.Moulting Together?
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Crabby Kortney
- Zygote
- Posts: 44
- Joined: 12 Jul 2005, 04:12
- Location: NS, Canada
Moulting Together?
I was was wondering (because 2 of my crabs were moulting at the same time, My 2nd moult!) if two crabs can moult in the same icO without attacking each other? I only have one ico and a carrying case so i seperated the two. I feel sorry for the one in the carrying case though .
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Wai
- Administrator
- Posts: 2921
- Joined: 01 Nov 2004, 14:12
- Gender: Male
- Hermit crabs: 6
- Total gallons: 45
- Total tanks: 1
- Location: Victoria, Australia
- Contact:
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Crabby Kortney
- Zygote
- Posts: 44
- Joined: 12 Jul 2005, 04:12
- Location: NS, Canada
Im learning alot about crabs from this site! How did you guy find out so much?-
Wai
- Administrator
- Posts: 2921
- Joined: 01 Nov 2004, 14:12
- Gender: Male
- Hermit crabs: 6
- Total gallons: 45
- Total tanks: 1
- Location: Victoria, Australia
- Contact:
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ayianna
- Zoea I
- Posts: 87
- Joined: 05 Nov 2004, 18:09
- Location: Irving, TX
- Contact:
umm...
Well, to begin with, crabs release a hormone when they molt. It's something like women when they have their periods. Often, when women live together for months or longer, their periods will synchronize.
So too will some hermit crabs synchronize with each other.
Of all of my molting experiences, none of my crabs has ever dug up the other. In my personal experience, the only time I have deaths is during PPS (post purchase syndrome) or a shell fight.
Moving a crab to iso when it looks ready to molt or has molted already:
What can I say? Your crab is just getting comfy for a nice molt and you up and change the environment - the air changes, the bacterias and molds change, the temperature is different, and no other crabs are around.
While I realize that we've already taken them out of their natural habitat, isolation is plain unnatural! Crabs roam in groups all the time. It's not in their nature to be alone.
If you have a surface molt : unless the crab is injured (In which case, it probably SHOULD be in iso. Crabs can and WILL eat each other. They are *scavengers*) take the crab and any bits that have already been molted away and just bury the crab gently. Honestly, this works really beautifully. You'll want to make sure the shell faces the bottom so sand doesn't get in the shell. If at all possible, bury them near where they molted. This is where they may be most comfortable.
~~~Ayianna
Well, to begin with, crabs release a hormone when they molt. It's something like women when they have their periods. Often, when women live together for months or longer, their periods will synchronize.
So too will some hermit crabs synchronize with each other.
Of all of my molting experiences, none of my crabs has ever dug up the other. In my personal experience, the only time I have deaths is during PPS (post purchase syndrome) or a shell fight.
Moving a crab to iso when it looks ready to molt or has molted already:
What can I say? Your crab is just getting comfy for a nice molt and you up and change the environment - the air changes, the bacterias and molds change, the temperature is different, and no other crabs are around.
While I realize that we've already taken them out of their natural habitat, isolation is plain unnatural! Crabs roam in groups all the time. It's not in their nature to be alone.
If you have a surface molt : unless the crab is injured (In which case, it probably SHOULD be in iso. Crabs can and WILL eat each other. They are *scavengers*) take the crab and any bits that have already been molted away and just bury the crab gently. Honestly, this works really beautifully. You'll want to make sure the shell faces the bottom so sand doesn't get in the shell. If at all possible, bury them near where they molted. This is where they may be most comfortable.
~~~Ayianna