HCA: Hermit Crab Association

It was a hot night, it was humid...

OK, I totally bought a new crab today while buying some mealworms and mopani wood and stuff at PetCo. After giving "him" a salt bath I placed him gently in the tank and he crawled right into the ceramic hut where Herpo was chilling. He seemed to settle right in and huddle. Parkour was out checking the food dish and I left to grab my kids from school.
Two hours later I'm back and the new guy in NOWHERE to be seen. I'm a little freaked out. There seems to be no signs of him digging down anywhere but the little dude is GONE!!!

Secondly, when I was cleaning the salt water dish/cave (earlier in the day), I picked it up to see Hashtag nuzzled in there. Like halfway down into the sand, but the sand was pushed toward the cave mouth like Hashtag was trying to block it up. Hashtag is the one who is VERY lethargic, most likely with PPS and now I don't know is this might be a case of surface molt. I replaced the SW and put the bowl/cave right back where it was because I thought I might have traumatized her beyond recovery...

Should I:
1. throw a protective shaded barrier/coconut hut over her with the entrance facing the glass so she's protected?
2. continue changing SW daily because she's not dug in deep?
3. leave it as it is and use a different something for SW?

I'm wondering if the new guy might be all up in her face snuggled with her but I'm afraid to disturb her.

What do you guys think?

Pushed up sand is usually a sign of some kind of digging. I think LITTLEDUDE wandered elsewhere and dug down discreetly.
Hashtag sounds like she wanted to molt safely under the SW. Many crabs try to do this. You can let her molt there, but hopefully she reconsiders the location and finds a deeper spot, away from any bowls that need cleaning. Feel free to protect her, but she might dig down and away.
Continue to change SW and hope she leaves. If she doesn't leave then maybe start a new SW elsewhere. Or remove her into ISO.
It's possible LITTLEDUDE is with Hashtag, but let's hope not. Chances are both need to molt, and both need their own privacy.


Crabbers unite!!!

OK I have a confession to make. I freaked out and checked on Hashtag. I lifted her up and placed her near the food bowl and honey Q-Tip. She seemed a little dazed and totally uninterested in the food, she went into the back left corner and dug herself halfway down and now this morning there is no sign of her. There wasn't any pushed up sand around the corner this morning unfortunately because that corner is popular. That's the corner Herpo always hides a chunk of food (always! haha! I've had them less than a week so far!). The big shade leaf I had placed there was knocked over and Parkour was just hanging out there. I swear he was staring at me and saying, "Nothing to see her... move on..."

I *think* Hastag finally went down deep enough in the corner and I promised myself to just be patient and wait it out. *fingers crossed*

Still no sign of the newbie Disappeared Crab, he wasn't with Hashtag so I guess he did indeed do a stealth dig-down.

Last night my younger son played a bit with Herpo (formerly Derpy) but bless his heart he felt he was stressing the crab and wanted to put him back in the crabitat to do his own thing.

Fortunately for me, Parkour is pretty active and keeps me mollified. Otherwise I'm afraid I'd be messing with crabitat too much. My husband keeps a watchful eye, though. He is a creature lover by nature and makes sure my Type A personality doesn't channel in a harmful way!

I have a crab, Junior, who is currently molting under my SW dish too. I just figure it's a cheaty face way to see how his molt is going like nah don't mind me just changing water... *peek*.
Every time he's doing great and on to eating exo I believe... It's a dark little hole.


Mommy of 10 PP babies:
Poseidon (Sid), Toby, Matty, Junior, Aries, Kaylee, Turbo, Adrian, Pepper and Flower. RIP Octavius & Fred

LoL @ kornchaser's *peek* i could hear the sound effect in my mind.


Crabbers unite!!!

Haha, love it. Love hearing everyone's thoughts and experiences.

Hashtag still underground and Invisible Dude still... invisible. I don't mind waiting but I have this terror in the back of my mind that in a few weeks or months I'll wake up to find a freshly molted and eaten hermit crab.

Worries about first molts, unheard of, sorry but your crabs will never worry you sick... Preposterous!! Lol jk jk jk
It honestly comes with the territory more than anyone would or could explain. It takes a strong person to love their crabs as much as crabbers do and not worry. Those little terrors will get better with more experience


Mommy of 10 PP babies:
Poseidon (Sid), Toby, Matty, Junior, Aries, Kaylee, Turbo, Adrian, Pepper and Flower. RIP Octavius & Fred