HCA: Hermit Crab Association

Molting*

I've only had my crabs a little over a month now and one of them immediately went down burying himself on the 3rd of January. My tank all of a sudden has a really nasty smell to it? I absolutely can't figure out what it is. I have frog moss in there that I've been spraying more often and I added more sub last Friday. My question is really is it the moss that's creating the smell or is it my molting crab? The smell is pretty rank and I don't remember the moss smelling so bad before I added more sub.


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Sounds like something you added. If a crab passes away under the sub, he/she is very unlikely to have a smell. If one passes on top of sub, you will definitely know. They put off a strong fishy odor.... Molting smell is very different from death smell. I've heard it smells like iodine. However, I've never really noticed a molt smell with mine. So I can't really tell you what a molt smell is like. Hope that helps!

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It's likely food they've buried/hidden and gotten to a nice "perfumey" stage. Like daws said, usually the death smell doesn't permeate the sand.

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I believe it's the moss...I picked up new moss and my tank smells it's a mix jungle and algae....Alot of people have been mentioning it

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A lot of people complain about moss smelling earthy. I like the smell