Is my crab moulting or hiding due to low humidity?

Questions about hermit crabs moulting and its symptoms.
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Lennyandmarcel
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Joined: 12 May 2023, 06:15
Gender: Female
Hermit crabs: 2
Total gallons: 10
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Is my crab moulting or hiding due to low humidity?

Post by Lennyandmarcel »

I am new to hermit crab owning. We got our hermit crab from a friend who didn’t keep her crab in the best conditions. There was no under cage heater and the humidity was far too low at around 50. The hermit crab was also housed alone. We did a lot of reading after getting the hermit crab and decided to get another one for socialization and switch them from a carrier into a 10 gallon tank.

While we were setting up the tank, we put both hermit crabs in the original carrier. We got the new tank set up in about 24 hours, but in that time the new hermit crab buried himself and hasn’t come up for about two weeks, even to eat or drink at night. We think he might be molting because there wasn’t enough dirt for him to dig into at the pet store, so I don’t want to dig him up and risk harming him. But the humidity in his current cage is far too low and is now starting to drop to the 40s despite us trying to raise it (Covering the top, adding water, misting).

We do hear him moving around under the sand at night, so I’m wondering if he is just hiding due to stressful and dry conditions.

Please help! We really want the best for our crabbies and we do have an ideal tank set up so please be nice in the comments. We are doing our best and reading so much. :S
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Wai
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Joined: 01 Nov 2004, 14:12
Gender: Male
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Re: Is my crab moulting or hiding due to low humidity?

Post by Wai »

Keep up with the misting; you can try to pour a small amount of water over the under tank heater to further boost the humidity. I would leave the crab alone at this stage.
Wai
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Lennyandmarcel
Zygote
Zygote
Posts: 3
Joined: 12 May 2023, 06:15
Gender: Female
Hermit crabs: 2
Total gallons: 10
Total tanks: 2

Re: Is my crab moulting or hiding due to low humidity?

Post by Lennyandmarcel »

Wai wrote: 12 May 2023, 16:17 Keep up with the misting; you can try to pour a small amount of water over the under tank heater to further boost the humidity. I would leave the crab alone at this stage.
thank you for the advice!! It worked and our crab came up during the daytime once the humidity got higher. Once he popped up, we gently moved him into the larger cage with better conditions. However, as soon as we moved him to the larger cage, he buried himself again and has not come up since we moved him. I am worried about him since he’s not even coming up to eat or drink. Any advice?
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Wai
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Posts: 2892
Joined: 01 Nov 2004, 14:12
Gender: Male
Hermit crabs: 2
Total gallons: 45
Total tanks: 1
Location: Victoria, Australia
Contact:

Re: Is my crab moulting or hiding due to low humidity?

Post by Wai »

Hermit crabs are cold-blooded animals and do not eat a lot as a result. Please do not be overly concerned; if they are hungry, they will come up to eat.
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