Caught Unprepared for Molting

[crabbyNJ]

Hi
3 new PPs (2-3 inch shells) all seem to have gone to the same corner to molt and I had not made final decisions about location of the 10 gal tank and was putting off adding the last final inches of sand/coir 5:1 due to weight of tank. It's only been a couple of days for the last one. The other two have been under more like four or five.

Now what? I'm trying not to freak out but I'm worried about them deforming each other during the vulnerable stages.

I read someone's advice to add no more than 1 inch per 24 hours on top of them. I'm not sure whether that will help any, since it's the side to side movement I'm worried about. They also buried under the leaves I put in. I know that in some places they are under the leaf layer. Wondering whether putting the sand on top of the leaves would maintain an air layer in between, rather than disturbing the leaves to add sand.

thanks for any advice.

[LadyJinglyJones]

They will seek out their own molting places. I wouldn't move the tank while three are under, unless they've just gone under - at five days there's a good chance your crab hasn't begun actually molting, but I'd be pretty paranoid about it. As for adding sub, go for it.

I'd move the leaves to add sand, personally, but it's probably fine to just add sand.

[GotButterflies]

More than likely they are just destressing, but you can very gently add up to 1 inch of sub every 24 hours without packing it down. I would keep the leaf litter on the top or else it will just decompose. Try not to worry.

[crabbyNJ]

Thank you ladies. I appreciate the support!

So far I have gently relocated the tank and sprinkled some extra wet sub from the left third of the tank in the middle third. The crabs are buried in the right third of the tank. There is evidence that the last one is taking a little space from the other two, so that's good. The first two, I think, are quiet at night, but the last one is making clicking/croaking sounds.

No evidence of them coming up at night at all. The water dish has been clean for days.

What's the pattern with destressing? would they come back up without having molted? What's the usual time period?

Do they usually make sounds during destressing and molting?

Also, I'm concerned about the temp and humidity. The ambient temp in the tank at sand level is a little over 80 and humidity is 85 but the sand right on the surface is getting dry. I'm using a red bulb and a wide shade clip lamp sitting on a screen lid of a 10 gallon tank with wet towels covering most of the screen top. The temp and humidity have been stable at those readings with this set up.

[KayedeeLove<3]

The time for destressing takes varied abouts of time. I'd spray the top of sub with fresh dechlorinated water and take the bulbs out. If not your sand will dry out quickly which is dangerous with molters down. Order an ultra therm under tank heater for the back the biggest one you can get to fit the back of your tank (above sub). That's what id do.

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[KayedeeLove<3]

These can be purchased at www.reptilebasics.com

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[crabbyNJ]

thanks KayedeeLove<3
I think I'm going to try your suggestion with the side heater. that sounds like a good solution.

[KayedeeLove<3]

thanks KayedeeLove<3
I think I'm going to try your suggestion with the side heater. that sounds like a good solution.

You will need to insulate it after you receive it for optimum performance!
You're welcome

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[Rawrgeous]

Welcome! I know I'm late, but I'll chime in a bit here. Check out our basic care guides if you haven't had the chance yet- they have lots of helpful information. Link: http://hermitcrabassociation.com/phpBB/ ... 51&t=92457 The stickies at the top of each sub-forum are super helpful as well.
Carefully move the leaves, and if they are just under the leaves move them to a tupperware container/ makeshift iso until you get the sub in, as they won't be able to have a tunnel in that to hold an air pocket. If they are totally buried in cocofiber/sand you should be fine/ They will make tunnels as they go as long as your sub is at sand castle consistency.
I'll be honest I add sub with molters down all the time. I just get it ready to go at the right consistency in a tub first. As long as you add it slowly, and evenly it won't hurt them or collapse caves if the sub in your tank is at sand castle consistency. I usually do it by the handful. As long as you do it slowly, slowly and carefully you should be okay. To answer your question about time frames, de-stressing and molting varies. I usually assume if I don't see them in over a week and a half they are molting, but the only real way to know for sure is when they pop up hairy with sharp tips! As far as making noise, several crabbers have reported they can hear their crabs "talking" while under- so completely normal. Also, if you must move the tank, is sliding it an option? Or perhaps have somebody help you move it before you add the sub? I've literally slid my 55 across the house slowly and carefully haha. Just an idea. :0 I hope this helps!

[crabbyNJ]

Thanks for all the help! The saga continues.

I did add a wall sticky heater but have kept the red light also. KayedeeLove<3 what are your suggestions for insulating?

Since writing that they were all down I think that I disturbed them by doing too much in the tank, because they came up from the sand but then stayed under the leaves. They did not eat or drink apparently for a few days. One then appeared near the water in the left 1/3. The other two stayed under the leaves. I made up a bunch of sandcastle sub mix and added a lot of it all around avoiding the crabs, basically more than doubling the level in 2/3 of the tank but leaving the two in a crater covered with leaves.

