HCA: Hermit Crab Association

Before I posted this I combed through previous posts just to make sure I couldn't find my answers. I really want to verify if I'm correct. If a crab is completely buried, has a problem molting, and ends up not making it the tank will begin to smell even with the crab buried correct? I have a small crab(about the size of a quarter) who has been buried for over a month now. From everything I've read that's longer than a typical molt for his size. I have no clue what type of crab the little one is (I just started crabbing in september). I am proud to say I have had one successful with my other crab who is about a medium size crab. I'm just worried about the little one and I need to change the substrate soon because it is not ideally deep enough. I have not been smelling any kind of bad fish smell so far.

sometimes molting can take several months, it is a stressful time for crab so i don't think you should disturb him.

Several months even for a small crab?

I had a teeny/small stay down for 59 days. Sometimes they just decide to take a while. If they are under the substrate and die you may not smell anything. The way I figure it, if you dig and he's dead nothing changes, if he's molting and you dig him up you could do harm. Of course, there is always those who have a gut feel that a crab is in trouble and dig them up to find that they were attached, so sometimes you have to go with instinct.

okay, knowing you had a crab that was small take longer make me feel better. I've been keeping a close eye on the other crab I have to make sure he hasn't been digging too deep. Sometimes he makes shallow holes in places but as long as I keep it warm he doesn't dig. I figured if the other crab dig him up I would see evidence of it. My small crab is a rescue and what he was in when I got him wasn't a good habitat at all so I'm assuming he might have put off molting because of this. Also I know he put off molting during the time my other crab molted because 5 hours after my bigger crab came up from molting the small one buried himself. So I will continue to let things be the way they are for now and see if he will come up in the next few weeks since it's only been 33 days. Thank you!

If he had to put off molting for some time, it could take much longer than it normally would. Also, size is not the only determinant; crabs are individuals and some take longer than others for reasons known only to them. Lesson one of crabbing: PATIENCE.

My little crab survived! He surfaced last night and went directly to the bowl. He was down a total of 44 days.

Glad that he molted successfully for you!