Hermit Crab Molting
A Guide to Hermit Crab Molting
For new pet owners, hermit crab molting is one of the most disconcerting parts of keeping these crabs. During hermit crab molting, the crab is under a lot of stress, and you have to be extra careful that there is nothing to agitate them or stress them further. During this time, do not try to hold the crabs and try not to disturb them at all if possible.
You can tell your hermit crab may be about to molt if you start noticing abnormal behavior or body signs. These might include burrowing more than usual, restlessness, near water often, listlessness, droopy or weak claws, or it might stop eating. The crab’s body may become ashen with whitish extremities. They may also have cloudy looking, whitish eyes. If your crab was missing a limb, they will start to grow a new little gel bud right before molting.
Because crabs are so stressed during the whole molting process, you might want to make up your mind beforehand as to what you are going to do during the molt. You have three options and you need to choose the one with which you are most comfortable. One thing you can do is prepare an isolation tank for hermit crab molting. You need to set up the isolation tank just the same as the original tank with the same heat and humidity conditions. You will need to purchase a second tank and some accessories. You also have to try and predict when he is going to molt so you can transfer him to the tank in time.
After the first molt this might get easier to figure out. A second way to treat hermit crab molting is by making a second tank by partitioning off part of the original tank. This can be accomplished by setting a temporary plastic tank inside the big tank. You will need sand, food and water in this tank as well. A third option is just to leave the crab in the main tank throughout the entire hermit crab molting process.
While this does leave the crab a bit vulnerable, most crab owners are able to accomplish the task. There is always a chance that the other crabs or another crab will attack the molting one. If this seems like it might be a possibility with your guys, what many people do to help is to put a fence around the molting crab that the others cannot climb over or under. This is usually done by taking a two-liter plastic soda bottle and cutting off the top and bottom. Then you stick the sides into the substrate so that your molting hermit crab is encompassed by this circular wall.
You will need to get some smaller dishes for water and food that can go inside this little fenced-in shelter. As soon as the crab’s new exoskeleton is hard, he will surface above ground and you can remove the plastic enclosure. Do not disturb the hermit crab during molting itself by trying to move him. If your crab begins to molt on the surface of the substrate, you definitely need to do something, and in this case moving him gently into an isolation tank might be the best thing. If this is impossible, make sure to separate him from the others with the plastic soda bottle method.