Missing Shell an Crab

[Marthacln]

Last night when I went to bed both crabs were there and accounted for. This morning when I got up one of the shells that was unoccupied last night is missing an the other crab got of his painted shell which I have been waiting for. Now I don't see the shell and no crab. I am not sure which one it was. Would they bury themselves in the shell to where you can't find it? Also coul they molt that quickly? I have looke all around the area with a flash light outside the tank and not seeing it or the shell.

[Crabinski]

As much as we'd like them to cooperate and dig down near the glass, much of the time they've tunneled down smack in the middle of the tank and are thus invisible to us. If you've had the opportunity to see a crab open up a tunnel, it can happen in a few blinks of the eye -- if I accidentally startle one of my crabs, he'll go under in a few seconds with scarcely a trace on the surface showing where he dug down.

[Marthacln]

Found him. He did dig down deep. I hope poking around didn't traumatized him. It was Houdini so I thought maybe he climbed out somehow. I noticed this weeken he was chewing down on eggs and oats and drinking water. So I bet he is going to molt.

[Crabinski]

Glad the mystery was solved!

[Marthacln]

I didn't want to have to hunt down the smell if I couldn't find him. I had the flashlight and turning over all furniture looking.

[CallaLily]

In the future, please don't dig them up. It's completely normal, and a necessary part of molting, for them to dig under the substrate without a trace. Digging them up can interrupt their molt cycle which can lead to illness and even death. Check out this article on molting:viewtopic.php?f=23&t=92527.

I hope this doesn't come off the wrong way. I'm not trying to scold you, I just wanted to explain the seriousness of it for you and anyone else reading.

[Marthacln]

I didn't dig him up. I just poked around and felt the crunch of the shell. It was bizarre to me that such a large shell he was able to bury without a trace. I have to wait now on finishing things in the tank until he comes back up.

[wodesorel]

How deep is your substrate? It should the three to four times deeper than your biggest crab so that they can bury down completely and make a molting cave that isn't going to collapse on top of them. Deeper than that is even safer for them. Neither you nor the other crabs should be able to find them while they are underground.

[Marthacln]

It's about 6in. I want to add more to make it 8. I just to leave him alone as this is his first molt with me or he is distressing from PPS.