HCA: Hermit Crab Association

I have a surface molter in an ISO tank. I noticed pre-molting signs and she was digging a lot so I put her in an ISO in December. Last week, she fell limb hanging out of her shell. There's still no smells. But she's facing a way were I can't see what's behind the exoskeleton. So I have no idea what's going on and I'm starting to worry because the body looks like it's about to fall apart and it just looks gross..is this normal?

If she is alive, how long will it take for her to finally eat the exoskeleton and then come out?
I don't even think I fully understand the entire surface molt process and I'm a little confused...

She's a medium sized crab. The opening of the shell is probably a little larger than a quarter.


It really doesn't look good...

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It can take anywhere between a couple weeks to a couple months before she is ready to go back in the main tank. Generally, it's safe to move her back when she is up, walking around, eating, and with normal color.

In the future, is it possible for you to let your crabs molt in the main tank? It's stressful on the crab to move from one tank to another. Is your substrate deep enough and moist in your iso tank? And in your main tank?

Did you cover her with a hut or anything? It will help the surface molt if she's in a dark place.

Good luck.

Yeah I think I moved her too early I felt really bad. This is my first molt though and I kept reading "Move the crab into ISO right away!" Next time I will definitely wait though. I do not have a hut but I have a blanket covering the entire tank so it is very dark for her.

It is better not to move them AT ALL; certainly not better to wait and move them even later! Interrupting the process and moving the crab to another tank may be what precipitated the surface molt. While some people do isolate their molters, this is usually because they know they have some crabs in the main tank that will aggressively seek out and attack molters; they also are usually very experienced and can spot signs of pre-molt very early, so the crab still has plenty of time and energy to dig under in the isolation tank before the molt. The crabs have a better chance of surviving a molt if they have a chance to burrow under and situate themselves before the actual molt takes place. If you have a large enough tank, deep enough substrate with "sand castle" consistency, and not too many other crabs, and if everybody has good healthy sources of protein and chitin in the food provided in the tank, they should be okay molting in the main tank.

So do you think she's dead?

They will usually start to eat their exo within a few days. If she has not moved at all or even moved her exo off herself this may not be a good sign.

If you don't smell a nasty, rotten-fish-type smell, it is best to assume she is not dead. How are your conditions in this iso and in your main tank? (Humidity, temperature, air flow, depth/moistness of substrate, deep enough fresh and sea water containers, fresh food, etc.?)

And please do your crab a favor and make sure she has several properly sized natural shells available so she can switch out of that painted shell, if she survives this molt.

Oh I have a variety of different sized shells in the ISO tank for her to switch too. I have a plain water, and also a salt water dish for her. I have food, with calcium and sand and also a calcium bone-like thing.
The sand in the main tank is about 4 inches deep. I just found out that I can use play sand though, and am getting a larger tank so I will be adding more sand with probably around 5 inches. In the ISO it's about 4 inches also.
Main tank temperature is around 70, I'm doing my best to keep it up, luckily Spring is on it's way. The humidity is at 80-85%. In the ISO tank the temperature is at 75 degrees with 80-85% humidity as well.

I am pretty sure I can see abdomen attached to the front of her. Are you sure it's exo and not her that's hanging?

From another photo on your imageshack, it looks like the crab is stuck in the exo.



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So if she's trapped in there, that might be why there's an air-bubble on the side? ...What does this mean? What should I do?

wodesorel wrote:I am pretty sure I can see abdomen attached to the front of her. Are you sure it's exo and not her that's hanging?

that's thing I never knew. I couldn't tell and so I didn't throw her out in case she was molting... The thing is there isn't any smell, and I found an air-bubble on the side of her, I don't know where it's coming from. I'm wondering if she's trapped in the shell or couldn't fully shed her exoskeleton. I don't know what to do

I'm not sure what you mean by "air bubble;" they do make a molting sac when they are getting ready to molt, which stores water and nutrition for the molting process; could that be what you are seeing?

I'm not sure if there is anything you can do for a crab that is stuck; I have heard that E's are more likely to have this trouble than PP's, but not what to do if they do experience it. The best thing to do is to make sure you have excellent conditions so it is less likely to happen in the first place, of course, but that isn't helpful at the present moment. Maybe somebody more experienced (esp. with E's) can illuminate. . . until then, I'd still counsel not to assume she is dead until you smell the unmistakable proof. . .

The air-bubble looks like when people blow bubbles with gum. Except this bubble has no color to it and it's coming out of the side of the shell. I can't really see because it's on the other side...

Oh-oh. Like a soap bubble? Like, when people blow bubbles with a bottle of bubble stuff and a little plastic wand?