HCA: Hermit Crab Association

One of my jumbos dumped the water pond, so I had a mess to clean and repair... In the process I accidentally dug up my jumbo....

I realize what I had done as I was finding pieces, of at first what I thought was a dead crab... Then I found him, away from the exo...

I was so upset thinking he was dead....
Is it normal that they leave the exo and not eat it???
This is my first Jumbo to molt...so I have no clue....

I don't think any harm was done.. He is up and moving around the tank today, pretty much staying close to the food bowls...
He has plenty of honey and cuttle bone available...
Anything else I should do?

If he is a PP, then there is a very good chance that he will be fine. While doing a deep clean of my 75G about a month ago, I was digging very carefully. However, I found a large PP, out of her shell, which was at least a few inches away from her on the bottoms of the tank.

Into ISO went Gertie. After coaxing her back into her shell, she started fretting about being in ISO so bad, that I decided to move her back to the main tank.

She found a comfortable corner & when she hadn't moved for about 4 days, I picked up her shell, and "she" fell out.....not really, it was only her exo, thank heavens. Back to ISO she went, and I was sure that my meddling may have cost her life. But, she is alive & well, back in the main tank, and sitting in the food bowl as we speak.

I like stories with happy endings.

hope your gentle giant is okay, heavens knows i need a good story about hermies, 2 of mine within 2 days, I think I have a molt disturber in my main tank