Hermit Crab sick after molting?? *UPDATED, PICTURES NOW*

[azbywhitecalf]

Maybe his molting, because it doesn't make sense to that he would start doing this after he was good for so long. Would I be able to buy a night time bulb and use that to make it dark and to provide him with heat, or should I just leave the bulb I have on, and put his coconut house over him?

[DragonsFly]

Put the cocohut over him for some darkness and privacy. If you can get a night-time heat bulb, go ahead and use that for heat day and night, too, but he needs more darkness and to feel more protected, if possible, than just leaving him exposed on the surface. Do you know if your temperature and humidity are both somewhere between 75 and 80 at this point?

[azbywhitecalf]

Yes my temp and humidity flow between 79 to 81, thank you for your advice it's helping me a lot!

[DragonsFly]

I meant to say between 75 and 85, not 80, so there's a little more room for variation there. If your conditions are good, I'd just put a little dab of organic peanut butter and a couple of drops of organic honey in a little bottle cap, put that under the cocohut with him, then seriously, leave him alone until and unless you smell the "death smell." Steel yourself to resist the urge to "check on him." If he needs to molt, he needs to be left undisturbed. If his last molt went wonky (which it seems it did, with that piece of exo stuck to him), then it's even more important to leave him alone this time so he has a better chance of fixing whatever went wrong last time (which could be more than just what is apparent on the outside). So, keep conditions good; give him darkness and undisturbed privacy; and get ready to practice patience. I have one that has been in iso, I hope molting, for about a month now. It's HARD not to "check on him," but I know it would not help him and might hurt him, so I just refresh the waters in the iso every few days without disturbing his cover, and let "whatever happens, happen." Best wishes!

[azbywhitecalf]

Hi! Good news, I've gotten alot of things for bond. I got him a proper heat bulb with a dome lamp, moss, a heating square (the only size that would fit his tank, it on the wall), and two water dishes. I dont want to put the water dishes or the moss right away because i don't want to disturb him. He's still alive, there's no dead smell, so I'm praying that he is molting fine!

[mool]

Keep doing what you're doing. The rest is up to him.

[azbywhitecalf]

So I went to change Bond's food and water, (I was changing the other crabs food and water also), and I noticed he has little white fuzzy patch on his large claw and one the tip of his leg. What is this? I didn't pick him up, i moved him a little so he wouldn't get squished when i put the cocohut back over him. There's no death smell yet. Could the white fuzzy patch be mold?? THe peanut was a bit moldy (but the mold was green on the peanut butter) so i threw it out and put in a new one.

[mool]

I think it means that he has passed away

[DragonsFly]

Well, I wouldn't have recommended uncovering him for any reason just yet, but since you did, if there is no sign of movement of any kind, and he has fuzzy white patches growing on him, then yes, he is most likely dead (the fuzzy white stuff is mold, and I've only ever heard of mold growing on dead crabs).

Sadly, the crab I mentioned that I was waiting for "what was going to happen, to happen," also did not survive. I checked on him today after two months covered and undisturbed, and that poor guy was completely covered with white and yellow mold, so yeah, he'd been gone a while. They really aren't made to live in captivity; some of them (most of them, sadly) just don't make it, either immediately from PPS or later from whatever else. I'm sorry for your loss.

[azbywhitecalf]

Ah, I see. Well, I knew this was coming, he was a good crab. He will be missed. Thank you for all your advice,

[azbywhitecalf]

HE'S NOT DEAD

I REPEAT HE IS NOT DEAD

SO, I went to go make him a little coffin, and after it was done, I was filling it with some substrate. So I picked him to, and went to put him in the little box, and I shook him a bit (to see if he would fall out), and i sort of nudged his large pincher to see if he was still limp. AND HE MOVED!!!

I saw his large pincher and his other legs move and try to wiggle away, he definitely had more strength than before!!

I was almost ready to give up on him, there's no smell yet, he is still weak but he's stronger than before.

I hope he can make it through this!

[DragonsFly]

Well, that's a surprise.

Has anybody else seen mold growing on a still-living crab?

[mlakers]

Crazy! I wonder what others would suggest to deal with the mold. Salt is a mold inhibitor. Would it be useful to set him in a very shallow dish with lukewarm saltwater for a few minutes?

[mool]

Wow! I wonder if he had some food residue on him and that was what the mold was growing on.

Yikes! I'm sorry for thinking he had passed.

Were I in your position, I would cover him back up and leave him for another month--with access to food nearby.

[DragonsFly]

Yes, I would not try handling him any more; if he needs to molt he still needs what was recommended before--darkness, good conditions, and being left UNDISTURBED. I agree with leaving him for another month.

But then again, I have NO acquaintance with apparent mold growing on an apparently still-living crab. If ANYBODY has ever dealt with this before, please chime in!

wodes, you ever seen anything like this?