Semi-surface molt?

[lilhoney42380]

I'm new to hermie ownership and think I have my first molter. He is semi buried in the sand in the back of the crabitat. I can still see his shell and I'm choosing not to iso him. He hasn't moved for 5 days and I'm really nervous! How can I tell if he's dead back there or just molting? He'd smell if he was dead right?! HELP!

[emmac350]

If he's on the surface to the point that you can see him, you'd smell if he was dead so don't worry! Just let him be and consider finding a way to keep the other crabs in the tank (if there are any) away from him. If he's in a corner, you can use picture frame glass, or a cut 2-liter plastic bottle to keep anybody else in the tank away from him.

[lilhoney42380]

The other one doesn't seem to be bothering him at all.

[lilhoney42380]

Well he died. I was worried about him and the crabitat smelled a little funny so I picked him up and he stunk really bad! He was definitely dead! I don't understand why he died though because he was totally fine and pretty active before he dug under. I was measuring the temp and humidity and it was perfect and the sand was as wet as it should be to make a sand castle! I read that it should be that wet in a book but then I was told by a Tropical Pet Store employee that it shouldn't be that wet so I don't know what to believe!

He died but I went out and bought 3 E's to replace him! So now I have them and the PP that I had with the deceased. That PP is way more active now with the E's!

[CrabbyJo]

lilhoney,

The sand should just be damp, not too wet. If it drips at all or is heavy when you pick some up, it's too wet.

I'm sorry for your loss, do you have any idea what might have caused him to die?
You sure don't want the same to happen to more hermies.
You say you haven't had crabs very long - how long had you had this particular hermie? It could have been post purchase stress, caused by bad pet store conditions and bad treatment since he was harvested.

[ladybug15057]

I read that it should be that wet in a book but then I was told by a Tropical Pet Store employee that it shouldn't be that wet so I don't know what to believe!

Whether to dampen the sand or to use it dry is a personal choice. Some use it damp, some use it dry. I have used dry sand now for 10+ years and have been very successful in doing so. But I do provide large water sources and if the hermies want/need it damp they can do so themselves with the water ponds that are throughout the tank. I use other means to keep the humidity level up, and others have other ways to keep theirs up as well.

[lilhoney42380]

I had only had the deceased for about a month before he died.

The lady at the Tropical Pets pet store said not to mist the tank at all as I told her that I'd been misting alot with the deceased. I would pick him up and mist him and he seemed to like it so much that I would mist him and the tank more. Maybe I gave him too much of a good thing and killed him with love?

The 3 E's that I just bought and the PP that I had with the deceased all seem to be doing well so far. I haven't been misting at all and they have a bowl of fresh water and a bowl of saltwater at all times which I change daily. I gave them turkey burger and grapes for dinner the other night and they tore it up! There was little left in the morning!

[lilhoney42380]

I was watching one of my crabs the other day because I noticed that all of a sudden he only likes to sluggishly walk backwards and seems to have trouble when walking forward. He was clawing at the glass on the front of the tank and I saw a yellowish gel sac on one of his legs!!! He also sat in the salt water dish all night a few nights ago. He attempted to go into one of the cocohuts last night but seemed like digging was a real chore for him and when he got half way in he quit and he was still in that position this morning when I left for work!

What should I do???!!!

[Wai]

Could it just be his abdomen? When my hermit crabs were still in their original shells, I used to mistake their yellow abdomen for a moulting sac (which is usually black in colour).

[ladybug15057]

I would suggest to leave him be but section him off so the others cannot get to him. But IMO what you are seeing can't be a gel molting sac. Water sacs if a hermies has one is not on their legs, but down within their shell.
Have you tweaked the suggestions at this post that had suggestions made?

viewtopic.php?f=78&t=3847&p=32310#p32310