MOLTING OR DEAD

[kayo1895]

Since you've come to the emergency forum, we know you want a fast answer to your question. In order for us to figure out the problem as quickly as possible, we ask that you answer the following questions as best you can. Some of them may seem odd, but they're all designed to give us the information we need to give you a good solution for your problem. The things in the [ brackets ] are there to make this post easier to read once submitted. Thanks!


1. What kind of substrate is used in your tank and how deep is it?
ecoearth and ranging from 4-8in

2. Do you have gauges in the tank to measure temperature and humidity? If so, where are they located and what temperature and humidity do they usually read?
yes, in the middle of the tank and it is always in the 70s for temp and 80% for humidity

3. Is a heat source used in the tank? If so, what?
yes, alternate between two heating pads

4. What types of water are available (fresh or salt) and how is the water treated (what brands of dechlorinator or salt mix and what ratio is used to mix it)?
fresh and salt water

5. What kinds of food do you feed and how often is it replaced?
dry-freezed meal worms, almonds, carrots, dry-freezed strawberries and bananas, fluckers hermit crab meal pellets, egg shell; changed out every other day at most

6. How long have you had the crab and what species is it, if known?
2 months, ecuadorian I believe

7. Has your crab molted, and how long ago did it happen?
no, trying to tell if it is molting right now

8. What type of housing are the crabs kept in, what size is it and what kind of lid is on the housing?
15 gallon fish tank, glass tank top

9. How many crabs are in the tank and about how large are they?
3, 2 medium and 1 small

10. How many extra shells are usually kept in the tank, if any?
5 at a time

11. Have there been any fumes or chemicals near the crabitat recently?
no, just the normal smells of the house

12. How often do you clean the tank and how?
i make sure the water is clean, the tank sides are clean and that there is no gross food in the tank when needed

13. Are sponges used in the water dish? If so, how are they cleaned?
no

14. Has anything new been added to your crabitat recently?
no

15. Is there any other information you would like to share that might be helpful (anything that is regularly part of your crab care, playtime, bathing, etc.)?
no

16. Please describe the emergency situation in detail.
I have one crab that has been buried underneath a rock for a few days with it's shell halfway visible and over the past few days I have noticed it has dug a little deeper each time, but the shell is still visible. It has been about a week since it has been like this, and I went to check on the crab and noticed that the front of it's body like the eyes, antennae, and the front claws are out and my crab is now a greyish color as it was red before. I do not smell anything, and I replaced the rock in the same position as it was before. I am worried that my crab has passed, but I also do not know what a molting crab looks like and I do not want to assume death and make the wrong decision.
.

[jonathon1989]

No,

Your crab has just molted, hence the grayish color. Place him back where he was before, because digging him up could stress him out, and he is more vulnerable right now. The molting process take up to a month.

Let us know how his molt goes. And if you have any more questions let us know.

Jonathon

[kayo1895]

Okay, that is reassuring to hear as I got a little worried about him! Hopefully all goes well, and by any chance is there an average molt time for a purple pincher crab while on the subject? I have another crab that has been buried for about a month now and am assuming he is molting as well, but just want to know a time span to expect thing if there is one.

[Hermielover121]

It could take a couple weeks to 4 months (isn’t very likely but it does happen) as your crabs get bigger the molts get fewer and longer


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[CrabbyLover77]

Hi! I'll add my suggestions under your answers.

Since you've come to the emergency forum, we know you want a fast answer to your question. In order for us to figure out the problem as quickly as possible, we ask that you answer the following questions as best you can. Some of them may seem odd, but they're all designed to give us the information we need to give you a good solution for your problem. The things in the [ brackets ] are there to make this post easier to read once submitted. Thanks!


1. What kind of substrate is used in your tank and how deep is it?
ecoearth and ranging from 4-8in

CL77- Substrate should be at least 6" everywhere or 3x the height of you largest crab, which ever is deeper. If you have an Ecuadorian, it's recommended to have at least 10-12" of substrate.

2. Do you have gauges in the tank to measure temperature and humidity? If so, where are they located and what temperature and humidity do they usually read?
yes, in the middle of the tank and it is always in the 70s for temp and 80% for humidity

CL77- PP can tolerate lower temps than Ecuadorians. E's prefer it a little warmer, like 80°-85°F.

