Frusterated, worried, paranoid? Buried for way way too long

[Jemnem6]

4 of my hermit crabs are size small. One successfully molted and regrew a limb within about 6 weeks. Then she buried again, I found her dead two days ago

2 other of my small sized crabs have been buried for 12 weeks now. When I found the dead crab, I heard some movement going on underground and now there is a window and I can see one of the small guys. So that means he moved. Which mean he didn't molt yet right? But he's been buried for 12 weeks straight!

The other one who has also been buried for 12 weeks I haven't seen at all recently. In the first couple of week that she buried I saw her come up from underground a few times but not for long. I haven't seen her in at least month though now and I have not a clue where she is.

12 weeks for 2 small hermit crabs seems awfully long...I don't know what to do, what if they're dead or something? Is there anything normal about this?

[goodmorningmylove]

I've heard that some small crabs can take a few months to molt. As long as you don't smell the death smell they should be okay.

As far as your crab moving... he could have already molted and is just waiting for his exo to harden all the way.

[Jemnem6]

thanks for the reply. I hope so, I want them to come up soon, they're worrying me :/

[Happy Crabber]

Oh man, that is rough. You've probably already checked this, but how are the temp and humidity in your tank? And are there places for them to hide?
My only other thought is that if conditions aren't right, they may be coming up at night and then going back down. Have you tried smoothing out the sand?

Good luck!

[Jemnem6]

The temperature has been about 83 degrees these past couple weeks. The humidity is only around 70% though since the heat has gone up. But this has only been recently. I haven't tried smoothing the sand, but I will. I'm just worried because the one with who left me a window has now been in the same position for these past couple of days.

[CrabbyMom33]

Once they get where they plan to molt they will stay there for quite a while.

[Jemnem6]

Once they get where they plan to molt they will stay there for quite a while.

but he's already been buried for 3 months, I feel like he should of molted by now, not just starting to molt. I don't know, I guess I just have to wait and see.

[Happy Crabber]

Maybe try upping your humidity and see if that works. Misting, sponges, bubble pools, fogger?

[Jemnem6]

I have a bubble pool, and I mist the tank a few times a day everyday. Last summer the humidity was great but for some reason when the heat came this year, the humidity just went way down. I'm hoping that in the next couple of weeks it will get better. For their sake haha cause I absolutely hate humidity.

[Rocky]

He could of been destressing, that can take a long time depending on what he went through Or, maybe a double molt? I've heard that this is sometimes possible with really small ones.
I don't think hermits feel time the way we do, they can be down for months and months without food or water and they'll be just fine. I'm sure your little guy is A-OK

[Jemnem6]

thanks RockyGurly. Maybe they went down to de-stress, and now they're molting. I hope that's what it is. The first few months I had them, I had 4 of them in a small 10 gallon tank and I didn't know I could use play sand. So since the "hermit crab sand" is so expensive I only had a few inches of sand in their tank. Now they're in a 20 gallon with 6 inches of sand, and all of the crabs seem to bury right away in there. So I hope that's what it is.

[DragonsFly]

It may be that they went so long without molting, both before you had them and then when you didn't know what they really needed so there wasn't enough substrate, that now it is a more difficult and time-consuming process for them to molt. Gently smoothing the sand around the food dishes and water pools can show you if they are coming up at night when you aren't awake. If they are not coming up, they are most likely molting--either still molting, or perhaps doing back-to-back molts. Both of my first two crabs had gone so long without molting, they molted basically as soon as they had enough proper substrate to do so, and then were only up for a few days before heading right back down to molt again (where they still are). I've had those two since November, and I think they've been molting for all but a couple of weeks of that time. The first molt I was nervous and worried and angsty the whole time. This time, I know I just have to trust that "what will be, will be." I've given them the best conditions I can; that's all I can do--that, and practice patience!

[Jemnem6]

thank you so much DragonsFly! This makes me feel a little bit better. Tonight I will smooth the sand and see if they are coming up at night and if not I will guess they are molting because they finally can.

[Jemnem6]

Today one of the crabs, Toodee, came up and molted!!! I'm so so so sooooo happy that she's OK

[Happy Crabber]

YAHOOOO! I bet the others won't be far behind.