HCA: Hermit Crab Association

One of my crab is molting. I at first found him out of shell but responding. From what I read from other posts i should protect him with a lid or something. So I took a tissue box to cover him. When I checked half an hour later the skin is off the crab and he is squishy. That was on 25 Oct.
As the days pass I notice he's eating the skin (eww gross). From what I've read he's doing surface molt.
After how many days can I remove the tissue box? Because what's left of his skin is the claw and four big legs. He still refuses to come out of his shell when I open the tissue box but the color in his body (blue and hairy, but previously purple) has returned and there's a big claw already, but the big claw is a smaller size than a regular big claw. When can I play with him again? And what should food/drink I leave in for him? And I only have 1 basin.

1. Beach sand, but only can find enough for 1 cm deep at home. There are 2 types, type 1: the big sand particles bigger than 1 mm3, type 2: the small sand particles smaller than 1 mm. Keeps drying in 2 days no matter how wet I make it.
2. Temp: yes, not less than 25C but not more than 30C
Humidity: no, not yet
3. No, it's hot already living in the equator
4. I use mineralwater and I give about 1cm3 of salt in the container d=9cm, h=4cm
5. Switching between carrot, banana, eggshell, sugarcane, brocolli, papaya, melon
6. From September, and if not wrong blueberry
7. A basin, no lid
8. 3, the molting one is the biggest, Width of shell hole: 2.5 cm / + 1 inch, but when there was no big claw all his legs are sticking out, the second is just in a slightly smaller shell and the third is in a shell 2 cm hole
9. 9, all turbos like the ones they're wearing now but not same pattern
10. No
11. Just got sand in early Oct, but not dirty yet
12. No
13. No, only that tissue box
14. I like playing with my crabs, and my curiosity often leads the crab to pinch me (OW)

He's moving around in the tissue box already, because his position is different every time I check on him. So how long again can I remove the tissue box?

Just wait till the crab become its normal self and eat up all its exo-skeleton. It surface moult because the sand is not deep enough, try to get more sand. Good Luck with your crab!!

Just wait till the crab become its normal self and eat up all its exo-skeleton. It surface moult because the sand is not deep enough, try to get more sand. Good Luck with your crab!!

Sorry, press it tooo much

You have to wait till his exo completely re-hardens. Check out the link in the food section titled: Kilamanjaro's food guide. This tells what to feed during the molting cycle.

Thanks for all the info!

He's already getting hard, but he didnt finish eating his leg and claw. Normal?

Is it normal for them to not want to come out when being held? The lights are on, is he scared of light because already a long time not in bright place?

Also the BP looks smaller than a normal one, but when I got him he didn't have any BP. Normal also?

And when can I let him be together with the other crabs again?

A general rule of thumb is to wait two weeks before reintroducing them once they come up from a molt.

Everything you described is normal. After a few more molts his BP will be back to normal. Not all hermit crabs finish eating their exo.

Make sure to offer plenty of foods high in protein and calcium.

You may want to just leave him be until the two weeks are fully up.
Right now since he hasn't completely hardened, he's vulnerable and afraid. Picking him up will cause unnecessary stress. (stress can result in additional limb loss).
It is recommended to keep him in dark place during this time as well. Continue offering fresh water and food.

Congrats on your molt!