Pre-molt or de stressing?

[Lutterback]

We have been getting back into hermit crabs and have had a 29 gallon tank set up and stable for almost a week. We are just waiting on livehermitcrabs.com for 4 crabs. I was looking for a new pet store to buy our dog food because we recently moved. I called a mom and pop pet store and asked if they carried hermit crab stuff as well. She mentioned that she had only one crab left and that they didn't plan to get them again because they didn't sell very well. She said that it was a big one and had been alone for a month and a half. It told her we would take it not knowing if it was a good one or not. When we got there, it was in a back room with only 1 water bowl, bark chip substrate 1/2 inch deep and it would not come out of its shell. It was very firm in the painted shell so I took a risk. I put it in a small Tupperware with some carrot and a paper towel wetted with salt water. The crab immediately came out and was very active for the 45 minute drive home. She came out long enough and far enough that I am pretty sure it is a female. Once home we bathed her and added her to the tank. She ran and hid in the plants for about an hour and then came out an quickly changed into the largest turbo shell I own. The opening is a little bigger than an inch. Now she is back under the plants and has dug a wall of sand around her like a little nest. We are so happy to see her enjoying a home with better food, water bowls, heat and humidity.
Sadly enough this is the first time I knew the truth about crab care and set them up with the right substrate. I have never had one dig a "nest" around them. Is this distressing from the pet store or pre-molt? Who knows when livehermitcrabs.com will come through so she is the only one in the whole 29gallon tank for now.

[Ladysun1969]

I can't answer your question, but wanted to say how wonderful it is that you rescued that crabby and how s/he seems to be enjoying the new environment. <3

[Asheka]

I think it really could be either from the conditions she was in. Just make sure to offer lots of pre-molt foods just in case. So awesome she changed out of the shell right away!

[DaTrininator]

I don't know, but thanks for rescuing that crab!