To dig or not to dig???

HeatherC · Post by **HeatherC** » Mon Dec 09, 2013 7:24 am

We added a 3rd crap about a few weeks ago. It has been underground for about a week now. It went down shortly after we got it but then came back up. Now it's been down there for about a week. Here is the odd part. It's making a squeeking sound and I can her it moving around and clicking it's shell on the glass. It is all the way at the bottom because I can see legs from the bottom of the tank. Is it distressed? Should I dig it up? My daughter moved some things around in the habitat and I"m worried the tunnel collapsed? Help!

Crabber85 · Post by **Crabber85** » Mon Dec 09, 2013 7:50 am

@HeatherC, it's never recommended to dig up burrowed hermits as this puts stress on them and can lead to the hermitcrab dieing if its in the middle of a molt and is disturbed.Your hermitcrab is displaying perfectly normal signs and should resurface on its own in a couple of weeks.New hermitcrabs should be given a minimum of four weeks to de-stress and molt if need be so this period should completely hands off only changing out the food and water.A hermitcrab who is trapped will chirp rapidly and for extended periods of time this is also know as a distress call, the second kind of chirp which is just a leisurely communication is a series of long drawn out chirps which is basically the crabs way of announcing its presence to tank mates and to alert members of its species when it has discovered food or water.Since you can hear it moving around then the odds of it being trapped are basically non-existent unless your substrate happens to be overly dry the crab should be able to just dig its way back up to the surface when the time comes.

HeatherC · Post by **HeatherC** » Mon Dec 09, 2013 12:50 pm

Thank you! I'll just leave it be then. The substate is kept moist and the the humidity is at 80%. I just heard it moving around just now and it is only making small chirps every now and then.

Crabber85 · Post by **Crabber85** » Tue Dec 10, 2013 4:57 am

@HeatherC, being able to hear it move around is definitely a good sign that it is okay.I know what its like being new to molting and having a hermitcrab burrow down on you, it adds a lot of stress because your constantly wondering if its okay or if you should try to find it and dig it up I was in your shoes at one time and believe me it never really gets easier even after twenty years but you just learn to let nature take its course and hope that you did enough to get it through and thats all you can do. If you need us for anything we are here for you that is why this community was founded.

HeatherC · Post by **HeatherC** » Thu Dec 12, 2013 7:14 am

Thanks. It is so stressful. Who would have thought I'd get attached to these little guys. The crab came up for a little while then went back down. Now it's been down for a few days and is not moving around or making noise anymore. We can see the crab from the bottom of the habitat since it has a glass bottom and is on a glass table. It looks lifeless. I'm wondering if that is the exoskeleton we see. If not that little guy is in bad shape. I don't smell any kind of dead fish odor yet. Guess we just wait and see if our new crabbie comes up.

Crabber85 · Post by **Crabber85** » Thu Dec 12, 2013 10:48 am

@HeatherC, you wont smell a burrowed hermit that has passed as the substrate acts a barrier preventing the odor from escaping from the surface.Odds are your looking at the old exo and the best way you can tell is by shining a flash light directly into the pocket from underneath for a few seconds if it's an exo it will not move in response to the light but if its the crab it should react by withdrawing into the shell or dumping some substrate into the window to block the light.A freshly shed old exo will lay in an awkward position on the glass it will look more or less slumped over which the actual crab will never do.

HeatherC · Post by **HeatherC** » Fri Dec 13, 2013 1:06 am

I will try the flashlight trick when I get home. But yes, it's in an odd position and looked slumped or curled up. Hope it's the exo. It's still in the tank with the other crabs. I thought it was destressing so I didn't worry. The other two crabs seem totally uninterested in it though. They are not digging at all. In fact they are climbing all over the new vines and second story.

jenok · Post by **jenok** » Fri Dec 13, 2013 11:01 am

Yes I have read that the exo is pale in color and the crab will be pinkish in color until it hardens all the way and comes up a more vibrant version of its original color.

Laurie LeAnn · Post by **Laurie LeAnn** » Sun Dec 15, 2013 2:31 pm

Crabs usually won't go digging after a newly molted one that is still under if they have a good diet and are under deep enough. Now when they decide to come up that may be a different story. You may want to iso the mooted crab a day or 2 until his shell hardens then give EVERYONE a bath in their water so everyone smells the same. This helps with the molter not get attacked cause they smell yummy to the others

Laurie LeAnn · Post by **Laurie LeAnn** » Sun Dec 15, 2013 2:33 pm

Attack of Tue Kindle!!!!Won't let me post words I want sometimes dang nabbit