Is digging crab going for molting crab?

[lovelyluck]

We just adopted two new crabs 7/25 that were left behind at a hermit crab competition... they were bought from a gift shop specifically for the purpose of racing and left behind... we brought them home to keep our crab company since the passing of his buddy.... they immediately took to the crabitat... climbing, soaking in the pools, eating all the fresh foods... something fell in there today and we had to fix it so that they could climb again and noticed one our our new crabs was gone... we found where he had burrowed and let him be... but now the other new crab is digging down toward where the first one is burrowed... he is a little bigger and didn't seem like he was ready for a molt like the other one did... should I worry that he is digging into that area? should I isolate him? I'm not sure what to do - I haven't had any crabs molting while there where other crabs in the crabitat... my first molted a few weeks after his buddy died... please help.... Thanks in advance

[CallaLily]

Can you see that the one crab is still there? They don't often stay right where they've dug down. Usually they tunnel along the bottom until they find a spot that they like. How deep is your substrate? How many crabs and what sizes are they and your tank?

As long as you have deep substrate, aren't overcrowded, have plenty of extra shells, and feed a good diet, you're usually good to go.

[lovelyluck]

I have a 10 gallon.... with approx 5 inch substrate... three crabs - 1 about the size of a navel orange, 1 about golfball size (he's digging) and the third a little smaller than golfball size (I think that one's molting - he looked like he really needed to)... I haven't seen the burrowed one moving around from the spot where he dug his tunnel to... but the other keeps digging all around that area in different spots - first on the right, then on the left.... we are working on having a healthy diet... I think I will add an egg shell right now

[lovelyluck]

Oh - and I added new shells today because my oldest has been hunting and none of the shells fit him just right - so both Hermie and Spike(the digger) changed shells today - we watched but Little Peeker is burrowed so he didn't change his shell

[CallaLily]

Sounds like at least one of your crabs is a large so really should have a larger tank and deeper substrate. Check out that link I posted above about overcrowding. Can you try deepening the substrate some? Just gently add a handful of moistened substrate at a time until you've reached the depth you need.

[lovelyluck]

Thanks.... he has gotten pretty big this year - and we were going on what we were told at the pet store for him - I recently learned that we didn't have enough substrate to begin with when I added more and he immediately burrowed and molted... I was freaking out because he was gone for like a week - I could see him but he didn't come out - I thought he died so I did some research and found out we had been going about it all wrong - he was happy to be molting - I have a new container for them all - it is a glass shelving unit we will be placing on it's side and it will be approx 60 gallons so they should all have plenty of room and we can put down enough substrate for everycrab to molt - but requires me to move my living room around to house it... weekend project -

I will keep watching to see if Spike gets closer to Little Peeker - he just seems to be digging around in the area - he isn't interested in any of the food right now - we've only had the two little ones for a week so I'm not sure of their personalities or behaviors - my oldest is just going with the flow - not bothered by either of them - thanks for the links -

[JulesRolyCrab]

Sorry, I just have to add good job for rescuing the abandoned crabbies.

[Acceb_becca]

Do you know the name of the gift shop?


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