HCA: Hermit Crab Association

I usually smell the molting smell when my crabs molt, and I was wondering if anyone else did too.

It's great when I smell it because then depending on a crab's size I have an idea when he'll resurface, and it's always pretty close to my estimation.

As a matter of fact I smelled it today, but I have most of my crabs molting so it could be anyone.

I'd also be intersted if anyone felt like one species had a stronger molting smell than another. When my little E, Yacko molted it was so strong that I thought how could such a little E give off such a strong smell? May be he was just closer to the surface or something.

EDIT: Sorry about the double post, I got page cannot be displayed for a moment and hit refresh and ended up with two. Someone please delete this one.

I have jungle fiber, so I have never gotten the molting smell

I haven't had any of my Es molt with me yet, because they're relatively new, but I definately noticed a molting smell with my PPs. Bruce, the one who had to regrow limbs, was especially powerful. I wonder if his needing to regenerate limbs had anything to do with why the smell was so strong.

Prolly not. I had 4 crab regen limbs with me, all had surface molts, and none smelled whatsoever. Well, least two didn't til they died. Dunno what causes it, but a gel limb doesn't smell at all.

What does it smell like? b/c I THINK I smelled the molt smell.... but I'm not sure. does it smell somewhat like paint or chemicals?

Yes, it's a medicinal smell, like Iodine kind of.

I think I smelled it! boy, I always wondered what it was like.

I never really smelled it before, but I just got 5 new teeny baby Es, and I smelled something in the iso tank. All of them had buried as soon as I put them in the tank (maybe they were up for 5 minutes!). I'm not sure if I'll be able to tell if one moulted or not; they're all so tiny. But I did smell something like iodine.

I smelled it with all three of my molts. They were PPs and it was a strong smell. It was comforting because I knew they were alive even though I couldn't see them.

I had to share this...I put Alligator in the molting tank yesterday and went to check on him a couple hours later. I got a big whiff of the molting smell. I thought "Nah, he wouldn't have started that fast, the sand just must be dusty." Sure enough today I looked again and the smell was stronger, he surface molted.

I always sniff a sluggish-looking crab. If it smells like a boiled crab/prawn, then I quarantine such crab in separate container.
After that, the crab will dig a burrow and molt within 2 up to 4 days later.

it smells musty to me...

My first molt I didn't smell anything. Maybe because I use ee and she was burried. I currently have Nevel molting and accidently dug him up and he does have a smell. It reminds me of the smell of lightning bugs when I was a child. Does that make sense to anyone? No I'm not crazy. LOL

Anyone want to offer advice or want more info on my molting mistake please check my post in the molting threads.

OH Crabber, you said you are good at guessing how long before your crabs on up when you smell... Nevel smells... he has eaten all but his face, legs and BP exo when do you think he'll be up? I am a bit worried because I dug him up. [smilie=banghead.gif] stupid mistake...

What size is he?

I've dug up molters twice, once the Rug was partway through with the exo, the other time was even more dangerous, I recently dug up my mirco and she molted within the next hour, both times they were fine.

In my experience, the parts you mentioned are eaten first, usually within the first few days, then what's left they kind of lose interst in and may be snack on here or there, and often don't even finish. After eating those other parts, they seem to really just rest for a few days, and lesurely and slowley eat what's left over that time peroid, very often leaving tips, or a leg.

It sounds to me (you never know about these things) that what I described, the resting peroid, is what your little guy is in right now. If it were me, I'd feel pretty confident that he was going to be fine.

Thanks for the info and support Crabber. You've given great advice in the past and I was hoping you'd comment.

He is a small. Close to being a medium. His shell is a 1/2" opening.

I am keeping positive about it. My three seem like tough little cookies.

I just wonder when I am out of the woods and can breathe. I guess when he is back to normal color?


Other nice thing about my guys is that so far with the molts no one bugs molters. They even seem to go out of their norm to give them space... I think I have a good group.