Just a bit of reassurance really.

Questions about hermit crabs moulting and its symptoms.
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Arelty
Zygote
Zygote
Posts: 1
Joined: 18 Jul 2018, 00:48
Gender: Female
Hermit crabs: 4
Total gallons: 15
Total tanks: 1

Just a bit of reassurance really.

Post by Arelty »

Hello, this is my first post.

I am just looking for some reassurance RE my hermit crabs. I have 4 Purple Pinchers; Horatio, Boulder, Spike and Twist. I have had Horatio for a year and a half, and I have had the other three since Feb this year. In their shells, they are about four inches across, but Horatio is a little smaller.

Horatio and Twist had been missing for two weeks and a month respectively. I assumed they were just molting, but then smelled the dreaded fishy smell, so I assumed that one or both had died. So I went digging to look for the bodies, as I didn't want to leave rotting crabs in the tank.

I found Horatio, who was not dead, and moved a little as I got close. Once I realised he was not dead, I gently covered him back up again. He was facing down towards the bottom of the tank, and I didn't fully unearth him, so I don't think I will have suffocated him.
This done, I figured it must be Twist that had died. I located him as well and saw the tell tale signs of limbs and a claw around his shell. Thinking this must be the dead crab, I picked the shell up, and to my surprise, there was a brand new claw there which looked very bright and quite hard, so I concluded that I had found his exo skeleton. I heard movement so I know, that he is also still alive. Again, once I realised he wasn't dead, he carefully put him back and covered him over.

I still have his exo skeleton, and I know that crabs usually eat them. However, I don't know if I should disturb him again to put it back near him for him to eat.

I know that crabs that are/have molted shouldn't be disturbed and I now feel incredibly guilty for doing so, even though I was sure that both crabs had died. From what I have written (I know nothing is easily predictable), have I just caused their deaths, or does it sound like it will be okay.

My other two crabs are fine and healthy if slightly miffed at being moved so I could look for their apparently not dead tankmates.

Thank you for any advice
StellaCrab
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Posts: 72
Joined: 17 Nov 2016, 10:29
Gender: Male
Hermit crabs: 13
Total gallons: 125
Total tanks: 2

Re: Just a bit of reassurance really.

Post by StellaCrab »

If you recover a crab once you have dug it up, it will suffocate. When a hermit crab digs, it creates an air pocket that we cannot replicate, and it will quickly die once covered if it is too weak to surface for air. You shouldn’t dig for your crabs unless you have an emergency, are moving and need to relocate your crabs, or if there is a molting issue.

I think it would be best if you would isolate the molting crab with his leftover exoskeleton, some food and water in reach, and let him recover with limited hand to hand contact. Molting hermit crabs can also put off a funny smell that is similar to iodine, which is very appealing to other crabs, meaning they will attract other crabs if they are not molting properly below the substrate.

This smell is also often confused with the fishy death smell, and many crab keepers have killed their crabs when they weren’t actually dead.
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