Dead or molting?

[HermitCrabs8763]

My hermit crab Lucky has been underneath the salt water dish for about a month. I checked on her recently and found she has started molting. She has some exoskeleton or possibly even limbs near her, however she has not changed shells or come out of her own. Is she dead or molting? What should I do?

[HermitCrabs8763]

I checked on her again and she is still in the same position.

[HermitCrabs8763]

Update: Checked on her again, she only has 2 legs now and still hasn’t come out of her shell. What do I do?

[HermitCrabs8763]

Update: Checked on her again, she only has 2 legs now and still hasn’t come out of her shell. What do I do?

[curlysister]

You should leave her alone and stop checking/ bothering her and let her molt and eat her exoskeleton.
Crabs do not leave their shells to molt.

[Mallery]

You should leave it be it will be fine. But there is more of a chance of something happening to it with you constantly checking on it. I know it's hard especially if this is your first molt with your first crab & you have no idea what to expect or what is going on. My first crab & molt stayed under for 2 months I thought for sure it was dead!! I just kept putting in fresh food & water making sure there wasn't any weird fishy snell. Then one evening I went to get the water dish and there his little butt was hanging in the water! Also, if you don't have the lid down under the water dish I wouldn't recommend taking it in & out until she comes up it could smash in her tunnel suffocating her or smash her they are very fragile when they first molt.

[HermitCrabs8763]

Ok! Thank you! This is not my first molt, however this one has taken the longest.

[Mallery]

They can stay under for months and months

[HermitCrabs8763]

Ok

[Mallery]

As long as you don't smell a dead fishy smell you are good

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[HermitCrabs8763]

As long as you don't smell a dead fishy smell you are good

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I do not smell a fishy smell yet!

[Pinkypants]

Be careful. People throw them away thinking they're dead. It's not just a lil fishy smell, that can be normal. It's a putrid smell of death you'll never forget, you'll know it when you smell it.
Good luck, I know that feeling. 🥺

[HermitCrabs8763]

Lucky died a week ago. She had been under the water bowl for 3 months and she still had the same 2 little legs. I finally smelled and it was horrid. Pinkypants, you were right!