Naked & Needing To Molt

[Crabby-Cakes]

Hi all,

I have a naked crabby who needs help. I have had my crabbies for over 5 years and never had any molting issues with any of them. Last week, I noticed one of them (Red) fell out of the coco hut she'd been sleeping in. I was in the middle of fixing up the tank, and went to pick her up and move her and noticed she was extremely weak, to where she almost came out of her shell.

I know she is overdue for a molt because she normally molts around the same time as another (who recently went down and came back up already). I immediately transferred her to an isolation tank so there would be no issue of the others getting to her. I covered up her tank with blankets and have been checking on her in the mornings. Since I moved her to isolation, she came out of her shell completely, went back into it days later, and now has left her shell a second time.

I added more shells for her to choose from and rinsed her shell out, in case there was anything stuck in there. Their regular tank, and her isolation tank, both have at least 6-20 inches of sand/coco fiber substrate (sand castle-like) with plenty of room to dig. She has not been digging in isolation or in the other tank, but I do think she is trying to surface molt. I peeked in Red's tank this morning to check humidity and saw she is still moving around. I'm wondering if there is anything else I can do for her? I'm stuck between not wanting to bother her while she molts, or helping her back into her shell so she does not dry out.

The emergency template is filled out below, if you all need any more information/have any other suggestions. Thanks in advance for your help!



1. What kind of substrate is used in your tank and how deep is it?

Sand and coco fiber, about 6 inches to 20 inches deep (sloped). Red's isolation tank is about 8-10 inches deep with the same substrate.

2. Do you have gauges in the tank to measure temperature and humidity? If so, where are they located and what temperature and humidity do they usually read?

80/75 on average - The monitor moves but is usually near the center of the tank, on the substrate.

3. Is a heat source used in the tank? If so, what?

Yes, both tanks have heaters. The regular one has two - one large one on the back and a small one on the side. The isolation tank has a medium size heater on the back.

4. What types of water are available (fresh or salt) and how is the water treated (what brands of dechlorinator or salt mix and what ratio is used to mix it)?

Fresh and salt water. I have used Instant Ocean salt for years and the API Water Conditioner (1/2 cup salt with a gallon of water)

5. What kinds of food do you feed and how often is it replaced?

A wide variety of natural foods and dehydrated mixes from approved sellers like Crab Street Journal, Hermit Grub, etc. It's replaced every 2-3 days as well as their water.

6. How long have you had the crab and what species is it, if known?

Purple pincher, 5+ years

7. Has your crab molted, and how long ago did it happen?

Red has molted several times with me over the years. Her most recent molt was in June, when she was down for about a month.

8. What type of housing are the crabs kept in, what size is it and what kind of lid is on the housing?

I believe it's a 60-gallon tank, with a matching lid that is taped to help keep in humidity.

9. How many crabs are in the tank and about how large are they?

3 other crabs, they are all pretty large and about the same size.

10. How many extra shells are usually kept in the tank, if any?

At least 5-10 shells are kept in the tank, but I have moved these all to Red's isolation tank for the moment. They have all been boiled and wiped out regularly (they love pushing dirt and poop into them)

11. Have there been any fumes or chemicals near the crabitat recently?

Not that I'm aware of.

12. How often do you clean the tank and how?

I spot clean the tank every few days while changing the waters. I deep clean every few months when there is nobody down molting.

13. Are sponges used in the water dish? If so, how are they cleaned?

No

14. Has anything new been added to your crabitat recently?

I added a hamster wheel, but this was the same day that I moved Red, so I do not believe this to have caused the problem.

15. Is there any other information you would like to share that might be helpful (anything that is regularly part of your crab care, playtime, bathing, etc.)?

I change the waters every few days. I don't usually handle the crabs often but will put them in the water dishes when they get replaced. The crabs usually love it and stay in or around their water tubs for hours.

16. Please describe the emergency situation in detail.

(Copied from above)

Last week, I noticed one of them (Red) fell out of the coconut hut she had been sleeping in. I was in the middle of fixing up the tank, and went to pick her up and move her and noticed she was extremely weak, to where she almost came out of her shell.

I know she is overdue for a molt because she normally molts around the same time as another (who recently went down and came back up already). I immediately transferred her to an isolation tank so there would be no issue of the others getting to her. I covered up her tank with blankets and have been checking on her in the mornings. Since I moved her to isolation, she came out of her shell completely, went back into it days later, and now has left her shell a second time.

I added more shells for her to choose from and rinsed her shell out, in case there was anything stuck in there. Their regular tank, and her isolation tank, both have at least 6-20 inches of sand/coco fiber substrate (sand castle-like) with plenty of room to dig. She has not been digging in isolation, or in the other tank, but I do think she is trying to surface molt. I peeked in the tank this morning to check humidity and saw she is still moving around. I'm wondering if there is anything else I can do for her? I'm stuck between not wanting to bother her while she molts, or helping her back into her shell so she does not dry out.

[JoeHermits]

Reshelling has priority since its protection is needed for a safe molt. See our reshelling guide for further instruction: viewtopic.php?t=122302


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[Crabby-Cakes]

Reshelling has priority since its protection is needed for a safe molt. See our reshelling guide for further instruction: viewtopic.php?t=122302


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Thank you!! I tried the first plan and she is back in her shell now. Hopefully she molts soon!

[crabbycasey]

Wishing little Red the best!


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