My Hermy is Moulting, Help Please

[xXxEmilixXx]

Currently my Hermit Crab Edna is showing classic moulting signs. Her eyes are cloudy, she is weak, she was hanging around the bubbling rock pool for two days straight and then she moved into the food bowl and stayed there for two days straight too.
I added more sand to the crabitat, so it is deeper, and then I put in the hermy hut. I dug a hole for her and put her in it and covered her with sand just a bit incase she is too weak. I also put in two food lid containers, one containing pear, some fish food and nuts (Cashews). In the other lid is dechlorinated water. I also put in 3 spare shells. Do you think she will make it judging on by what I said?
For people who live in Melbourne, Australia, do any of you guys know where to get some stress-coat? I am having difficulting finding it.
Also, what pet shop would you reccomend that sells lots of hermit crab stuff that isn't too expensive, besides Mad About Pets in Ferntree Gully.
Is there anything else you would reccomend that I should give/do to my crab?
Thanks

[krabby_katie]

Did you actuallly burry the crab completely? If so you should probably dig her up because she might not beable to breathe. When hermit crabs burry themselves, they do it in a special way so that they can still breathe. You never really know when they'll actually dig down to do it. What are your tank conditions (humitidy, heat)? Hermit crabs usually go by their own terms for when the perfect time to molt is.

[ladybug15057]

xXxEmilixXx I have just done a search on some other posts you have done in the past and seems there are still replies from you needed in hopes of us possibly being able to help you with what is going on with your hermies. One thread actually has where your hermies have also been streaking. Please do help us to help you.

How Do I Make My Crabs More Active?
viewtopic.php?f=77&t=2803&p=22973#p22973

EMERGENCY! PLEASE HELP ASAP!
viewtopic.php?f=62&t=2802&p=22964#p22964

[emmac350]

I agree with Katie, you should dig her back up. Crabs make themselves little caverns when they dig down so that they have a lot of room and air to breathe. We can't provide them that when we bury them. It sounds like she was about to surface molt, which is not the end of the world. Marie's crabs all surface molt and do just fine.

If the cashews you've given your crabs are salted, I'd recommend not offering them - human-grade salt can easily be toxic to our crabs. I'd recommend you purchase some dried shrimp (available at most pet stores; I have a jar of freeze dried baby shrimp that's lasted me almost a year now and still have over 3/4 of it back) as these shrimp will provide protein for the crab as well as calcium and chitin which will help her harden her new exo after molting.

As for stress-coat, what do you want it for? It is not safe for crabs to drink, and most experienced crabbers have stopped using it with no adverse effects.

[ladybug15057]

I agree with Emma about the stresscoat. I was one who did use it for almost 2 years with our hermies and noted no ill effects. But now we do not use it and haven't for almost 7 years and still no ill effects. It is better in reality to offer a well balanced diet that contains the natural oils that hermies need. I would suggest to use that money towards something else that the hermies could use/need.
And Emma is correct too, a surface molt is not harmful to molters as long as they are protected from their tank mates when or after they are done so they do not become a meal. To date 635 molts here with 633 being successful!

[CrabbyJo]

your crab also needs dechlorinated ocean salt water as well, especially if she is headed for a molt.
I think this is a major item that you are missing from your tank, and if you are using distilled water, then there is an extreme lack of nutrients that could be replaced by giving your crabs the ocean salt water that they need. The most common brand people tend to use is called Instant Ocean, but if you can't find that one, just make sure it is a salt for salt water aquariums, not "aquarium salt" which is very different and does not have what the hermies need.

[xXxEmilixXx]

Did you actuallly burry the crab completely? If so you should probably dig her up because she might not beable to breathe. When hermit crabs burry themselves, they do it in a special way so that they can still breathe. You never really know when they'll actually dig down to do it. What are your tank conditions (humitidy, heat)? Hermit crabs usually go by their own terms for when the perfect time to molt is.

I only covered Edna with sand just a little bit, because I was thinking the same thing. The humidity is 75% and the temp is around 25.

[krabby_katie]

Those are decent. You might want to get the humidity up a little higher (around 80%). As for the molter, give them plenty of their salt water and lots of carotene (carrots and such for color) and calcium (cuttlebone, for stronger exo) before the molt. Make sure the other crabs don't venture too close to the molter, it could end up no so great.

[CrabbyJo]

Again it's very important to get some ocean salt water for your crab and right away. Crabs need it to help them molt, and without the salinity from the ocean salt water, I fear the molt could go bad. It's really a very important nutrient needed to help them molt. Hermies will sit and soak in the ocean salt pond when they are due to molt, sometimes for several days.
Let us know when you've got some, okay?