one of their members having a crab resurface after a year!