HCA: Hermit Crab Association

So it's been a bit cold here in Australia for the last few weeks and I've noticed that my hermit crabs haven't been as active and haven't been bathing or eating for the last couple of days. I have a new heat mat that I'm going to install as soon as I buy double sided tape so I can stick it to the tank. Is heat the key to getting them more active? Will they die if they hibernate? I have a source of heat already and 2 of my hermit crabs are cuddled up in a hole next to it but my other hermit crab, which is molting, is on the other side of the tank. I know he is alive because... I... Kind of... sort of....... unburied him. That's how I know that he is molting though. I have been smelling the tank every day to make sure there is no bad smells. Don't want dead hermit crabs now, do we?

I know I've experienced mass molts in the winter in the US and other crabbers here have noted it as well. Maybe they sense the change in weather. You want to maintain about 80 degrees fahrenheit or 27 degrees Celsius. It is best to never dig up a molting crab since that can be dangerous for them.

I didn't realise he was molting at the time until I picked him up and checked his hole. I put him back in it as soon as I noticed his exo. I just REALLY needed to know where all my crabs were incase any were dead I can stand having another death after Darth Vader died :'( I find it very hard to handle. Thanks for the advise though I'm glad you said ''Its best to'' not ''You should never'' because I really hate it when people are telling me off. Advise is what I want, not corrections

hermit crabs can start to hibernate below 68 degrees. However they aren't evolved for true hibernation. If it stays below 62 for at extended period they might not recover.

Oh When you say degrees do you mean Celsius or Fahrenheit?

fahrenheit

That's what I thought but I was just making sure Lol.