Pale after molt X2

[emmac350]

I just wanted to add - I managed to do a deep clean (it needed it...3 years of them with my sister and no deep cleans...yeah...) within a day or two of one of my crabs having molted. I felt awful, until I remembered that I'd seen her 4 days prior...you can't always make it work perfectly.

That being said, her 'wet' exo was VERY pale. She's my first I've seen within 2-3 days of the molt, so I'm hoping that she'll darken up. It appeared to have some splotches sort of like as it was drying/hardening. I didn't take pictures - I was kind of freaking out at the time and don't want her to have any more stress, but this crab was a funky beige/off-white. If she comes out normal-colored in the end (she's an E, and her shed exo was brown and orange, with decent coloring), I'll make sure to post it back here for future reference.

Marie - yours usually surface molt (I think; it's been a while); any chance you know what I'm talking about?

[ladybug15057]

They do surface molt, (but usually within some sort of shelter) and one bottle molter!
First thing I noted is using API water conditioner but using distilled bottle water? Please stop this ASAP if it is being used. Distilled bottle water has nothing for the API conditioner to ‘bond’ to.
Oceanic sea water is also noted to have a LOT of aluminum in it.
Questions I would have too are:
What kind of sand are you using?
Is there a dry area of substrate in the tank for the hermies? Damp substrate tends to keep a freshly molted hermies exo soft. (Hence why the sometimes dampen their substrate for molting, to soften their exo for easier shedding)

[hyun.julia99]

Oh! sorry for the confusion! I use bottled water AND dechlorinated tap water (dechlorinated with API)
I've used up my bag of oceanic quite a while ago (maybe a year?) I just thought it'd be informational to include that i have used it in the past.
I am using "CaribSea Aragamax Sugar Sized Sand" (That's the name on the bag)
The area near my food bowl and area near the heater are fairly dry. The area under the hut is somewhat dry but closer to the moist side.
Mine always molt underground but it's the first time in years that i've had a molter come up early. She seems to be doing better though, i've included some powdered cuttlebone and spirulina into her separated area.
Also, thank you so much for the informational replies! They helped me stay less worried.

[emmac350]

If you eat eggs, eggshell is a great source of calcium. Rinse it well or microwave it before putting it in the tank and watch him/her go to town. One of mine has been chowing down on it...he's eaten about 1/2 an egg's worth of shell. It makes sense, though, because during my deep clean I discovered about a leg and a half of exo. Since he didn't eat them, he's supplementing with the eggshell!

I still haven't seen any action with my pale molter; we'll see when she first hits her food/water and the shells.

[hyun.julia99]

Woah! I dont need to crush the eggshell, right? My crabs are pretty picky and like things that are sweet or have kelp (seaweed, spirulina, etc.) in it.
Good luck on your pale molter!

[aussieJJDude]

Woah! I dont need to crush the eggshell, right?

Nope, just "rinse it well or microwave it before putting it in the tank and watch him/her go to town"... Thanks emmac350... That what there claws are for, it not like they have cut up fruit in the wild, right?

[emmac350]

Exactly! My eggshell enthusiast uses both claws and eats like it's going out of style. If you sit near the tank, you can hear the little cracking noises it makes as he pulls off pieces.

[hyun.julia99]

Hello! I'd just like to ask a few questions and update you on my crabs. It's been a little under a week since I posted this thread and I have a few updates.
First, my crab (pale molter) has been isolated but I noticed today that she went a head and moved the plastic container a bit (I was going to secure it this morning but I had to wake up for school at 5:30 so...) and changed shells. Since then she is a bit "looser" in her shell (The shell fits her a bit too tight (I think) but when I picked her up she isnt as "secure in the shell... How do I describe this, if I were to touch one of her legs or her pincher I would be able to move it with little force.) I am worried because this is what happened to my last pale molter who passed. Also, she ate all of her exo (which is good!) and the eggshell filled with a bit of honey, carrot, and bits of dried shrimp with mineral powder. Oh, she also isnt moving much nowadays (Maybe because shell moving was tiring?) I dont know if this would be the factor to her not moving much but the heat has been higher in my room, I go ahead and unplug the heater when I get home from school but it's hovering around 75-81 which seems a bit too warm. Also, should I get her some new shells? The one she is wearing seems tight.. (but I know it's their decision and they'll switch if they want to.) I have around 13 shells (and about 5 more) that I switch in and out.
Thanks for all the help!

[aussieJJDude]

The temp at 81 is fine!
For me, I find 80 - 85 my temp range... I find that they more active in that range...

[emmac350]

I keep my tank's temperature between 75-80 all the time, so your tank isn't too warm. You can't make your molter change shells, but if you rinse whatever shells are in with her in salt water, they'll seem more 'new' and she might be more tempted to check them out (salt water in the shell makes it seem like the shell has been recently discarded by another crab and, therefore, it's a good shell to have). Keep feeding her calcium/protein-rich foods and she should be okay; as long as you don't smell the dead crab strong fish smell, do not handle her. It's stressful to be handled when she's soft and can't defend herself.