moulting?
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hermit crabs rock 10
- Zygote
- Posts: 56
- Joined: 05 Jul 2010, 07:04
- Gender: Female
- Hermit crabs: 2
- Total gallons: 10
- Total tanks: 1
moulting?
hey guys! i have a question, my hermit crab hermie dug into the ground, and in a day or two he came back up and walking around. do u guys think he moulted or no because i have no clueif he is or not plz post back!
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CrabbyJo
- Coenobita
- Posts: 1849
- Joined: 21 Jan 2009, 13:31
- Gender: Female
- Hermit crabs: 7
- Total gallons: 85
- Total tanks: 4
- Location: Alaska
Re: moulting?
Hermit crabs will dig down underground frequently as part of their every day behavior. If a hermit crab is new to you, he may also dig down just to de-stress and may stay there for several days, up to two weeks.
Generally, if a crab is digging down to molt, he will stay down for a minimum of a week, but more often it will be 3 weeks or longer.
before they do this, they will likely spend a lot more time than usual in the ocean salt water dish and the food dish as they begin storing food and water and imbibing salt to help them slip their exoskeleton off more easily. They may also begin to look "ashy", their eyes may begin to also look "clouded over", and their eyestalks may begin drooping toward each other or at odd angles instead of straight out like they normally are, especially when the molt is very close.
So if your crab isn't having any of these symptoms, I wouldn't assume he's down for a molt every time he digs under. BUT - you can never be sure, so never, ever dig up a buried crab.
Generally, if a crab is digging down to molt, he will stay down for a minimum of a week, but more often it will be 3 weeks or longer.
before they do this, they will likely spend a lot more time than usual in the ocean salt water dish and the food dish as they begin storing food and water and imbibing salt to help them slip their exoskeleton off more easily. They may also begin to look "ashy", their eyes may begin to also look "clouded over", and their eyestalks may begin drooping toward each other or at odd angles instead of straight out like they normally are, especially when the molt is very close.
So if your crab isn't having any of these symptoms, I wouldn't assume he's down for a molt every time he digs under. BUT - you can never be sure, so never, ever dig up a buried crab.
6 hermit crabs - 3 PPs and 3 Equadorians
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Please feel free to share information from this website, but please be sure to give credit and a link back to the information. Failure to give credit is plagiarism. Don't take credit for someone else's information.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Please feel free to share information from this website, but please be sure to give credit and a link back to the information. Failure to give credit is plagiarism. Don't take credit for someone else's information.
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hermit crabs rock 10
- Zygote
- Posts: 56
- Joined: 05 Jul 2010, 07:04
- Gender: Female
- Hermit crabs: 2
- Total gallons: 10
- Total tanks: 1
Re: moulting?
thx so much. but right now he is trying to either under or through the food bowl where he dug before should i move the bowl or no orr is he trying to go back to eat his exoskeleton if he moulted? plz right back.
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harleyucollins
- Zygote
- Posts: 81
- Joined: 26 Apr 2010, 12:50
- Gender: Female
- Hermit crabs: 10
- Total gallons: 31
- Total tanks: 3
- Location: Pennsboro, WV
- Contact:
Re: moulting?
I would just leave the food bowl be, but if he does to flip it, then I would move it or you'll loose all your food 0_0 Most of my crabs just like to dig underneath things I have in the tank.
Proud owner of 10 hermit crabs.
6 PP's - Dino, Squirt, and Squishy (Other three unnamed)
4 E -Reo-ohki, Pip, Magnus, and Tien
6 PP's - Dino, Squirt, and Squishy (Other three unnamed)
4 E -Reo-ohki, Pip, Magnus, and Tien
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hermit crabs rock 10
- Zygote
- Posts: 56
- Joined: 05 Jul 2010, 07:04
- Gender: Female
- Hermit crabs: 2
- Total gallons: 10
- Total tanks: 1
Re: moulting?
ok thx he just dug up again and hes hanging by one of his branches. so i guess hes not moulting 
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CrabbyJo
- Coenobita
- Posts: 1849
- Joined: 21 Jan 2009, 13:31
- Gender: Female
- Hermit crabs: 7
- Total gallons: 85
- Total tanks: 4
- Location: Alaska
Re: moulting?
Do pay attention to whether he is showing other pre-molt symptoms. As i said, sometimes they will just dig for fun. I had one that dug a LOT for several months before he ever molted.
6 hermit crabs - 3 PPs and 3 Equadorians
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Please feel free to share information from this website, but please be sure to give credit and a link back to the information. Failure to give credit is plagiarism. Don't take credit for someone else's information.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Please feel free to share information from this website, but please be sure to give credit and a link back to the information. Failure to give credit is plagiarism. Don't take credit for someone else's information.
-
hermit crabs rock 10
- Zygote
- Posts: 56
- Joined: 05 Jul 2010, 07:04
- Gender: Female
- Hermit crabs: 2
- Total gallons: 10
- Total tanks: 1
Re: moulting?
ok thx u guys! i guess hev diggung for fun!
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hermit crabs rock 10
- Zygote
- Posts: 56
- Joined: 05 Jul 2010, 07:04
- Gender: Female
- Hermit crabs: 2
- Total gallons: 10
- Total tanks: 1
Re: moulting?
CrabbyJo you were right! it was a mouth before and now he moulted because i see his exskeleton right by him! Im so happy!
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harleyucollins
- Zygote
- Posts: 81
- Joined: 26 Apr 2010, 12:50
- Gender: Female
- Hermit crabs: 10
- Total gallons: 31
- Total tanks: 3
- Location: Pennsboro, WV
- Contact:
Re: moulting?
Wait... does that mean that he molted on the surface?
Proud owner of 10 hermit crabs.
6 PP's - Dino, Squirt, and Squishy (Other three unnamed)
4 E -Reo-ohki, Pip, Magnus, and Tien
6 PP's - Dino, Squirt, and Squishy (Other three unnamed)
4 E -Reo-ohki, Pip, Magnus, and Tien
-
hermit crabs rock 10
- Zygote
- Posts: 56
- Joined: 05 Jul 2010, 07:04
- Gender: Female
- Hermit crabs: 2
- Total gallons: 10
- Total tanks: 1
Re: moulting?
idk if he moulted on the surface. i looked under a log and i saw him wit his exoskeleton.