Lethargy after molting?

[Spirit Of Radio]

Two of my crabs finally came up and took shells after about a four week molting period, however, since then they have spent most of their time hiding and I think they may have re-buried themselves. Is this normal? Could it be that they are still molting but just came up recently for food/water?

[crabs_lex]

are they new crabs?
because if they are they might still be getting used to their environment. newer crabs tend to stay under ground a lot until after their first molt to destress themselves
they may not have even molted yet and could be digging around underground and coming up at night.
also how are you conditions in your tank? is it hot and humid enough? crabs are a lot more active in the right conditions

[Spirit Of Radio]

Yes, they are fairly new, I've had them for just under two months. This is their first real molt since I've got them, but they were very active before then. My tank conditions are about 75% humidity and 75-78 degrees Fahrenheit. They've been very active in the past so I don't think my tank conditions are problematic.

[crabbycasey]

They could still be searching for their perfect spot to molt. I’ve learned that the majority of the time with the molting process is spent seeking their spot and not the physical molting part itself. This could explain the lethargy if they haven’t molted yet, but are about to.

Can you look for the signs to see if they molted? Maybe if they already molted their lethargy could be them still trying to harden up before they are back to their usual activity.

They also could’ve been coming up at night this whole time. This is pretty common and normal for people not to witness since they’re usually up and about when we are sleeping…This is why I got a night vision camera, lol. I’d never see them otherwise!

Hope that you get it figured out and that they are okay! Keep us posted!


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[Spirit Of Radio]

I have noticed them doing a lot of digging lately, so that could be it! I haven't seen any shedded exoskeletons because I've been trying not to disturb them by digging up their substrate. I hope it's either that or they just need time to harden like you suggested.

Is there anything I can do to help them find their perfect spot? Maybe remove some decorations to give them more surface area to choose from?

[crabbycasey]

Nope, you shouldn’t have to do anything as long as they have enough sandcastle-like consistency substrate...they will figure it out. Apparently they like to dig their tunnels/caves under larger, solid objects...so your decor may provide that for them. I think it makes them feel safer. Just give them time and trust their little crabby instincts! Keep us posted!


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