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Is My Hermit Crab Asleep or Just Dead?

I Changed My Mind...Is My Hermit Crab Molting or Dead?

  • I posted a question about if my hermit crab 'Hermie' was really dead. I blamed my bigger hermit 'Kermie' for his death, but I'm having doubts. Well, last night, I came home and saw Hermie wasnt moving. I pushed him a little and saw that his limbs were hanging out of his shell. I thought he was dead or maybe he is. Well this morning, I woke up and saw that Hermies legs were back in his shell. I was kind of happy cause I guess I thought there was still hope for him. He didn't move all day, he's in the same place. I'm not too sure if he's dead or just molting. I put a small clear cap over him in case he is so the bigger one won't pick on him. I have doubts that he's molting. 2 nights ago I did notice he wasn't very actice, because Hermie is extremely active. He walks a lot. But recently he's done nothing but hide In his shell and just stay in one place. He digs little holes on the corners of the tank and just lays there. He drank a lot of water (he stood by the water for about 15 minutes.) He didnt eat as much. I want to make sure if he's molting or just dead? Does it sound like he's dead? I don't want to touch him. Oh and his color changed a bit.. and he's sorta laying on his side.

  • Answer:

    he could be molting but if he is there is a problem ... hermit crabs do not molt above ground, they burrow into the damp substrate, tunnel and molt underground ... the smallest hermit crab can be buried for a week ... one of my hermit crabs is pretty big and when he molts he is buried for well over a month ... so molting or dieing, there is something off in the environment ... better google land hermit crab care and make sure you have a proper set up for them ... normally when they are going to molt they do slow down a bit and considering he was digging in the corners, maybe he was trying to bury himself ... i think you should leave him be or you could also get a small plastic container with a lid you can poke holes in ... put some substrate from the tank in, put him into the container and put the container in a warm and dark room and leave him for a day or two ... check on him then and if there is no awful smell, chances are he is molting ... i am not convinced he is dead but what do i know :O)

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Can't help you hear but you should research it. Just wanted to say that I hope he's okay and by the facts I think he is just molting.

If you've seen any movement at all, he isn't dead, I can assure you. He could be molting, which is quite possible, or, something I find my hermit crabs doing a lot [I have four at the moment, but have had a total of...seven, I believe] which is getting BORED. The discoloration can be a sign for molting though, so it's probably molting, but if you ever see your hermies getting still, and no longer moving as much, you might take them out for a bit and let them crawl around, rile them up a bit, and then they'll be happier than ever. This usually lasts me a week, so Saturdays I let them out and run around in the bathtub [not filled with more than an inch of warm water] and I clean their tank. Hope I could help :)

Alice Andrews

First of all, I've experienced this many times. My first crab was like this and he ended up being dead. I thought he was molting because he was active before but then stopped walking one day and was just hanging out of his shell. This happened a couple more times before I realised that they were dying not molting. When a crab molts their exoskeleton will hang completely out of their shell and come out. There will be a little pink crab still inside the shell if you look. I would say Hermie is dead but just in case I would say keep him for a couple more days. If he starts to smell then he is definately dead. You will know if he is dead because he will smell of dead fish and it stinks a lot. A lot and a lot. You should buy a plastic isolation tank to seperate him in for the moment. They are pretty cheap, only about $10 and you can just add some substrate to the bottom and put him. Then spray the tank and cover with cling wrap to keep the humidity in. Also another thing to do is to pick him up. You wont kill him if hes still alive. If he falls out that could be his exiskeleton and you can see if he is molting or not.

Leafheart

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