can a better environment cause molting?

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Wed Dec 21, 2005 1:29 am

Im just curious if moving Hermies to a better environment could cause them to molt? I mean can they choose when to molt or is it just something they must do, good environment or not?
The reason I ask is it seems several of my crabbys decided to molt within 2 weeks of me buying them. I know they werent in very good conditions when I purchased them and although conditions in my crabitat are not supreme (yet) they are much better than where they came from. Is molting a sign that I have done things right (crossing fingers) or just that its their 'time'?
P.S. Im still pretty new at this so if this is a stupid question I apologize

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Wed Dec 21, 2005 2:04 am

There are no stupid questions! Only stupid answers, perhaps coming from me.

From what I understand from all of the reading I've done here, it seems like it's a combination of both conditions and it being "time" to molt. Crabs can and will put off molting, to some extent, when they're in poor conditions, and it definitely seems that when they leave the store and are placed in a nice crabitat, many are ready to finally get down to business! Of course, sometimes crabs molt even when conditions are poor, with poor results in most cases...

But yes, from what I've read, I think there seems to be a tendency for them to molt fairly soon after leaving a pet store because they've been "putting it off" until things were more comfortable! So yeah, I would think that was a good sign that they like their new home and that conditions are good... though the real sign will be how successfully they get through the molt!

good luck, and I hope this helped! Again, I'm new, so anyone should feel free to tell me everything I said here is wrong and post your more educated opinions.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Wed Dec 21, 2005 2:25 am

This will be my first experience w/ molting, Ive read till my eyes are shot trying to get all the info I can to increase the chances of a good molt. I'll just have to wait...and wait.... and wait some more....

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Wed Dec 21, 2005 11:12 am

Crabs actually have a thing in their bodies, that when they are in a good, comfortable environment, releases some chemical that encourages molting. Likeswise, it stops this release when the hermie is in a bad environment. So in a way, yes, a better environment will enhance the chance of molting, but if a hermie really needs to molt in a bad environment, it might try it, but there's a good chance it will die.