I am brand new to this forum and crab ownership (I had some hermit crabs as a child but they were kept in a fish bowl with gravel and no source of heat; obviously my family and I had no idea how to care for hermit crabs). So far I adore my hermies! I have had so much fun researching their proper care and setting up their 10-gallon crabitat. I adopted them from my uncle, who had bought them for someone who ended up not wanting them. There are two of them and their names are Jareth and Jadis.
Jareth (who is a large medium) has gone down for a molt I guess. He dug down on Saturday, came back up on Sunday, and went back down on Monday. He's been buried ever since. I was happy at first because molting is good and I'm glad I've provided an environment to facilitate such. I am also a little worried, however, because I noticed while reading the memorial section that almost all crab deaths are related to a crab burying itself and dying.
Are there reasons crabs bury themselves for extended periods other than molting? He has about 6" of moist play sand and eco bedding. Before going down, he ate quite a bit and seemed extremely active. He especially ate a lot of grapes. I have been spraying the spot where he buried himself with fresh water about once or twice a day. Is there anything else I can do to ensure he stays alive during this process? How often do crabs "make it" through a molt, versus how often they die during an attempt?
