HCA: Hermit Crab Association

I'm pretty sure Eddie molted after being down for about 3 weeks (he's an E). He came back up a couple of days ago, and he definitely has nails (I took him out last night and they're really sharp!) and he looks a lot less dull and there are visible setae all over him. However, before he went down he was a really adventurous crab and if there was any sudden movement he would pull back into his shell and then immediately come out again and go on his business. Now - he's very skittish and if I have him out of the tank at all he toddles off my hand and flees into the nearest crevice. I know there's stories of crabs being more aggressive after a molt, but can they become more skittish? Or is this just because he just molted and he feels vulnerable? He's eating like crazy and otherwise normal, but every single movement outside the tank scares him.

Is this a permanent change or is it just because he molted? I also introduced 2 new crabs about a month before he (and another crab) went down, so maybe that's part of it?

Very normal, it'll get better as he hardens and gets his color/size back.

Mine are always skittish after a molt. (Most of mine are always skittish, but I have 3 that aren't.) It usually takes them anywhere from a few days to a couple of weeks to return to their normal personality.

Thanks! That makes me feel a lot better.

They will always be skittish while they're still vulnerable, if they weren't, the species probably wouldn't survive in the wild
But, it's also normal for crabs to change after a molt and stay that way. I've had shy crabs become adventerous, and vice versa. So don't be worried if he stays a little skittish until his next molt Just give him some elbow room for awhile. When B came up from molting, he was skittish for weeks, but once he warmed up he was out all the time

My Es are terrified of me, so I'd say it was normal.