Molting?

[kennedy_family_mom]

I know it's hard to tell sometimes...Temp 78, humidity, 75-80%. Calcisand. Have had the crab since October of '07. Never molted.

Last month, he dug down for a few days, then came back up for a few days. He dug back down, and was under for 2 weeks, then came back up and re-buried the same night in a different location. That was about 2 weeks ago.

Yesterday, I looked under the tank (10 g), his antenna were wiggling, and his limbs were moving a little. He seemed fine. His shell was up, not sitting on the bottom. His claws were all touching the bottom.

I looked under today, and there is no movement. Shell is now on the bottom, claws all appear to be in the same location with tips touching the bottom. BP is laying sidways. That's how it was yesterday...but today there is no movement.

I'm hoping he molted, and that is the exo, and he's inside the shell behind it. It appears the exo/body is still in the shell...is that how they do it? Do they molt while inside the shell?

My other crab had a successful molt, but I never thought to look under the tank! So I have no idea what it looks like from under there. It's not all splayed out or anything like I've read it would look like from underneath.

[kennedy_family_mom]

I checked again this morning, and he moved. He hasn't molted yet. Hopefully he'll have a successful molt, and I can put him in his new home! He's in the 10g. I just set up a 55g yesterday

[Wai]

Kira Sharai warned me about the use of CalciSand. She had four moulters in the CalciSand, and ultimately, three of them died, with Claude being the sole survivor. However, that was also what left Claude crippled with the loss of both her claws.

I urge you to immediately remove the CalciSand and replace it with sand or some other suitable substrate. Give the new substrate a try and see if that will encourage your hermit crab to moult.

[kennedy_family_mom]

When I set up my 55g tank, it's playsand and Eco Earth. The 10g has calci sand...and when this crab surfaces, he will go to the 55g tank. (He's been under for a while, and just last week I set up the 55g)

I'll be taking out the calcisand, and using playsand for the 10g--it will be an iso tank. I had another crab successfully molt in the calci sand.