HCA: Hermit Crab Association

Do you think that sometimes when they are down to molt that they sometimes die because they don't have enough energy to dig out of their hole to get back to the surface so they can eat, drink and replenish their shell water?

I think for a healthy hermit crab, this would not be a problem. For a crab that has survived poor conditions and nutrition, it could potentially be a problem.

i think that if the tank conditions are poor the shell water could dry up and kill the molter. I dont think they would die from not eating they will munch on the substrate for energy. I also think that poor substrate can result in the death of a crab.. it can cause a collapse in the molting hole. Poor substrate could be to high in acid, or to dry. A good substrate has to be insulating, and provide protection from temperature of the elements and dehydration, it also has to provides protection form other crabs smelling them molting at the most vulnerable time of a crabs growth period from cannibalism.