Pale PP post-molt

[ashleylovesyou]

Sandy resurfaced from a molt on August 16th and is looking rather pale. I had only had her for a couple of days before she burrowed, so I don't remember if she was this pale when I bought her or if her color changed after molting. Is this normal?:



I've been feeding her a varied diet and doing my best to follow Kilimanjaro's nutrition guide (I actually keep a detailed food log that you can find here: https://tinyurl.com/y8o7jjp5). I know certain foods affect a crab's color, and I've heard of "color enhancers" being used to alter their color. Is color an indicator of health, or is that something people like to change purely for aesthetic reasons? Should I be worried that my crab isn't healthy?

[heyitseggs2]

This is perfectly normal. Crabs will sometimes change color after molting. There's been people on her who's crab's color changed drastically after molting. Plus the fact that they are normally a little dull right after molting. I can't really see her that well in the picture oyu gave, can you maybe take her out and give some better pictures? Along with a picture of her retracted into her shell so then we can see her big pincher

[PinchersAndShells]

I would say not to worry. One of my crabs was particularly pale after having to molt in iso, but gained some color back after a couple of days.
The nutrition guide lists foods that contain astaxanthin and beta carotene, which can be used to boost color.

Astaxanthin 
Definition - a strong pigment molecule that is usually found in rich red foods.
Function - enhances color in land hermit crab's exoskeleton and aids in keeping organ systems and bodily functions healthy.
Foods - krill, plankton, red seaweeds, shrimp

Beta Carotene
Definition - an orange and red pigment molecule that is found in brightly-colored foods.
Function - enhances red and orange color in hermit crab's exoskeleton and is processed into Vitamin A in a hermit crab's body
Foods - apricots, bell pepper (red, orange, and yellow), blueberry, broccoli, cantaloupe, carrot, chard, cilantro (raw), collard greens, dandelion greens (raw), lettuce (dark), mango, microalgaes, papaya, parsley (raw), passionfruit, peaches, peas, persimmon, pineapple, pumpkin, snap beans (raw), spinach, spirulina, squash, seaweeds, sweet potato

I also learned from another user that burning bush leaves help increase color, mine seem to have become more purple after eating them.

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[wodesorel]

She is so tiny that her color is completely normal. Younger crabs are usually much more 'washed out' compared to older crabs. Her color will gradually darken as she molts and grows older.

[heyitseggs2]

Wode is right. I once had a pp who was super tiny (stefanio). He was nearly white with orange tips on his legs and a pale blue pincher.

[JoeHermits]

The hermit in my profile picture was bright orange when I got him many years ago. He’s since darkened to a reddish colour, though he does retain a few hints of orange on his legs.


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