Last night the one near the dish was digging laterally into the mountain and had apparently first taken in a bunch of water. This morning that crab was almost covered and I could still hear digging. The other two remained inactive in the hole covered by leaves.

Rawrgeous thanks for all you wrote. It was very helpful. I have been worrying about the two under the leaves. I'm concerned that they may not have enough shell water to commence molting since they got disturbed and have seemed unable or disinclined to look for water since taking up their new position. I had been thinking about taking them out and continuing to fill. Otherwise I would gently fill around them.

What are your thoughts on encouraging water intake while in ISO before putting them back in after more sub? Or I could just leave them near the water dish when I'm done filling. The downside of that is the chance they'll disturb #1 when trying to enter the sandhill from the lower level. It would be better if they stayed distributed I assume.

[KayedeeLove<3]

To insulate:
I went to home depot and got a 5 pack of 1 in sheet Styrofoam, (amazing because it fit the back of my 55 with no cutting) aluminum foil, clear gorilla tape, and a card board box i had lying around. I taped the uth right above the sub line all the way around the edges to 'Seal' in the heat as much as i could then aluminum foil the same way then card board. You can do the back and then the sides if it's not quite where you want it! The uth isn't worth it unless you insulate! All those layers go right over the uth!

Possible molters:
This is tricky... They could had just been digging for fun... could have been preparing to molt but haven't yet... or they could be recovering... either way the safest thing to do would be to iso them SEPARATLY in sizable containers (so you can track their activity and so they don't eat each other or be eaten) if they are climbing things and acting normal after a few days (to get any potential molt smell off) them put them back in gen pop. Best way to soothe your soul. But i do not encourage putting them in water hoping they will drink. Just offer it in iso. The hardest thing in crabbing and the reason we have a bond and love them so much is that they're survival is not 100% on you. You have to trust them too know what to do to survive to ie. Eating drinking molting... 50/50 partnership! Good luck!

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[LadyJinglyJones]

Just thoughts:

In terms of encouraging any behaviour in crabs - be it water intake or moulting location - all you can do is provide the (we hope best) conditions, the rest is up to them.

They are individuals with very different proclivities for things related to risk, such as being out in the open, tolerating noise, and tolerence of human activity outside their tanks. As with humans & other animals, some of their fight/flight/boldness will be learned, and some of it very much tied to individual nature.

We can only speculate as to why a crab does anything. Caprivity is a condition they adapt to without informing us as to which elements are most difficult for them. Maybe you disturbed them... maybe they heard vibrations overhead & felt compelled to investigate. They also may have been hungry. They may be chilling in the leaf litter to remain comfortably hidden - but they're likely eating it too.

Regarding sub distribution and controling where they tunnel - the crabs will have their way with it. Initially it will look the way you have placed it, but in time they'll have heaped it up and pitted the surface. It'll settle a lot too. And once down, they will dig where ever their mysterious little hearts tell them to... I've watched Luis dig a circuit right along the side of my tank, following corners. It won't matter where you place the crabs above ground. In the wild they've so much more space, and confined they will test the limitations in ways that make sense to themselves.

Best you can do is to give them as much sub as the space makes practical.

I've personally found that crabs are at their best (ie. for my enjoyment of them) in a larger space. Not having to worry about where a crab moults any more is very nice -I started out in a ten gal, and have moved them to a 29 gal tote, pending a much larger set up once my current roomie moves out.

I'd recommend a temporary tote to any one. Ten gal is frustratingly small for many of us. Crabs don't seem well suited to a space that small, once you understand their habits.

Anyway, I feel I've been rambling. KayedeeLove is right - you can ISO them for peace of mind. Though if they don't feel like moulting, you may be ISO'ing one or more for a good while.

[crabbyNJ]

You ladies are fonts of wisdom! I am taking all that you said to heart.

At the end of this phase (who knows how long that will be) I am either going to get them a bigger tank or find them a better home.

For now, signs seem favorable for another go at moulting (adopting your spelling, LJJ . After filling in with as much sub as seemed practical for this tank, with a hope toward moulting rather than exercising, I put 2 and 3 in separate craters in different corners (they always seem like they want to be together). 2 seemed happy to stay there, 3 got out of and into his crater several times before settling. I thought that seemed like a good sign. This morning they are both still in their craters and dug in.

I'll report if anything new happens.

thanks again!

[LadyJinglyJones]

'Moulting' is the English spelling - and it took me forever to train my autocorrect to it.

[KayedeeLove<3]

I have one but I'm in fl lol 55 gal

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