Are they preparing to molt?

[krabby_katie]

Okay. I got home last night to find that Xena had dug herself a hole, but not too deep, that she was it. She wasn't all the way in there, so I put her in ISO. She stayed in the cocohut in there for about 2 hours, then came out and walked around. I put her back in the tank. None of them have those water pocket things, I just checked. Then I woke up this morning to find 2 big holes dug. The one by the food dish was dug down clear to the bottom of the tank. The other was by the water dish, and was dug 3/4 of the way to the bottom of the tank. Noone was in them, or anything. I'm not sure who did it. Is someone going to molt soon?

[HermieLove19]

Usually when the dig like that and they aren't normally diggers they're going to molt. Mine love to dig so sometimes its hard to tell when unless i see that water bubble they need to have to get the exo off. They may just be exploring and digging and running around. I would keep an eye on them just in case. Bigger crabs take longer to molt and don't do it as often as smaller crabs. Your crabs are bigger than mine lol so they may not be ready yet.

Here's a good page on molting and when to move them.
http://exoticpets.about.com/od/hermitcr ... solate.htm

[krabby_katie]

Hmm, I think that I might try the bottle thing instead of iso if someone starts to molt. None of them have that water bubble thing, so I'm not too sure. Noone has dug in the tank for a few weeks before now. The holes were never that deep either.

[HermieLove19]

If you do isolate them they would be in there for a while without other crabs. they might get lonely.I like the bottle idea.

[krabby_katie]

Yeah. I now know that it's Xena. I just found her digging hersefl a hole. I did the bottle thing. I have a shell of water and another with with food: crushed cuttlebone, banana and other foods. She's still in her hole. I hope everything goes good. I thought that they needed that water bubble thing to molt?

[HermieLove19]

They need that to help get the exo off. And they also need it because they won't have any water while they're down there. I had two that buried themselves all the time but never had the water reserve bubble. Only one molted so far. They like to be hidden. Do you know if she is actually molting?

[krabby_katie]

Not sure yet. She's been in the little trench all day. She hasn't moved anything but her eyes.

[PhoEniX212]

I read the pre-moulting signs post in this forum, but it didn't mention anything about the water bubble thing, although i'm sure i've heard of it somewhere. Can someone possibly enlighten me as to what it is and where it can be seen on the crabs? Thanks!!

[HermieLove19]

The crabbage patch actually has a care page and on this page the first picture you see is of a reserve bubble.

http://www.thecrabbagepatch.com/molting.html

That's one of the only ways I could be absolutely positive that my crabby was going to molt.

Prior to burying, the hermit crab will begin to store water and nutrients which can be seen on larger crabs as a gray-black bubble located on the left underside of the crabs abdomen. The water will be used to expand the exoskeleton during ecdysis and the stored nutrients will sustain the crab while buried. Salt plays an important role in the shedding process. Hermit crabs need to store salts in addition to water in order to build up hydrostatic pressure necessary to burst open their exoskeleton so that they can pull out of it

[iluvhermies]

Well I have had over 100 molts and I have never noticed the bubble thingy before.