Possible surface molt?

[Remsy]

I just got two new Purple Pinchers and am following the PPDS method (post purchase death syndrome). The method is a one month plan to reintroduce the hermit crabs to their ideal conditions and recover from the stress of being in the pet store. The method requires about an inch of substrate in the tank to discourage digging and no hiding huts yet to discourage hiding. The humidity and temperature in the tank matches what they were getting inside the pet store, 75% and 80-85 degrees. One of my hermits is seeming to do fine and is always hanging outside of his shell on the cholla wood. The other is currently with its head under the sand. There isn't enough substrate for them to completely bury and I don't want to pick them up because they could be surface molting. I don't want to disturb them if they are molting because I know how dangerous that can be, but I also don't know if they are molting at all or if they are trying to hide with what they have.

[Wlfwo]

I had to look that up. The one thing most crabs want/need to do after being held in pet store conditions is destress. I'm going to assume keeping them in what amounts to the same conditions isn't going to help that any.

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[curlysister]

HCA doesn't recommend that method. Many crabs, as Wlfwo said, want to de-stress and/or need to molt because they have been kept in sub standard conditions. There have been no studies that prove that the method described leads to better outcomes. Some very experienced crabbers have, through years of observation, seen no difference in outcomes. I would put the crabs into proper conditions, including deep enough sub, immediately.

[Remsy]

Thanks for the responses. I'll add more substrate, but I'm not sure if it's right to pour the substrate on top of the crab because I can't pick them up and move them in fear of stressing them out.

[JoeHermits]

You’re not going to harm them just moving them out temporarily.


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