Molting Situation

[emmac350]

Here's my situation...it's quite complex!

I recently adopted 2 medium/large hermies that came with "hermit crab sand" about as deep as their shells are tall in their tank. I haven't switched it out as I am trying to let these guys destress for a week or two before doing anything else (I'd added some moss and a hemp net and soap dish when I first got them home as that tank was extremely bare bones) in their tank - they've been pretty good so far. After I added real ocean water, Rocky (the smaller of the two) went straight to it and drank for a good minute, then came back a few minutes later for more. He also spent almost an hour in the food bowl that night (I don't blame him - commercial foods with occasional fresh fruit isn't my idea of a good amount of nutrition either!).

Problem is, last night he started digging. He dug one spot out from under the wood hidey they came with, then went into the hidey and was almost completely dug in when I left for work this morning (I'm on break right now). I won't be home until another 8 hours from now.

I have more sand that I've had successful molts in - it's much more coarse than the hermit crab sand and is a marine reef sand. I don't have enough of it (as I've never had this big of crabs) to use it completely for a molting ISO separate from the new crab ISO separate from the main tank.

The main tank's sand is almost three times as high as the crabs' shells are, but I don't want to just stick them in there right now, if only because Toodles is molting somewhere (or has escaped, but I'm like 95% sure she's in the tank) and Nibs is still destressing from the encounter with the dog (see my journal for that whole fiasco...).

I am not going completely by the PPS article with Rocky and Spaz (as these guys were owned for almost a year before I got them) so I know that an immediate molt wouldn't be disastrous like it would for a new crab. However, I'm not sure where to go from here.

If Rocky is up when I get home, should I just go ahead and introduce the new guys to the tank (by using the exerciser first as an introductory area? I haven't observed any diseases or mites on them thus far; they've been really active at night. I don't want Spaz to get freaked out because he's alone, nor do I want him to dig Rocky up if he gets bored during the days (I am gone for at least 12 hours per day) and I won't catch it until I get home. So...what's my best course of action? I'm at a loss here.

[ladybug15057]

May I suggest to leave him be if he appears to be in premolt? Just because he wasn't brought from a pet store, but another family instead does not mean he is not lacking what he has needed during the past year. (Proper food and ocean water, as well as basic stable temps & humidity) The child who was suppose to be the owner/caregiver of these little ones lost interest and the parent was basically only supplying the bare minimums to these little ones. Now they have been mainly what they need since being with you and conditions would be/are right for them to get serious about molting. To move the little one now could be very stressful to him, as well as making any changes to his iso now as it is. He is familiar and settled a little with his current situation.

[emmac350]

That's what I figured, Marie. Other than adding the hemp nets/moss/soap dish, I haven't touched their tank.

Actually, I came home to find Rocky on the surface and Spaz dug under, making little 'bird' type noises (chirping? dunno). Who knows with these guys - they were DEFINITELY lacking in a lot of stuff before I bought them, although they barely touched their food last night and the night before. Maybe tonight's selection will catch their fancy, although I'll keep feeding them even if they never appear to eat...maybe they miss their commercial food? Dunno.

Guess we'll see what happens. I'll keep you posted.