MY CRAB MOLTS 3 TIMES IN 4 MONTHS

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sat Jan 29, 2011 2:46 pm

My crab has a particularly small shells after a fight with another crab in the tank after it did not fit the whole body and I had no shells to provide. soon made a molt and his body became smaller, although not necessary for the small shell. soon, my crab (marion) molt again, while two other crabs (4 that I have) performed the molt too!. This surprised me but let it pass. while buried again and to my surprise he returned to molt, and this intrigued me and worries and its color changes from orange to a reddish strong, and now his body is purple, its shell remains unchanged, but now his body is so small that it fits, is this really disturbing?
sorry for my bad bad english, im from buenos aires, argentina.
thanks !

CallaLily · Post by **CallaLily** » Sat Jan 29, 2011 3:00 pm

Are you absolutely sure it's the same crab? What kinds of foods are you feeding them?

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sat Jan 29, 2011 3:08 pm

CallaLily wrote:Are you absolutely sure it's the same crab? What kinds of foods are you feeding them?

I'm super totally sure, they eat fruits (banana, cherry, watermelon, strawberries, peaches), vegetables, although in smaller quantities, as well as carrots for example, and loves to eat crackers and cereals

DustAndEchoes · Post by **DustAndEchoes** » Sat Jan 29, 2011 4:36 pm

Are you giving them proteins as well (brine shrimp and the like)? Lack of access to protein rich foods has been known to trigger cannibalism, and molters tend to be the victims.
Their growth may come to a halt depending on the conditions of the tank and their health, but I've never heard of a hermit crab shrinking (someone will correct me if I'm wrong).
The coloring could change due to diet, that's not unheard of. It's actually pretty common.
When you say his body is purple, do you mean the main part that you can usually see when the crab is walking around or the part in the shell (the abdomen?

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sat Jan 29, 2011 4:46 pm

DustAndEchoes wrote:Are you giving them proteins as well (brine shrimp and the like)? Lack of access to protein rich foods has been known to trigger cannibalism, and molters tend to be the victims.
Their growth may come to a halt depending on the conditions of the tank and their health, but I've never heard of a hermit crab shrinking (someone will correct me if I'm wrong).
The coloring could change due to diet, that's not unheard of. It's actually pretty common.
When you say his body is purple, do you mean the main part that you can usually see when the crab is walking around or the part in the shell (the abdomen?

the abdomen was pink after his move and now normalized, I said of the color of exoskeleton. I give seafood and there was nothing of attacks towards other crabs. and there the translator mistranslated what I meant, I meant that, after 3 molts, marion, my crabbie, is much smaller than before the molts, I had read it was normal, and therefore before molt they were looking for smaller shells.
again, sorry for the bad English, it is difficult to have them as pets, in Buenos Aires do not exist, but the love that I have for them makes it impossible for me to do that they are well:)

CallaLily · Post by **CallaLily** » Sat Jan 29, 2011 4:52 pm

I have heard of crabs being smaller after a molt but from what I understand it is usually the result of poor diet. That doesn't sound like the problem from the foods you listed.

ETA: try to purchase some more extra shells in a variety of shapes and sizes as soon as you can. I believe it is recommended to have at least 3 extra shells per crab.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sat Jan 29, 2011 5:14 pm

CallaLily wrote:I have heard of crabs being smaller after a molt but from what I understand it is usually the result of poor diet. That doesn't sound like the problem from the foods you listed.

ETA: try to purchase some more extra shells in a variety of shapes and sizes as soon as you can. I believe it is recommended to have at least 3 extra shells per crab.

at the moment is 13 shells and they are 4, and there are varieties of shells, there is some kind of food that can help in these cases? (he looks totally healthy, exception of the 3 consecutive molts and size, does not seem nothing more bad)

DustAndEchoes · Post by **DustAndEchoes** » Sat Jan 29, 2011 5:34 pm

Those translators can be a bit of a pain

It's normal for them to be smaller when their exoskeleton is still soft, not after it's hardened.
What kind of substrate do you have?

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sat Jan 29, 2011 5:41 pm

DustAndEchoes wrote:Those translators can be a bit of a pain
It's normal for them to be smaller when their exoskeleton is still soft, not after it's hardened.
What kind of substrate do you have?

beach sand well disinfected. note that he did not finish eating all their previous exoskeleton, he did not eat the largest claw, that influences anything?

tnt4eva · Post by **tnt4eva** » Sat Jan 29, 2011 5:44 pm

The only time I've had a crab shrink during a molt was when it was attacked when it was almost ready to molt and it was out of its shell for a while and got dehydrated.

I have heard other people whose new crabs have shrunk during their first few molts after being in bad conditions at the pet shop.

It is likely a sign that something is amiss.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sat Jan 29, 2011 6:22 pm

tnt4eva wrote:The only time I've had a crab shrink during a molt was when it was attacked when it was almost ready to molt and it was out of its shell for a while and got dehydrated.

I have heard other people whose new crabs have shrunk during their first few molts after being in bad conditions at the pet shop.

It is likely a sign that something is amiss.

yes, he was attacked in the first instance, one of my crabs he got out his shell, and Marion had to go into the abandoned shell that was much smaller, and his body was outside, but after that made a molt, and more then 2 molts. I buy it on about 8 months ago

suebee · Post by **suebee** » Sun Jan 30, 2011 12:36 am

from the hermit crab patch- The freshly molted crab is actually smaller than it was before shedding and usually about a month or so after coming up will begin to actively seek a larger shell as the new exoskeleton begins to bulk up.

you can read more here - http://www.hermitcrabpatch.com/Hermit-C ... -a/138.htm