Not sure what to do with molter

Skymall007 · Post by **Skymall007** » Sun Apr 29, 2012 8:54 pm

So, my smallest hermit, Spatula has been down about two weeks now. He is pretty small. He didn't have a claw when he went down. I accidently disturbed him a few times (twice total I think). The first time I dug him up was because he was in the calci sand. The second time was when I moved him to his new tank on accident. I meant to keep him in the ten gallon but while moving the substrate to the 29 I must have grabbed him even though I was very careful about that.

On both accounts he dug himself back down. He seemed alright. Pale and a bit annoyed of course but strong. I wrote about it on here.

Recently (a couple of days ago or so) I redid their tank (adding hemp nets, some plants, branches, and on crushed coral on one side. I also put in two new bowls. Afterwards, I realized maybe I shouldn't have done that. What if I have collapsed his cave or something? I have no idea where he is and I don't know how to tell if he's alright. I also don't know if he has been down for too long? Any advice?

My second question is whether or not to get another PP? I have two Es and 2 PP. Since Spatula has been buried, HerbitHermenBatSquash has no species buddy. He is always by himself in the log and I worry he is lonely. He went to go sleep with one of the Es and eventually went into the cholla log again. I am not sure if he can back up or not. He always (no matter his location) chirps every now and then. This is the case even when nobody is near him.

Basically, what do I do about the molter? And should I get another species buddy in case or if Spatula is going to be down for so long? Does growing something like a claw make the time longer?

Thank you everyone so much! I can't express how much this site has helped me so far.

mrscrabmadness · Post by **mrscrabmadness** » Sun Apr 29, 2012 10:47 pm

I did that when when my molter went down, went and got me another crab for my other crab & then he went down to, so i went and got another one & he went down later, it was never ending! I decided no more.. they are just going to keep going down to destess or molt and I'm going to have an empty tank and then boom a tank full of crabs! I wouldn't bother the molter anymore, to many more uprooting can stress him and it's hard on them and he can be weakened from it and it can cause him to die in the end it's called post molt stress. you can go get your buddy a friend but don't be surprised if goes and digs under to destress to, I think as long as you have others in the tank the other one will be fine, i had a crab that went and sat over the spot where his buddy went and buried once and I heard him chirp a few times as if to say hey what ya doing down there?? They start to grow a bud where their claw will be, and it takes time to for it grow back.. if I remember right.. not an expert here

Skymall007 · Post by **Skymall007** » Sun Apr 29, 2012 10:57 pm

Thank you ubers =) That is pretty funny how they all kept going down! I can't imagine that. I worry about my E's if they don't both molt at the same time because they are always together.

Post by **wodesorel** » Mon Apr 30, 2012 1:05 am

mrscrabmadness wrote:I did that when when my molter went down, went and got me another crab for my other crab & then he went down to, so i went and got another one & he went down later, it was never ending! I decided no more..

Yep.

There is no guarantee even if you had ten crabs that one wouldn't be left alone on the surface now and then. (Had it happen!) With two crabs they may even start syncing up their molts so that they go at the same time in the future.

Their caves are really sturdy and you'd know if you hit it because it will cause a sinkhole. I doubt there was any damage done.

I've never found that growing a limb or claw takes them longer, as odd as that sounds. They will normally sit for a few weeks prior to molting underground, and often it's during this time that they grow a gel limb so it doesn't add to the total time frame. I've always been really shocked just how fast they can make themselves whole again!

Skymall007 · Post by **Skymall007** » Mon Apr 30, 2012 1:38 am

Thank you everyone ubers! =) I feel a lot better now. I have been so worried about that little guy. I can't wait until he returns to the surface.

mrscrabmadness · Post by **mrscrabmadness** » Mon Apr 30, 2012 1:44 pm

yep, nothing like buying crabs to watch and then boom you have an empty tank to watch for a few months...boring! I have one crab that pulls the first molt and after he gets done and comes up, my others start acting up and they will all go and paractice digging and hiding making me thing they are going to molt and come back up, then do it again, drive me insane! then go molt and be down and every year they are down it seems just a little longer than before, I start getting worried, I have to start telling myself they are wild creatures they know what they are doing, leave them alone..this is in their nature. I'm griiting my teeth every day then one day I will walk buy and I notice a crab all sandy or covered in e.e. and I will do a head count, and I'm all happy! I will tell anyone who will listen I had a crab come up!!!

Skymall007 · Post by **Skymall007** » Mon Apr 30, 2012 3:43 pm

Hahaha sounds like thAt is happening to me, I will worry until he returns. I understand why everyone has so many crabs now

DragonsFly · Post by **DragonsFly** » Mon Apr 30, 2012 4:53 pm

Not only is it potentially never-ending to keep "buying a buddy" because one is alone on the surface (really not a good idea to get yet another crab), but I also think, from observing my two, that they actually are aware of their buddy dug under, and therefore not as "lonely" as you might think. When Major Tom had dug under to molt but Billie Jean wasn't ready to do so yet, she spent each day resting right over where he was under the sand. So she clearly knew right where he was. And she didn't seem distressed about him not being up and around, just content to be near him. A week or two later, she went down herself, and then they both came up within 24 hours of each other; she clearly timed her molt to start later (she is smaller than he is) so that they would emerge together.

kuza · Post by **kuza** » Mon Apr 30, 2012 6:00 pm

I hear them talking from the bottom as well.

Genny loves hermies · Post by **Genny loves hermies** » Mon Apr 30, 2012 7:15 pm

we lost a crab recently and i cahnged out the substrate. shortly after doing this and getting two new crabs, baseball molted. now mr kipling has gone under and molted, but had to dig him up since silver was almost at his exo. (we think silver had taken baseballs exo so we had to iso him when he came up early and pink) since getting baseball last september he has molted twice. the first time was a surface molt and thats why we think he went under sooner the second time. if your little guy has been stressed and is still ok, just be prepared for sooner molt the next time.

mrscrabmadness · Post by **mrscrabmadness** » Tue May 01, 2012 9:52 am

@ dragonfly: I have heard them " talking " to it's like what was that? did I really just hear what I thought I heard? I have had a crab also go over and sit where a molter has dug down, like he he is saying I Know what your doing down there, see ya later! When I bought my last 2 newbies the lady said I think I may have got one the talkers, and every once in awhile I will catch that little grinding chirp noise and hurry up and turn the t.v. down in hopes that I will hear it again. The last time I really heard it was when a bully was attacking my other crab and I picked him and scolded him and he chewed me out crabby style! I was so taken aback I laughed so hard I had tears in my eyes

Skymall007 · Post by **Skymall007** » Thu May 03, 2012 12:33 am

Such cute stories! They are so amazing. I have really wanted to understand how they communicate with one another better. It actually seems much more complicated than it looks. Sometimes they will sit in front of each other, calmly, and antenna talk for a while. That they often have a favorite crab must mean something too. Herbit doesn't seem like a crab crab. He just comes out every two days to say hi to the others and then disappeared. The other two don't do anything without one another. And of course Spatula is molting.

Herbit seems to chirp for no reason on a regular basis...it worries me, but maybe it's just talking? He's not necessarily stressed? He does it even when everyone else is sleeping or nowhere near him.

HCA: Hermit Crab Association