Crab Molting or De-stressing?

This forum is where you discuss issues relating to molting hermit crabs, including pre- and post-molting issues. If you are having a molting emergency please post in the Emergency Forum.
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DrEvil1149
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Crab Molting or De-stressing?

Post by DrEvil1149 » Tue Oct 13, 2015 12:04 pm

I've recently just got two new hermit crabs and am new to the whole process. Before I got them I researched and read up on taking care of hermit crabs to make sure they would be happy. One of my hermit crabs though, has me a bit confused. I at first had a 10 gallon tank with only a couple inches of substrate because they had a bad case of mites and I didn't want the mites to hide in the substrate and then come back to haunt my crabs, luckily it only took two or three days for me to get rid of all of their mites so I set up the tank properly with 6inches of the substrate. My hermit crab Herb, is not a very active guy. He's very afraid of me so he will stay in his shell for a very long time if I touch him or if I move. Which I can understand since I am a giant living thing compared to them. Herb eventually comes out of his shell though and roams around the tank, bathes in the freshwater and salt water every now and then.

Then on September 28, I got them September 23, Herb dug down into the substrate. I assumed that this was him de-stressing due to being in the new environment and now being able to dig down really deep. Unfortunately my 10 gallon tank mysteriously cracked in one corner and spread all the way across, so I had to get a new one. I was hesitant to put them in the new one because Herb dug himself down, but the longer I waited the more the tank cracked and I got scared one day it would completely fall apart. So I started to set up my new 20 gallon tank on the 4th(October). When I was ready to move my crabs in I uncovered Herb a little to make sure he wasn't in the middle of molting, and he wasn't he was in his shell just chilling under the substrate. I carefully moved him to the new tank and I covered him back up like he was before. Instead of staying down there though he came back up and checked out the tank, ate some apple and honey, bathed in the pools, and then went right back to digging down. This time he chose to dig right underneath the food bowl. He dug down the 5th(October) and has been there since today. I don't know if he's once again de-stressing or if he's getting ready to molt. He dug completely down to the bottom so if you look underneath the tank you can see him, he's still in his shell but it's elevated up so the hole is facing outwards instead of towards the ground. I've seen him poke out and move around so he's thankfully not dead, but he's kind of worrying me because he hasn't come up to eat and only ate very little before he went down.
My other hermit crab Aduain, has left him alone the entire time. He's very active and runs and climbs around the tank all the time. Adu is not as scared of me and comes out if I hold him, only to run away after, I'm slowly having him get used to me.

Does anyone have an idea of what Herb is up to? Is he just de-stressing, or does he sound like he's about to molt? I've never had hermit crabs before and want to keep an eye on him if he's ready to molt and make sure Adu stays away from him if he does. If it helps I can also post pictures of Herb, I just don't really like shining a light on him.
Thanks! :crabbigsmile:

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megmaholm
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Location: Bloomington, IN

Re: Crab Molting or De-stressing?

Post by megmaholm » Wed Oct 14, 2015 10:45 pm

Honestly, it could be either - a lot of new crabs go down to destress and molt at the same time. I understand that he needed to be dug up, but for future reference don't re-bury them; they create little caves that we can't replicate and they can suffocate. 2 crabs in a 20 gallon tank with 6" of sub is fine, so I don't think you need to worry about your other guy bugging him. I'd just let him do his thing. Try not to worry too much! :)
Crabbing since July 2014! 75 gallon with 12 Purple Pinchers.


me n my hermikids
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Joined: Thu Oct 08, 2015 9:00 pm

Re: Crab Molting or De-stressing?

Post by me n my hermikids » Tue Oct 27, 2015 12:34 am

If his little cave is exposed on the bottom glass you might want to put a postit note over it. Think of it like a shower curtain to give him some privacy. It will help him destress better.

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