Molting disaster

kornchaser · Post by **kornchaser** » Sun Jan 18, 2015 4:14 pm

Not sure if this goes in molting or emergency but here it goes.

Okay so my big guy Octavius went and de-shelled and dug down naked about 8 weeks ago. It scared me so bad. I ended up putting a few land snail shells in there which I was scared he was just going to eat naked but he chose one. He instantly got into a shell and burried down for a healthy molt. I got a couple new crabs since then and I heard what I thought was chirping for like 4 days or a week and I didn't want to just leave it. So I did a bad thing.
I did a mass dig up!
All but one crab was under, 3 were just burried in the last 1-2 days and one was Octavius all pink and purple. Luckily everybody just dug back down as soon as I put them back. Octavius is in a 2.5g ISO which only really fits him, one other shell, and food. I'm scared I stressed the crap out of him and he won't make it. He has a heat pad along the back of the tank and a towl covering the tank. I put a special molting mix I made in his food dish along with the pieces of exo he hadn't eaten yet. Please help!

Hermit mommy of 10 PP babies: Octavius Flemming, Poseidon, Junior, Matty Pumpkin, Turbo, Aries, Kaylee Frye, Pepper, Flower and Adrian Shephard.

Rebecca C · Post by **Rebecca C** » Sun Jan 18, 2015 4:42 pm

I understand that you were worried, and I do not blame you, but please try not to do something like that again. I know it is scary, but as long as you have enough substrate in the tank, minimum of 6 inches depending on the size of your crabs, they should be okay.

Octavius had been under for the last 2 months? Because he seems to have already molted, he should probably be okay. If there is no room for enough substrate for him to bury in the ISO, I would recommend putting him back in the main tank. You might find that he will rebury himself, and that would be normal. My only concern would be the one crab that is up, but if you watch them for a little bit and the interactions between the two are normal, everything should be okay, and if Octavius does bury himself, he should be safe.

EDIT: I would try not to handle him after putting him back in the main tank.

KellyCrabbieLove · Post by **KellyCrabbieLove** » Sun Jan 18, 2015 8:09 pm

A quick note, water should be available and since a 2.5 barely holds him it is not really a viable option.

YYWW · Post by **YYWW** » Sun Jan 18, 2015 11:05 pm

You can use sauce cups or, at worst, bottle caps to offer water. I like the cups that salad dressing or dip comes in. Shoot you can even use tiny plastic dixie cups (we use those in our bathrooms).

Crabbers unite!!!

kornchaser · Post by **kornchaser** » Mon Jan 19, 2015 2:01 am

Rebecca C wrote:I understand that you were worried, and I do not blame you, but please try not to do something like that again. I know it is scary, but as long as you have enough substrate in the tank, minimum of 6 inches depending on the size of your crabs, they should be okay.

Octavius had been under for the last 2 months? Because he seems to have already molted, he should probably be okay. If there is no room for enough substrate for him to bury in the ISO, I would recommend putting him back in the main tank. You might find that he will rebury himself, and that would be normal. My only concern would be the one crab that is up, but if you watch them for a little bit and the interactions between the two are normal, everything should be okay, and if Octavius does bury himself, he should be safe.

EDIT: I would try not to handle him after putting him back in the main tank.

I have disturbed him too much already, to move him to another tank could be dyer especially with Sid, my aggressive large PP. Octavius is pink, pinchy, and not digging at all. So I put him in a hole and added some yummy food to the dish like red shrimp covered in cuttlebone and rose petals covered in honey.

Hermit mommy of 10 PP babies: Octavius Flemming, Poseidon, Junior, Matty Pumpkin, Turbo, Aries, Kaylee Frye, Pepper, Flower and Adrian Shephard.

CallaLily · Post by **CallaLily** » Mon Jan 19, 2015 8:39 am

ISOing him with his exo is exactly the right thing to do. Keep conditions right, try not to disturb him, and wait until he's out and about before considering moving him back to the main tank. At this point, all he really needs is his exo but the additional food won't hurt. Let us know how he does.

Rebecca C · Post by **Rebecca C** » Mon Jan 19, 2015 11:34 am

kornchaser wrote: I have disturbed him too much already, to move him to another tank could be dyer especially with Sid, my aggressive large PP. Octavius is pink, pinchy, and not digging at all. So I put him in a hole and added some yummy food to the dish like red shrimp covered in cuttlebone and rose petals covered in honey.

I am so sorry; I would never have suggested putting him back in the main tank if I knew that your other crab up was known to be aggressive, or if I knew that he wasn't being active; I should have asked.

I'm glad that others replied for you, and like Calla said, let us know how he is doing.

kornchaser · Post by **kornchaser** » Wed Jan 21, 2015 2:20 am

I am so sorry; I would never have suggested putting him back in the main tank if I knew that your other crab up was known to be aggressive, or if I knew that he wasn't being active; I should have asked.

I'm glad that others replied for you, and like Calla said, let us know how he is doing.

He is only a large and should've been done molting anywhere from 4-8 weeks but still being pink at 8 weeks I'd assume he was molting into a jumbo.
EDIT: or into an extra large/jumbo like Sid
He isn't eating from what I've seen but still chilling in his hole I dug for him. I refuse to hold him for another few weeks until I believe he should be hardened enough to not be damaged. Also, hopefully, a bit less stressed enough to be able to handle being handled. The temp and humidity are fine and only lift up the towel to check the conditions and sprits the tank. I think that how soon he was transported in a dark damp place was the best thing for him.

