HCA: Hermit Crab Association

Its been 4 weeks since my both crabs have dug under.
Are they ok?
Ive yet to see them since.
They wont eat food or drink the water I give them.
Are they fine?

Sherman12 wrote:Its been 4 weeks since my both crabs have dug under.
Are they ok?
Ive yet to see them since.
They wont eat food or drink the water I give them.
Are they fine?

They can stay under for several months. Resist the urge to dig them up. Keep putting out food and water. They may be coming up at night when you're asleep. They eat very little so it looks like they're not eating.

I second the post from Hermiesguardian! Don't dig them up, they can be under for months. Just keep the tank conditions optimal and be patient.

When a crab molts they hibernate with no food or water for the entire time, often two to four months at a time but in rare cases up to eight! They do not come back up to the surface until they are ready.

How long could a crab go without eating anything?

Below ground, the longest we know of was eight months during a molt.

Above ground, I don't think it's been talked about. If supplied with water I imagine several weeks if not months. They can eat anything organic though so cocofiber and cocohuts would supply some nutrition and keep them going for a while.

I've had a crab take almost six weeks to complete the process.