HCA: Hermit Crab Association

Ok,new to site,read a lot on here and also need to revamp crabitat,quite a bit I will add. I need to know how to tell if my crabs are down for a molt or if because one is fairly new and changed shell recently if it could be stress. And could I add EE to rest of tank and not bother under my hut area? The sand I am using now is not play sand but am going out to see if I can pick some up today,It is the calcium sand.Just need to know if I should not try to add correct substrate in other end or just do it and maybe they will move to that.

Well it is sometimes hard to tell but if they do not come up in about 4 days its most likely molt. I would say just wait it out and check up on them at night and if they are out they could just like to bury and sleep during the day.

If the crab is buried you can gently add substrate a handful at a time. They should be able to dig back up. If you know where they are buried, I'd try to remove the calcium sand from the areas you know they aren't, being extra careful to not collapse any caves while you're at it. There is no easy answer, both is a risk, but as you already know you'll have to do the substrate anyways, and sooner is better than later.

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If your crabs are in calcium sand and they are buried, I would suggest you dig them up as soon as possible.

The reason that I would dig them up and replace the substrate is that I have seen videos of crabs cemented into their shells by the calci sand, as well as the fact that the caves can harden around them and prevent them from resurfacing if the substrate has been moistened at all.

If the substrate hasn't been moistened at all, then their shell water will wet the calci sand and cause it to stick to them and cement them into their shells.