HELP! Dug up molter! What do I do?

[kooky crab]

My son broke rule #1! He dug around in the tank and dug up a molter. He buried it back up and told me this morning. I'm sure he didn't burry him properly. Should I just leave him be or should I set up an emergency iso tank and dig him back out?

[GRMU99]

What I do might be different then others. I carefully make a hole big enough for the crab and his exo and I put something over top of it like a food dish or a piece chola wood. So, the other crabs won't go after him. If you have an ISO tank I would put him it there and give him some honey too.

[kooky crab]

Thank you! I dug I little space around him and put a small bowl over him. Then I covered him back up with the moss he was under. Everybody seems to be molting right now, so hopefully nobody will disturb him. Cross my fingers and hope for the best! It doesn't smell fishy so I guess that's a good sign

[CrabbyMom33]

Yes, you were right to dig space around him and not just leave him covered up. When they create their own caves they are able to get air, but if we just put sand on top of them that is not the case. If you have an ISO that is best so that other crabs can't get to him easily, but if the other are molting that's probably not an issue. I'd just keep an eye on it.

After having to put molters in containers due to finding them during my deep clean I'm now comfortable with using either a Kritter Keeper, or similar sized container with holes in the lid, making a hole a bit bigger than the crab, then putting them in the hole with exo if it is there, and covering the hole with a large shell or small dish. Many will dig further into the sand and make their own cave. I had to put 2 molters in containers, a medium E and a medium PP, and both completed their molts successfully.