Dead? or surface Moult

Allison · Post by **Allison** » 24 Jan 2008, 13:01

I have a rather small hermie who I have had for a few months now and he recently decided to do a weird thing. He is very pale in coulor he dug himself a bit of a hole but you can still see him. He hasn't moved in forever and he is very pale and his eyes are clouded over and it almost appears like a spider web like stuff is comming on him. I keep sniffing him to see if he smells fishy but I don't smell anything. I got some moss and covered him over iwth moss to keep him safe but am I missing something is he probally dead ?

iluvhermies · Post by **iluvhermies** » 24 Jan 2008, 15:04

We'll without seeing a picture it is hard to say, however, I had one the other morning that I thought was dead when I moved the water bowl and it was just the skeleton. I realized that when I saw 2 large claws. I do know that the eyes get glazed over and they do get pale right after a molt but I am not sure what the web looking stuff would be. If it is dead it will stink pretty badly, like a very stinky fish.

Jaci · Post by **Jaci** » 26 Jan 2008, 04:35

are there any other crabs in the tank?

Grammarcia · Post by **Grammarcia** » 27 Jan 2008, 07:22

Just want to say that I've lost a few crabs since I started with them and not one of them has smelled at all. I wish I knew why, because if a moulter dies in the tank, I have no way of knowing.

Jaci · Post by **Jaci** » 28 Jan 2008, 03:51

that's weird. i know when mine die, they have a distinct smell and their antennae are down.

if he's doing a surface molt, he'll stay in his shell and not come out. touch him and see if he moves. put him in ISO immediately and keep an eye on him. when zeus wouldn't come out for me and looked pale, i just put a hermie hut on her, turned the opening to the hut to the side of the tank and left her alone. the next morning she'd molted her exo and was inside her shell, almost white. we put her into ISO with salt water and calcium-rich food and/or regular food with calcium powder. we kept her there until her new exo had it's color back and she had eaten her exo.

how long has your hermie been like that?

Allison · Post by **Allison** » 29 Jan 2008, 11:55

he has been like that I would say for a few weeks his anteni (sorry for spelling) are still up at first he moved a bit and now he is just stiff and still he is out of his shell pretty much but like not dangling just looks like he is sitting there but there is no smell what so ever he smells like sand and there are 3 other crabs in the tank one just reappeared it doesn't look like he moulted he was just burried for weeks on end and one changed shells and now has been down since the end of December I dono maybe I'm doing something wrong

Allison · Post by **Allison** » 29 Jan 2008, 11:56

I just don't want to dispose of the poor little fellow if he is still alive but I dono how long to wait before I dispose of him

iluvhermies · Post by **iluvhermies** » 29 Jan 2008, 12:05

As much as I hate to say this. I think maybe he is gone. If you shake the shell sllightly does it fall out? If so I would say yes he has gone on.

Allison · Post by **Allison** » 29 Jan 2008, 12:32

I did kinda shake the shell a little a while back and he is pretty much stuck in there and that made me wonder because before when one of my hermies died it like fell out of it's shell completely when I picked it up

iluvhermies · Post by **iluvhermies** » 29 Jan 2008, 13:53

I have had them get dried out when they passed on and get stuck in the shell and I had to soak them to get them out of the shell.