3. Is a heat source used in the tank? If so, what?
yes, alternate between two heating pads

4. What types of water are available (fresh or salt) and how is the water treated (what brands of dechlorinator or salt mix and what ratio is used to mix it)?
fresh and salt water

CL77- What kind of salt are you using? Is it a marine salt?

5. What kinds of food do you feed and how often is it replaced?
dry-freezed meal worms, almonds, carrots, dry-freezed strawberries and bananas, fluckers hermit crab meal pellets, egg shell; changed out every other day at most

6. How long have you had the crab and what species is it, if known?
2 months, ecuadorian I believe

7. Has your crab molted, and how long ago did it happen?
no, trying to tell if it is molting right now

8. What type of housing are the crabs kept in, what size is it and what kind of lid is on the housing?
15 gallon fish tank, glass tank top

9. How many crabs are in the tank and about how large are they?
3, 2 medium and 1 small

10. How many extra shells are usually kept in the tank, if any?
5 at a time

CL77-HCA recommends 3-5 shells per crab. So you'd want at least 9 shells. E's prefer shells with D shaped openings.

11. Have there been any fumes or chemicals near the crabitat recently?
no, just the normal smells of the house

12. How often do you clean the tank and how?
i make sure the water is clean, the tank sides are clean and that there is no gross food in the tank when needed

13. Are sponges used in the water dish? If so, how are they cleaned?
no

14. Has anything new been added to your crabitat recently?
no

15. Is there any other information you would like to share that might be helpful (anything that is regularly part of your crab care, playtime, bathing, etc.)?
no

16. Please describe the emergency situation in detail.
I have one crab that has been buried underneath a rock for a few days with it's shell halfway visible and over the past few days I have noticed it has dug a little deeper each time, but the shell is still visible. It has been about a week since it has been like this, and I went to check on the crab and noticed that the front of it's body like the eyes, antennae, and the front claws are out and my crab is now a greyish color as it was red before. I do not smell anything, and I replaced the rock in the same position as it was before. I am worried that my crab has passed, but I also do not know what a molting crab looks like and I do not want to assume death and make the wrong decision.

CL77- If there is no smell and the crab isn't hanging out of the shell limp, it is probably alive. I'm worried though that you can still see your crab, which means it's surfacing molting, and you would have to isolate him from the other crabs if this is the case.
The molting process can take weeks to months. I wouldn't worry until month 4 or so.
.

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[kayo1895]

Alright so my assumed Purple pincher crab just resurfaced after a month and a half of being buried! He looks very pink and red now so maybe he was not a purple pincher after all? He was purple since I got him, but now he looks much healthier after resurfacing. So I feel better about his situation.

In regards to the possible surface molt, he has been sticking to this spot tucked behind a propped up rock for the last month or so and likes to rest there, and I can only see him when I lift the rock up from its position, and that is how I noticed the grey look on the crab. I do know that surface molters are concerning, so what is the best way to safely iso or make sure he is safe from the other crabs?

[kayo1895]

And just for background context too, both my other crabs have completely burrowed into the substrate multiple times since I have gotten them, but this crab that we believe to be molting has never completely burrowed down into the substrate. So I don't know if that plays a role in why he is positioned like this or not, but thought that info was important to mention.

[CrabbyLover77]

Alright so my assumed Purple pincher crab just resurfaced after a month and a half of being buried! He looks very pink and red now so maybe he was not a purple pincher after all? He was purple since I got him, but now he looks much healthier after resurfacing. So I feel better about his situation.

In regards to the possible surface molt, he has been sticking to this spot tucked behind a propped up rock for the last month or so and likes to rest there, and I can only see him when I lift the rock up from its position, and that is how I noticed the grey look on the crab. I do know that surface molters are concerning, so what is the best way to safely iso or make sure he is safe from the other crabs?

It sounds like he may be getting ready to molt, but hasn't dug down to do it yet. So at this point, I would wait and see what he does. If it comes to a surface molt, you can isolate him in the tank, or in another smaller separate tank with the same conditions. I believe some people use a 2L bottle with the bottom cut out, and place it around the molting crab in the tank. This keeps the crab from having to be moved, but at the same time protects it from the others.

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