Semi-surface molt?

[ladybug15057]

Oh with him being on the surface the others will be able to smell the molting odor. (I can smell it on our hermies sometimes when they are in premolt and hermies sense of smell is suppose to be greater than ours)
For such occasions, one should have an iso they can use. If one cannot afford a separate iso at first (we all honestly understand how much money these things add up to) the mini critter keepers with a lid can be used and then placed within the main tank. Use the lid and make sure the little door is latched, you will be surprised how the others can even get on top of those. With the glass from the pictures make sure all climbing items are moved so they cannot climb them to drop down in with the molter by. Even at this though, there are times hermies can scale the glass of the frames by the little cracks where the glass meets the tank.

[lilhoney42380]

OMG I had horrible nightmares last night! I'm so scared that I hurt him when I picked him up. It's too late now to put him in the critter keeper because I'm scared that if I pick him up again he'll come all the way out of his shell! I will do that the next time though. But in order to do that I need to be aware of when the molt is going to occur!

He's not moving in the cocohut at all! When will he start moving around again and how will I know if he's dead or not?!

I need to get more picture frames tonight!

[ladybug15057]

As opposed to picking him up and taking the chance of him sliding out of his shell, one can use a large spoon (the type for cooking and dishing out food) to move the hermie along with the substrate they are on. Some hermies will begin to move in a couple hours of molting, some a week or so. Each hermie recovers at different speeds.

[lilhoney42380]

That's a good idea to use a big cooking spoon or spatula to move him. Do you think I should risk moving him to the critter keeper though or should I just leave him alone?

[lilhoney42380]

Also one of my other crabs has the tip of one of his legs missing. Should I be watching for the gel limb to form and then put him in ISO as soon as I see that?!

[lilhoney42380]

My molter is still in the cocohut but I can see him a little bit. He looks really soft! Is that normal?! I don't smell anything bad so he must not be dead! He doesn't look like he's moved at all though! I really hope I didn't murder him!!! OMG!!!

[ladybug15057]

Hermies are really soft when they molt and why they may not move for awhile. (once a crabber stated that they "are like wet cement, if you touch them they will mark".) Whether to move him to an iso area or not has to be a judgment call. Me, I would of moved him after I knew he had a chance to clean the 'molting fluid' up. (it is said that not long after they molt the fluid can harden like glue if not cleaned soon after molting.) But we have had our hermies here for a long time and they are use to being handled too.
For the hermie who is missing the tip of his leg, he will not grow a gel bud there. Hermies only grow gel limbs when they are missing the whole limb.

[lilhoney42380]

The "molting fluid?" Ewww!!!

So I just went down and shined a flashlight into the aquarium and he was still in the cocohut but looked like he had changed positions and I even saw him move a little! I'm not a murderer!!!

[lilhoney42380]

My molter is moving around a little more today. He's still in the cocohut. What if he's starving and dying for a drink but too weak to get out of the cocohut?!

[Wai]

He should have a food sac and water in his shell, so don't worry about that.