Pale after molt X2

Questions about hermit crabs moulting and its symptoms.
Post Reply
hyun.julia99
Zygote
Zygote
Posts: 10
Joined: 13 Mar 2011, 05:31
Gender: Female
Hermit crabs: 2
Total gallons: 10
Total tanks: 1

Pale after molt X2

Post by hyun.julia99 »

What is the volume of your main tank?
10 Gallons
How many hermit crabs do you currently have? How big are they?
3. One small/medium and 2 medium/large in total 3 purple pincher crabs

How long have you had the hermit crab(s) that you are concerned about?
roughly 3 years

What substrate or combination of substrates are you using? How deep is it?
sand and coconut bedding. 7 inches deep

What do you feed your hermit crabs?
various fresh fruits and vegetables
dry foods such as krill, shrimp, food mixed sold from thehermitcrabpatch, and spirulina
Do you use distilled, bottled, tap or other types of water?
distilled

If you are using a dechlorinator, what brand is it? Does it state to remove all heavy metals, chlorine and chloramines?
API tap water conditioner. Yes.

What brand of sea salt are you using to supply your hermit crabs with salt water?
I switch between instant ocean and oceanic.

What heat source are you using and where is it positioned?
UTH on the right back side of the tank
Have you calibrated your thermometer(s) and hygrometer so that you can interpret accurate readings?
yes

What is the air temperature range and humidity inside the tank?
Temp: 60-75 Humidity 70-80 F

What is the highest temperature that the substrate near the heat source reaches?
82 F
Do you have any photos of your tank or hermit crab(s) of concern? If yes, please attach them to your post.
no

I currently have two crabs that are pale from a molt.
One (that has molted one month ago.) is not moving and is soft and pale. I dont detect a smell (fishy or dead)
The other has just surfaced but is still pale and was attacked by another crab and went naked until I found him. I have currently separated all the crabs with plastic bottle tops ( 2 liter tops that are cut in 3/4's size)
My last crab is not sick but I thought I would still give a description. She has good coloring and are going after the other crabs. Previously she and the other crab (2nd one listed) had a shell fight around a year ago after the shell that the 2nd crab was wearing. I solved the matter by getting the exact same shell and separating the two until I did.
My main question is, will they be alright. I think it's too late for the first crab but the second might have a chance.. I'm really worried and tried to be as concise and detailed as possible. What should I do with the crabs? The one that has recently come up from a molt is in a small depression covered by a plastic bottle. (also, a friend of mine was taking care of my crabs at her house (same tank, she just took the tank whole) and the crabs were in a different environment.)
User avatar
aussieJJDude
Zoea V
Zoea V
Posts: 432
Joined: 02 Mar 2012, 19:30
Gender: Male
Hermit crabs: 8
Total gallons: 65
Total tanks: 2
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Contact:

Re: Pale after molt X2

Post by aussieJJDude »

Sometimes they come up paler when they not feed the right foods, has the pale crab moulted before? i noticed when I get a new crab from the store, when they come up from the moult the very white. After 2 or so moults, they get there colours again.. :)
And with the one that isn't moving it sounds like that it freshly moulted..
Pics of both crabs will help tremulously! :)
246L/65G - 'Tidal Jungle' (Crabs) | 246L/65g - 'Backwater Pool' (Fish/Snails) | 96L/25G - ''Twisted Minds" (Fish/Snails/Shrimp) | 300L/90G Fancy Pond (Goldfish)

I've never had any problems with 'Impulse Buying'. They're just animals that I forgot I had planned to get.
hyun.julia99
Zygote
Zygote
Posts: 10
Joined: 13 Mar 2011, 05:31
Gender: Female
Hermit crabs: 2
Total gallons: 10
Total tanks: 1

Re: Pale after molt X2

Post by hyun.julia99 »

They haven't molted before and I was told that they had molted when I got them at the store. (Although I'm not sure if they were telling me the truth.) One of the crabs has already passed.. (Started to smell very very fishy) and the one that has come up from a molt seems to have come up too early as she has not eaten most of her exo. (I put her and her exo in a separate area in the tank. My last healthy crab is digging a lot and seems to be ready to molt. The crab that has recently molted wont be bothering my healthy crab so they are in the same tank. I'll try to take some pictures but I dont want to bother the already weak crab.
hyun.julia99
Zygote
Zygote
Posts: 10
Joined: 13 Mar 2011, 05:31
Gender: Female
Hermit crabs: 2
Total gallons: 10
Total tanks: 1

Re: Pale after molt X2

Post by hyun.julia99 »

