Substrate change needed when molting

[Neleono]

Hi, so I have some calcisand in my aquarium and after doing some reading I’ve learned that it can build up on their shells like concrete and hurt/ kill them. I want to change the substrate but I have 2 crabs buried. One I believe is in the calci-sand area and the other I am unsure. The one that I think is buried in the calci-sand molted, came up, then reburried, haven’t seen him sense. The one I don’t now the location of did the same thing. Is it smart for me to dig around for them, get them out and fix the substrate or should I just wait for them to come back up. Also, when they resurface, do I take them out and put them in a temporary habitat so they don’t disappear? Thanks

[curlysister]

How long have they been down? Are you certain they aren't coming up at night?

[Links]

That’s what I did. Just take them out and put them in a something you can control temp and humidity. But it also needs to breath. It be best to have decent iso tank. Depending on how long you have them iso they might want water? So maybe offer a cap?

Edit: DONT DIG

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[Neleono]

The one that went down in the sand went down about a week ago and the other, about two. Is it possible that they are molting right after they already did?

[Motörcrab]

It is possible for crabs to molt back to back. It is usually due to a previous injury such as a deformed, or broken pincher or leg. Crabs can also dig and hide because they want to. It can also be a sign that something may not be quite right with your tank. Low humidity, low or high temperature, not enough places to hide it is sometimes hard to pinpoint for sure. Due to all the possibilities it's hard to say for sure.

[curlysister]

Like Motor said, they could be molting again. It's hard to know whether to dig them up or leave them - both have potential dangers.