Crab tried to dig up Molting crab!

[Proangelos]

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

Eco Earth coconut fiber + play sand


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?

Temperature : 79-85%
Humidity: 73-83%
Location: Dangles in the exact center of the tank (in every direction)


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

(Optional) Dual heating pads on the back of the tank


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)?

Salt & Freshwater. Use Prime water conditioner and Instant Ocean Reef Crystals salt


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

Dried food mixes (Wide variety). 2-3 days


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

Purple Pinchers, had for 4 years


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

Potentially is finishing a molt currently


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

35 Gallon Glass tank. Plexiglass lid with venting space on ends


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

2 Crabs. Including shell, each just barely fit in palm of hand


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

5-8 extra shells


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

No


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

Replace Substrate once it is suspected to be soiled


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?

No


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.)?

Bathing, play, etc has been scarcer due to finishing up my degree, but is planned to pick up sharply as soon as both are done molting and I have moved them into their new (100 gallon) tank


16. Please describe the emergency situation in detail.

Hi guys! Longtime lurker, first time poster. I have been doing my best to monitor my (suspected) molting crab Marlin. Marlin went down maybe 2 months ago, though I don't remember exactly as I did not mark it and did not think at first that he was molting. He was, at first, in a spot of the tank where I could see him from both the side of the tank, and from the bottom. Eventually, he must have moved enough that I no longer could, except very barely from underneath. I thought I saw Marlin's shed exoskeleton and that it had moved last week, so my (already) worries that he was in danger were put to rest.

Now, Jeremy (other crab) had been above Marlin's burrow quite a lot. It looked like he had (VERYYYYY) slowly been removing the dirt and nestling closer to Marlin's burrow. He stopped last week, but last night he made a B-Line and went digging straight for it. I stopped him and tried to make it so that he couldn't do the same thing again, but I don't know what to do. Should I dig Marlin? I gently stuck my finger into the remaining Soft substrate, and was able to feel Marlin's shell. After that, I left him as undisturbed as I could.I did not feel him move.

Should I move Jeremy? Should I dig Marlin, and then Isolate him? I have a 10 gallon tank which I could set up, but it wouldn't be easy to set up.

Please help, I am very worried about my guy Marlin. I don't know for certain if he's alive or not.


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[IrisW]

How deep is the substrate? How much protein are you feeding?

Also it’s not recommended to bathe or play with your crabs, it stresses them out. Also substrate doesn’t need to be replaced, it can be used for years.

[curlysister]

To answer your question about what to do, I would be tempted to dig him up and isolate him. If you poked your finger into the molting cave, or if the other crab got deep enough and close enough to him, the cave might have collapsed.
The only time one of my crabs dug up the other one, is when my substrate wasn't deep enough. It had settled, I had upgraded tanks, and the crabs had grown. Is your sub at least two or three times as deep as your largest crab?