HELP ME please im so worried. Please help!-READ

[Mr.Crab]

My hands are shaking and my heart is all over the place. I went to check on my medium today and I lifted him over when all his exo fell out(legs, body, antennas, etc) I thought he was dead but then I saw his big claw and it is FULL PINK COLOR I saw his legs behind it and ITS ALL PINK IN COLOR. Is this okay?? Is this the color after the molt?
I lifted him up slowly(he was in his shell) and placed him inside an iso will LOTS of sand and I poored saltwater around him and ontop of him (the saltwater conditioner says it promotes molting and helps harden exo) So I don't know what to put in the ISO cuz this is first time. I defenitly saw all his legs and his big claw moving so he IS alive and not dead, just REALLY pink.

1)What do I do?
2) When will it harden?
3) Will he die? what do I do when he dies?
4) How do I know if he dies? Smell?
5) when he comes up, will he be thirsty and hungry?
6) What do I do with the exo? (its in a little plastic bag)
7) What do I put inside the ISO with him? water? food? his exo? HELP

[krabby_katie]

Calm down. Keep him in iso. Put his exo infront of him. He will eat that. Put both kinds of water and some food. He won't eat much until he eats his exo. It will harden in a few weeks maybe. If he dies he will probably be hanging out of his shell, and won't hid no matter what. Yes, it's normal that they're pink. He might not dig down if he was surface molting. There is a higher risk that he might die, but I've had all of mine that surface molted/gotten dug up survive. I've never had a death from a molt.

[Mr.Crab]

He did not surface molt. He was dug under but you could see the back of his shell. His body was under. I only see his big claw and 2 legs. all pink. I put some food in sprinkled cuttlebone. Im gonna get off some of the cuttlebone cuz I think I put too much. Ill put the water tonight. He probably wont get up tho. He was NOT surface molting. He was dug under the sand but I could see the back of his shell, but his body was under. What tempatures and humidity in there? What do you mean by put the exo in front of him? take him out from under the sand then put him back but his exo on top of him? Can he get out of his shell when he is pink?

[krabby_katie]

Nevermind. I thought you were talking about a surface molting. Keep him where him and his exo are. He'll start eating it. I think he'll be fine. Keep the temp and humidity at 80.

[Mr.Crab]

Nevermind. I thought you were talking about a surface molting. Keep him where him and his exo are. He'll start eating it. I think he'll be fine. Keep the temp and humidity at 80.

Shoul I keep the exo right under him you mean? Or put it in a dish and right near him? Its in a dish now.

[krabby_katie]

Under him would be better. That's where it would be if he had molted normally.

[Mr.Crab]

Under him would be better. That's where it would be if he had molted normally.

Oh god. His exo is in a dish now, not under him. WIll he get up to eat it??? What do I do? I dont want to disturb him to put it under him. HELP

[kennedy_family_mom]

Carefully lift him up, if you can still see his shell. Put his exo under him...he needs it. Then place him back where he was.

[Mr.Crab]

Carefully lift him up, if you can still see his shell. Put his exo under him...he needs it. Then place him back where he was.

Will do. He is alive.

[Wai]

1) Nothing, but you could have set up a barrier around him if he wasn't isolated.
2) Who knows? It could take weeks or even a month or two.
3) Who knows? After he has died, there isn't much you can do but bury him.
4) Yes.
5) That's for him to know. Hermit crabs often store fat and water in a moulting sack that they carry around with them at such a time.
6) Surely you would have read that a hermit crab needs to eat its own exoskeleton? Never mind.
7) Put up a barrier around him. I'm not sure whether moving moulters to an isolation unit is such a good idea.