HCA: Hermit Crab Association

So, my biggest crab, Rocky, and I have been through a lot the last 5 days or so. I guess it all started early last week or the week before when Rocky decided to vacate his awful shellacked pet store shell for a shell that just barely covered his abdomen. I decided to take away his pet store shell because I figured he would eventually find one of the 5+ shells that would fit him better. He decided to stay in his tiny shell, however, and I didn't think much of it since the consensus around here is that the crab knows best when it comes to the shell. Well, now I am wondering if I did the wrong thing by taking his shell away.

I found him naked in the salt water pool on Thursday morning and immediately put him in a cup with shells trying to get him reshelled. He did eventually reshell after I plopped his bottom in a shell and all he had to do was hook in. I put him back in the main tank and hoped that was the end, but no. He was naked again Friday morning, so I set up an iso and managed to get him reshelled after trying many times over the course of the day. This process repeated Saturday and Sunday, with Rocky getting weaker by the day. All this time, I was feeding good foods (honey, protein, calcium) but I had a lot of trouble getting the temp stable since I hadn't had to run the iso before this. Finally got it figured out on Friday and it has been steady between 77 and 81 since then.

Rocky has been successfully shelled since Sunday evening. I put him in the lightest shell that would fit him on Sunday night and yesterday morning I found that he had moved himself back into his old pet store shell (I decided it was more important he be in a shell he was willing to stay in than to avoid the shellac stuff). He has been in there ever since, but has twisted himself awkwardly around in it and is hanging half out. I put his food directly in front of him and just discovered that he has actually been eating this morning. This is the first time he has eaten since Friday, so I'm grateful.

I guess his best hope at this point is a surface molt, but I'm not sure if he's ready for me to cover up and leave alone. I know he isn't strong enough to dig down. I am afraid that if I put a coco hut over him, he will try and get out and leave his shell behind because the entrance isn't big enough for him to get through.

I'll be honest with you guys, I almost gave up on him Sunday when he wouldn't stay in a shell for anything. My reasoning was that if this crab is determined to stay out of a shell, then I should just let him die in peace instead of terrifying him every time I have to handle him and prolonging his suffering. I'm glad I didn't do that now, but it sure weighed heavily on my mind.

I'm pretty scared that I damaged his abdomen from all the manual reshelling attempts. Hopefully he is resilient enough to pull through, but I just don't know.

Any advice on what I should do next? Or words of encouragement? lol. He is out in the open instead of under a cocohut because that is where he was when I found him in the shell he chose. I've been trying not to mess with him unless absolutely necessary, but I'm thinking I should cover him up with a half cork round I have. He is an XL or small jumbo. Wearing a 1 1/2" shell opening. He has not molted since being bought from a pet store in June or July. I adopted him in August from bad conditions. He definitely looks like he needs to molt - ashy, no nail tips, small amount of setae. I've got more shells coming on Thursday in case he just needs more variety. I will try and post a pic of his pet store shell so you guys might ID it for me. I think it is a murex, but not one I've seen before. I should probably pick up a couple of them as well.

Anyway, enough with my rambling. I will update this thread as things come up.

First off good for you on being a good mommy. I'm a newer crabber so I cannot offer any advice on what to do next- but I can say feel better knowing you are doing all that you can for him. Maybe instead of putting the hut over him you can put a towel over most of the tank? To help calm him and give him the feeling of being underground. Good luck. Your a very caring person.

Thank you, Ryry. I may do that with the towel. Just hoping I've done enough and wishing I knew what was wrong.

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He's still hanging in there, even in the same shell. But things aren't looking so good. It takes him all day and night to move an inch or so. I try to put things in easy reach, but he seems to want to move away from them.

I would dig a divot in the substrate in ISO, place him in it, then carefully place a hide over him (just a hide, no substrate ). Keep conditions right and food and pools easily accessible. Leave him be as much as possible. It's good that he's staying shelled! I hope he pulls through. :grouphug:

I think I will give him one more night to eat his fill before I do that. He has been eating everyday--especially last night when he ate half an oyster. Just afraid he isn't prepared enough to molt and he will get stuck under the hut with no food and not enough strength to get out if he's hungry. It's so hard to know what to do! Ugh..

I think you feed him and offer water until he doesnt want to eat any more, then you cover him to let him molt. Half an oyster, sounds like a lot! I'd def keep feeding him, if he will keep eating. Offer drinks of both waters too!


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Okay, I will do that YYWW, thank you. I put him in a shallow dish of both waters for 15 minutes apiece earlier and he managed to climb out! He must have at least a little bit of energy in that case

Good sign! Is he still eating?


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Seems to have eaten a little bit last night, but I found him naked again today. I'm afraid because I added 2 new shells to his iso and I think he got hung up on one and left his shell. He definitely fought me hard on getting in the tupperware to reshell, though. He's in there now, hopefully hooking into his shell.

SIIGH its like he doesn't know whats good for him keep us posted and good luck!


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He finally got in a shell like two hours ago. I'm thinking that one of the legs he uses to hold his shell on is broken or not working for some reason. When he is naked I see one moving but not the other. Probably the reason he has a hard time keeping it on.

I'm pretty sure that Rocky has passed, but I put a cocohut over him and will wait for the death smell. I also found out that one of my rabbits has (likely) terminal cancer, so it hasn't been the best day ever.

I'm sorry Ellysara wishing you some strength to help take it all on!


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So sorry to hear. :grouphug: