HCA: Hermit Crab Association

I'm brand new to crabbing and have only had my 2 for a month. After going from the carrier into their new tank, Myrtle went underground the next day and I haven't seen her since. Ian was just hanging around the tank being a crab until he discovered the hanging moss cup. He dug straight to the bottom and has been there for 2 weeks without moving at all. I was afraid he was sick and dying. I lifted the moss this evening to check on him and was heart broken to see a little crab body out of the shell and not moving. I didn't touch him but then I thought I saw the tip of a leg starting to poke out from inside the shell. Then an antenna emerged. Holy crap! He's not dead! He's inside his shell and the little body I saw was his discarded exo skeleton! I gently replaced the moss and gave it a spritz of water to keep it moist. My sadness became joy. I hadn't killed him after all! I'm hoping that the crabitat I set up for them was comfortable enough that they felt it was safe to molt. Now if Myrtle would just reappear lol. Thanks for listening to a new Crabby Grammy that's learning as she goes.

Actually, it would be better for Myrtle to stay down for a bit - you don't want her to come across Ian while he is still molting! If she does come up, and he hasn't re-emerged from under the moss, I would take means to isolate him. Maybe the whole moss pit can be brought down, and something like a 2L pop bottle with the lid off and bottom cut, could be put over top so she can't get to him. But if he is out and moving around normally before she comes back up, that would be ideal!