HCA: Hermit Crab Association

No, he should not molt on the surface. He should dig underneath the substrate and you should not see him when he is molting.
If he is that big, your substrate will need to be quite deep. How many inches is it? What do you use for substrate? What are the temperature and humidity levels in your tank?

Please answer the questions in the template so that we can help you trouble shoot. A naked crab likely means that there is something in your tank that can be improved. If your crab is naked, he needs to be re-shelled ASAP. Put him in a small bowl with a couple of mm of dechlor fresh water for moistu...

Not molting. Is your substrate deep enough (at least 6 inches or thee times as deep as your largest crab) and the right consistency (moist enough to hold shape but not so wet that it puddles) so he can dig down? Crabs should dig and bury themselves completely, in a molting cave to molt. You should n...

Yes, sounds normal. Crabs will bury to de-stress, or molt, or just for fun. If molting, they can stay down for weeks or even months. They don't need to eat anything other than their exo when they are buried and molting. For those on the surface, I swear that the only way I knew my crabs were eating ...

I sometimes use a mix of vinegar and water to wash, then rinse really well with RO water.

Here is the link to the care sheet about waters:

http://www.hermitcrabassociation.com/ph ... 27&t=92553

I do not believe that Imagitarium is one of the recommended brands of salt water. I am pretty sure it does not contain all the trace elements required by crabs.

My crabs poop changes color depending on what they are eating. That said, most of the commercial foods are not considered safe from crabs, even though they are marketed for them. Pellets, cakes, Fluker's hermit crab food are not safe long term. Be sure to check out the 'food' section for the nutriti...

Heat lights aren't actually not recommended, although it is true that many people report having issues with humidity with them. Here is the care sheet with all the info you need to know about lights: http://www.hermitcrabassociation.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?f=26&t=92543 Here is the care sheet about h...

Oh my goodness those little guys are just adorable!
I know absolutely nothing about marine crabs, other than the fact that yours is cute!!

TOTALLY ties together the end table decor!! Love it!

You don't actually have to deep clean and change substrate. I have had my crabs for 8 1/2 years and have never thrown out the substrate. I have just added more when I upgraded tanks or when it settled and I needed more depth.

Craft mesh is made of plastic, and it does come in different colours. I would imagine the coloured stuff to be as safe as the white.

I just know mine by size now! Sonny has been larger than Cher since very shortly after I got them.

Unless you could find a place that shipped for free, I imagine that shipping costs could make buying online really expensive. The 50lb bags of play sand are the most economical way to buy. Most people find them at hardware stores.