HCA: Hermit Crab Association

This morning, I woke up and checked on my hermit crabs. Way in the back corner, Cashew was out of her shell completely... At first, I couldn't even tell that she was a hermit crab, because she was nothing but a big lump of slimy-looking pinkness. I instantly knew that she was probably in the middle of a molt, although she had molted only a month ago and had not shown previous signs of molting. The problem was that she wasn't in a shell, so I was afraid to move her without disturbing the molt... So she wouldn't get attacked, I blocked all the other hermies off from that side of the tank so Cashew could have privacy.

It's been about six hours now and she hasn't made any progress, but she's alive. It looks like she's struggling to get that exo off, but I can't even tell where her head is and where her end is because she's just a big pink... lump... Will she make it? Is there anything I can do to help her?

Up your humidity to like 85%, keep temp around 80*

Put water and food near her, and keep your fingers crossed.. idk what else to tell you...

Hi Icewolf,

A big pink lump,hmm. Can you actually see the old exo attached to her?
If she's struggling to shed the old exo,it could possibly mean a leg or claw stuck.
I would say so,as the actual molt doesn't take that long at all.
Hopefully,if there is a leg/claw stuck,she'll drop the affected limb,and therefore become free completely of the exo.
I have had the same situation happen in the past,how's your salt water?
How exactly,in what proportions are you making up the water?

I do not currently have salt water in the crabitat. I used to, but I've recently moved to Alabama (about a month ago) and have not found a house to move into yet, so, I'm staying at my sister's house and my hermies are staying in her crabitat. We were actually planning on going to the pet store tonight to get hermie stuff, too! D:

I can kinda see her better now. It looks like her BP is stuck, but she's definitely very alive and moving.

Thanks, Quistgard, I will do that.

Hi again Icewolf ,

If she's moving more and more out of her exo,that's a good thing,hopefully she'll drop the bp,it'll grow back before the next molt.

Well,please make sure you get some salt that's definately why your crab didn't molt properly. It could have been alot worse,she may have been completely stuck in exo and died

Lastly,would you have a cocohut to put over her,to keep it dark for her and secure?

If she hasn't dropped the affected claw,by the times she starts hardening,she will most likely start eating the exo,while it is somewhat still hanging off her,therefore removing it.

Please keep us updated .

Getting salt water is on top of my to-do list.

She's in a cocohut now, with a few bits of food next to her. The humidity and temperature are perfect... so I think she might make it! I can see more of her now and more exo being pushed off. Her entire right side is almost free of the exo... her abdomen keeps twitching alot everytime she pushes more off. o_o; it's weird.

i guess because your crab is naked,she has no weight from the shell to keep her body steady.
as long as she's shedding more and more of the exo,she should be fine.
When she's finished,you may want to rinse out her shell and put it in the cocohut with her,so it's available for her to crawl back in

good stuff!