HCA: Hermit Crab Association

My 3 straws have molted, and they are much paler then before. This is even more evident with Cesar, who came out almost white with orange stripes. What could have caused them to lose color? I've had them for about 2 months. I fed them carrots every day, and later started adding dried plankton to their diet.

Is there anything I could do to help them regain their red color?

Cesar before molting:

Cesar after molting:


Agate and Betty after molting, they are much brighter then Cesar

I don't know anything about straws, but Cesar's coloring is really cool looking. Hope that someone will come along and tell you that it's normal.

I think I've heard of feeding them cyclopeeze for their coloring. here's a link to a random one I searched for on amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Liquid-Life-USA-C ... 896&sr=1-8

Although, carrots and other things with beta carotene are supposed to be good, too.

Thanks for advice. I'll keep feeding carrots, and see if I can get some cyclopeeze. I'll wait and see if their colors change after the next molt.

I don't know much about straws, but are you only feeding them carrots and plankton or are you just making that their "staple diet" and feeding them other things everyday? If not, their colors might improve with a more varied diet. If you are feeding them a lot of different stuff, maybe he just came up a little too early from his molt and hasn't gotten back to his normal color yet? That has happened to me a few times with my PPs, but they have all eventually gone back to their original coloring.

Try to feed them as many foods as possible that are high in beta carotene. Here is a great reference: http://www.hermitcrabassociation.com/ph ... 25&t=62686

The cyclopeeze will be good, but its crazy expensive. You can also look for pure astaxanthin powered, thats the red pigment that cyclopeeze is known for providing. I'd second just loading them up on red foods in general and any pigmented foods in the red/orange area. I just found some straws near Pittsburgh, my valentines present from my fiance. They are currently iso'd due to mites. 2 of them are really red but one must have come from the wild in a lighter white and red color.