Also, the crab that was not moving was moving the day before so I dont think that it was freshly moulted. It kept hidden in the cave alone and wouldnt move at all. no movement what so ever. With my other crab (Freshly moulted maybe 3 days after molt?) she is moving but very very pale. But.. now that you mention it could've been a moult it worries me that I may have buried crab that was alive...
Lastly, both of my crab seem to have slight deformities (The one that is dead and the one now.) The big pincher seemed to be slightly pinched inwards. I will try to upload a picture as soon as I can.
hyun.julia99
Zygote
Zygote
Posts: 10
Joined: 13 Mar 2011, 05:31
Gender: Female
Hermit crabs: 2
Total gallons: 10
Total tanks: 1

Re: Pale after molt X2

Post by hyun.julia99 »

Picture of the pale, moulted hermit crab. (I do not have pictures of the crab that I think has passed.
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
User avatar
aussieJJDude
Zoea V
Zoea V
Posts: 432
Joined: 02 Mar 2012, 19:30
Gender: Male
Hermit crabs: 8
Total gallons: 65
Total tanks: 2
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Contact:

Re: Pale after molt X2

Post by aussieJJDude »

From the picture it looks like she just recently moulted...
For the pic, the pincher looks normal? That how many of my guys pinchers look like?
Does she feel soft to the touch?

Another thing I think about when looking ath the pincher is that it looks like it came from the store. My crabs when going into the first moult from the store seem to lose there colours - if they did have colours before hand - and then regain it after they feed the right food, veggies, fruits, meats ect...
246L/65G - 'Tidal Jungle' (Crabs) | 246L/65g - 'Backwater Pool' (Fish/Snails) | 96L/25G - ''Twisted Minds" (Fish/Snails/Shrimp) | 300L/90G Fancy Pond (Goldfish)

I've never had any problems with 'Impulse Buying'. They're just animals that I forgot I had planned to get.
hyun.julia99
Zygote
Zygote
Posts: 10
Joined: 13 Mar 2011, 05:31
Gender: Female
Hermit crabs: 2
Total gallons: 10
Total tanks: 1

Re: Pale after molt X2

Post by hyun.julia99 »

She seems slightly soft but not very much, nothing like my other crab. The store that I bought her from a while ago didn't exactly have the best conditions, like many stores. I had another question. Is it okay to just have 2 crabs? I've always had a trio of crabs so I'm not exactly sure if a duo is okay.
hyun.julia99
Zygote
Zygote
Posts: 10
Joined: 13 Mar 2011, 05:31
Gender: Female
Hermit crabs: 2
Total gallons: 10
Total tanks: 1

Re: Pale after molt X2

Post by hyun.julia99 »

Update: I separated the two crabs and gave the pale one a chance to take a bath in the salt and fresh water pools, (I have a small bowl in the separated area) and she seemed to be "washing" herself off. Is this normal. She kept rubbing her legs with her big claw almost like she was scooping up the water and pouring it over her legs. I also gave her small amounts honey mixed with powdered coral (hermitcrabpatch) today and yesterday and a piece of dried shrimp today.
User avatar
aussieJJDude
Zoea V
Zoea V
Posts: 432
Joined: 02 Mar 2012, 19:30
Gender: Male
Hermit crabs: 8
Total gallons: 65
Total tanks: 2
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Contact:

Re: Pale after molt X2

Post by aussieJJDude »

hyun.julia99 wrote:She seems slightly soft but not very much, nothing like my other crab. The store that I bought her from a while ago didn't exactly have the best conditions, like many stores. I had another question. Is it okay to just have 2 crabs? I've always had a trio of crabs so I'm not exactly sure if a duo is okay.
I separated the two crabs and gave the pale one a chance to take a bath in the salt and fresh water pools, (I have a small bowl in the separated area) and she seemed to be "washing" herself off. Is this normal. She kept rubbing her legs with her big claw almost like she was scooping up the water and pouring it over her legs. I also gave her small amounts honey mixed with powdered coral (hermitcrabpatch) today and yesterday and a piece of dried shrimp today.
Please refrain of posting in multiple successions, just update your last post :)

It is OK to have 2 crabs, but more the merrier - but remember the size of the tank limits the number of crabs! Like you can cram 50 crabs into a 55G.. :)
The "washing" themselves is normal, many crabs have done that, sometimes they rub their eyestalks too, as if they cleaning them :) Sounds like she going well! :)
246L/65G - 'Tidal Jungle' (Crabs) | 246L/65g - 'Backwater Pool' (Fish/Snails) | 96L/25G - ''Twisted Minds" (Fish/Snails/Shrimp) | 300L/90G Fancy Pond (Goldfish)

I've never had any problems with 'Impulse Buying'. They're just animals that I forgot I had planned to get.
hyun.julia99
Zygote
Zygote
Posts: 10
Joined: 13 Mar 2011, 05:31
Gender: Female
Hermit crabs: 2
Total gallons: 10
Total tanks: 1

Re: Pale after molt X2

Post by hyun.julia99 »

Ah, I wasn't sure if you could post within your post. (If that makes sense)
Post Reply