HCA: Hermit Crab Association

Hi all. We have 5x PP, bought in April 2014. They are small (approx 3/4" long body minus claws). We have various reptiles and snakes but these are our only land-based crustaceans (we have tropical golden apple snails and a shrimp).We bought the PP from an entomological show but weren't given very good advice at the time. Fortunately the internet, in particular hermit crabs dot com, provided us with excellent information on what they needed.One thing I've noticed since reading websites and forums is ours never come out. There isn't a fishy smell to indicate they are ex-PP, but we haven't seen any for about 2 months so I went carefully digging tonight (yes, I know you shouldn't disturb them, but I was worried about them). We have three small flowerpots as decoration/hides and I found two, one in one each flowerpot. One happily ran around my hands, while the other refused to move! It definitely doesn't smell though. I've dug them back in their hides.I found another hidden under where the water bowls normally go, there was a tunnel there so it didn't surprise me to find one there, even though a hermie waving its claws at me did! From what I've read it's not molting, it was a solid claw and there weren't any shells or bits of shell round it. I have carefully re-covered it, I'm aware though I have disturbed its tunnel so I put just a light covering of substrate over it.As to where the other two are, goodness knows. I just hope wherever they are they are safe and happy Debbie

It's possible that it finished molting and had already hardened and ate the exo or shell as you called it. As for the one that didn't move it should have at least flinched when you touched its claws. It is possible for them not to smell cuz the claw has sealed off the shell preventing most if not all the smell from escaping. I would suggest that if it doesn't move even a tiny bit put it in bowl of luke warm/room temp water covering the entire shell and crab and it should move if not it is dead. If you want to keep the shell gently pry out the dead crab which once the claw is loosened should just fall out and sanitize the shell it will really stink once the crab falls out.

Thanks for your reply jenox I will check out the snail in the pot again by giving it a prod to see if it's still alive.One crab was out and about yesterday, could be the one I disturbed, it looks happy and healthy!We've done a tank rearrange too, put some new wood in there for them to climb on, so hopefully they will be enticed out more.Debbie