3 molts are in fact possible! (little long)

[Ren1216]

I keep forgetting to post this, and CrabbyAbby reminded me....I asked a while back if it was possible for a crab to have back-to-back-to-back molts (3 in a row). I'll give a little background on why I asked. I got several new hermies in late August, most of them burried right away to molt, including my little "Blue". She's a small PP. They all began to pop back up, looking healthy and new. All was well. Then a few weeks later, crabs started disappearing again. They cant be molting a second time so soon, can they?? Sure enough, some were, including Blue. So after a few weeks, my missing crabbies began to resurface again... Blue was last. I found her one morning between the water dishes, upside down. At first, I thought she was dead, she wasnt moving at all. So I reached in for her, and she did move. I pulled back out and just watched for a moment... it seemed that she could not right herself, so I reached and picked her up. Upon inspection, I could see that her legs were very fresh from her molt, looked like she came up a bit too early. Here's where I made my mistake, I put her back in the tank and sent her on her merry way. It was either later that day or the next morning, I found her in a new shell, struggling to get out of the shell pile. It wasnt until I decided to help her again that I realized why... she was now missing 3 legs! Ohhhh stupid me!! I should have ISO'd her earlier, lesson learned!! So, into ISO she goes... Im thinking just to recover and hopefully she can rejoin the main tank in a week or so. No surprise, she burried herself right away. I dont think she even ate before going down. But I didnt worry, assumed she be back up in a week or so. Nope! She stayed down for a good 5 weeks... at one point I feared she had died so I did carefully check on her. She was very still.... but eventually waved her antennae at me, so I put her back to finish. I could not tell her condition, I only saw her BP which she had not lost.Sorry, long story!! Anyways, the other morning, I went in as usual to check my babies... and there was Blue in the corner of her ISO, snoozin'!! YAY.... she was ok!! I put in some nice fresh foods and left her alone for 2 days. Let me tell you, she ate like a PIG!! Honestly, she ate more in 2 days than all 14 of the other crabs combined! I finally caught her in food dish, spinning around and around, just shoveling the food in... it was hysterical! But, I was so happy to see she had all her legs back 2 of the 3 new ones are noticably shorter and thinner than the others, but they are quite adequate for getting around. She kept tossing the empty shells aound, tried a few on but didnt stay in them... I must have found one she liked as she did finally change this morning. So all that to say... 3 molts in a row are possible!!! And life after losing 3 legs is possible too! I'll get a photo as soon as she lets me.