HCA: Hermit Crab Association

I have 3 hermits, and I’m a new owner. (Less than a year of hermit keeping.) All three went down at different times in mid-July. The other two came up for about a month, then went back down. But my third crab, shes the biggest out of them; maybe an inch?, hasn’t come up at all. I’m worried that she’s died, or that the other two have eaten her.

EternalTurtle wrote:I have 3 hermits, and I’m a new owner. (Less than a year of hermit keeping.) All three went down at different times in mid-July. The other two came up for about a month, then went back down. But my third crab, shes the biggest out of them; maybe an inch?, hasn’t come up at all. I’m worried that she’s died, or that the other two have eaten her.

If you don't have a camera on your crabs, the one missing may be coming up at night when you are sleeping. If she did happen to pass away underground, unfortunately there isn't anything you can do. Since you have other crabs, you shouldn't go digging in case they decide to dig under/molt. If the missing crabby happens to be alive and is molting, disturbing her by digging her up can stress her out to the point of killing her.

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I've got one that has been missing for a good month if not two at this point. I am worried to death. But wouldn't there be that 'smell' if they passed even under the sand??? I keep telling myself since I don't smell anything off, she's just doing her thing. ???

hlabone72 wrote:I've got one that has been missing for a good month if not two at this point. I am worried to death. But wouldn't there be that 'smell' if they passed even under the sand??? I keep telling myself since I don't smell anything off, she's just doing her thing. ???

I had a small crab go missing for 7 weeks when I first rescued her, then she reappeared. When they are new, they may not only go under to molt, but to destress for a bit.
I've had crabs pass under the sand and I never smelled anything. It's usually when they are topside and pass that we can smell it.

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CrabbyLover77 wrote: ↑

Wed Nov 13, 2024 5:15 am

I had a small crab go missing for 7 weeks when I first rescued her, then she reappeared. When they are new, they may not only go under to molt, but to destress for a bit.
I've had crabs pass under the sand and I never smelled anything. It's usually when they are topside and pass that we can smell it.

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Ok thank you for that. This is one of the two new ones I got so my little one could have friends since his buddy passed. Only other thing I can think of is it escaped before I got the glass top, but I can't imagine that it would survive in the house with no food or humidity. Guess I'll never know unless it comes back up, if that's the case.

hlabone72 wrote: Ok thank you for that. This is one of the two new ones I got so my little one could have friends since his buddy passed. Only other thing I can think of is it escaped before I got the glass top, but I can't imagine that it would survive in the house with no food or humidity. Guess I'll never know unless it comes back up, if that's the case.

Np.
There's a member on here that adopted some crabs from someone else a while back. I think it was 6 weeks later, the people that gave up their crabs contacted the HCA member that they found another one of their crabs roaming around in the basement. You'd be surprised how tough these little guys are lol!

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CrabbyLover77 wrote: ↑

Wed Nov 13, 2024 10:48 pm

Np.
There's a member on here that adopted some crabs from someone else a while back. I think it was 6 weeks later, the people that gave up their crabs contacted the HCA member that they found another one of their crabs roaming around in the basement. You'd be surprised how tough these little guys are lol!

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Well he must have heard me talking and new I was upset and low and behold, he has emerged this morning! He looks all shiny and new! So he must have been molting! Thank goodness!!! I am so glad I found this forum though. Everyone is just wonderful!

Yay! It's always stressful when they are underground!

So awesome!

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