Post
by DragonsFly » Sat Jul 03, 2021 10:34 am
No, do not add another crab because one is down molting. That is a recipe to get that molting crab cannibalized. The first thing a new crab often does is dig down; if it encounters a vulnerable molter, that is a very valuable free meal for them.
I am convinced that my two are well aware that the other is still there when one is molting. The one that is up will often hang out on the substrate above where the other went down. So I don't think they are "lonely," like a human would be. Further, they clearly do not experience time or "boredom" the way we do--hermit crabs that live any length of time are well used to spending months and even years basically sitting still, alone, in a dark burrow--not having someone to physically be right next to, is thus not a trial for them the same way it would be for us.
I think, in captivity, that a pair is a good number. It minimizes complications, requirements, and expenses. The longest-lived crabs in captivity (so far) were Carol Ormes' pair, who lived over 30 years. Remember that any time you add even one crab, you multiply the potential interactions, and thus the potential problems. You also need to multiply the volume of your substrate and the number of extra shells, etc., to minimize problems. Yes, many long-term crabbers here have large colonies, but that takes a great deal of time, effort, devotion, and expense. Should they survive with you to grow to their full size, how many softball-sized crabs do you really want to be caring for, 20 years from now?
--{}: Dragons Fly Farm --{}:
Resident PP's:"Major Tom" & "Billie Jean"
“An adventure is only an inconvenience rightly considered. An inconvenience is only an adventure wrongly considered.”
― G.K. Chesterton
without bingo there. When they were both up, they would sit together and play together.
thanks y’all for the help