Hermit mommy of 10 PP babies: Octavius Flemming, Poseidon, Junior, Matty Pumpkin, Turbo, Aries, Kaylee Frye, Pepper, Flower and Adrian Shephard.

kornchaser · Post by **kornchaser** » Wed Jan 21, 2015 2:25 am

CallaLily wrote:ISOing him with his exo is exactly the right thing to do. Keep conditions right, try not to disturb him, and wait until he's out and about before considering moving him back to the main tank. At this point, all he really needs is his exo but the additional food won't hurt. Let us know how he does.

I assume he ate most of all his exo being that he's a xl crab and only finding little bits of excess around him. I think he may be at the stage of hardening and distressing before coming up so I'm keeping conditions perfect 76° F and tropical humidity.

Hermit mommy of 10 PP babies: Octavius Flemming, Poseidon, Junior, Matty Pumpkin, Turbo, Aries, Kaylee Frye, Pepper, Flower and Adrian Shephard.

kornchaser · Post by **kornchaser** » Wed Jan 21, 2015 2:36 am

Update on Octavius.
He seems to be doing okay, active feelers but still not out of his little hole. He actually seemed really shocked that I opened up the lid, light showing in and all, for me to spritz the tank. He retracted back into his shell so I covered everything back up. Like I posted before, I'm not going to hold him. Until he's eating on his own and climbing about I won't be taking pics of him because I really am not going to risk any unnecessary stress on one of my originals.

Hermit mommy of 10 PP babies: Octavius Flemming, Poseidon, Junior, Matty Pumpkin, Turbo, Aries, Kaylee Frye, Pepper, Flower and Adrian Shephard.

kornchaser · Post by **kornchaser** » Wed Jan 21, 2015 11:34 pm

I am going to leave him in there for a month or so or until he starts walking around drinking condensation and what not. Thanks guys!

Hermit mommy of 10 PP babies: Octavius Flemming, Poseidon, Junior, Matty Pumpkin, Turbo, Aries, Kaylee Frye, Pepper, Flower and Adrian Shephard.

singlemomwithcrab · Post by **singlemomwithcrab** » Thu Jan 22, 2015 2:56 am

I'm glad he seems to be improving

kornchaser · Post by **kornchaser** » Sun Jan 25, 2015 2:47 am

I managed to add more sub to the teeny weeny ISO to up the humidity and hopefully have Octavius dig. He is still doing okay, just checked on him after an all day trip to my cousins birthday. Still hasn't dug down but he's in complete darkness 24/7. And literally every crab is molting in the main tank. Kaylee a teeny, Matty & Junior both smalls & Poseidon is about med\large. Junior hasn't decided on a spot yet but he'll be going under any day now

Hermit mommy of 10 PP babies: Octavius Flemming, Poseidon, Junior, Matty Pumpkin, Turbo, Aries, Kaylee Frye, Pepper, Flower and Adrian Shephard.

kornchaser · Post by **kornchaser** » Fri Jan 30, 2015 4:31 am

Late update sorry for anyone worried! This is Octavius, in the land snail shell, in the middle. I managed to fit a dish for salt and fresh water in there. Kinda crammed, I know, but it works.
Anyways, he wasn't eating or drinking or digging and still light violet/purple from his molt but harder than before when he was pink and has hair everywhere. So I took him out after seriously steaming the apartment so I could both keep him out long enough to feed him and help with my yearly dry cough. He's very protective like with his claw out and open but when I set him on my palm he comes out and doesn't pinch. I tried feeding him crushed banana by touching it to his tasters/smellers? (second pair with hairs) but he rejected it every time and getting aggravated at me so I gave him the banana to pinch since he was so "claw-open-like" and he snatched it and stuffed his face lol Cutest thing I've ever seen!!! After I hand fed him I made a small old butter lid (cleaned with safe water) into an easier to access food dish. I served powdered meal worms/crickets/grasshoppers, cuttlebone, mashed banana, bee pollen and worm castings (just in case).... Only ate the banana. So I made a new food today: smashed bananas mixed with all natural peanut butter and powdered cuttlebone.
Also, his antenna activity is very little, which worries me. I propped him up by the food (crushed banana, natural peanut butter, powdered cuttlebone) and he took a little serving but moved back into his spot in the middle.
I'm thinking I should feed him every couple hours at night so I don't disturb his resting.
Please critique, be as helpful as you can, he's one of my "originals".

What's this red patch??

Hermit mommy of 10 PP babies: Octavius Flemming, Poseidon, Junior, Matty Pumpkin, Turbo, Aries, Kaylee Frye, Pepper, Flower and Adrian Shephard.

hermieluv1 · Post by **hermieluv1** » Fri Jan 30, 2015 4:54 am

Just my opinion, but I think you need to leave him completely alone for now. I have living proof that after their molt, they just hang out in their cave until they are ready to come out. I have a molter in a window by the glass in my 55, and I keep expecting him to come up. I can see every detail of his perfect claws and feelers.....he moves around, looks at me...but he doesn't want to see daylight or food yet! We don't understand how they can't eat or drink after being without for so long, but that is their natural way.

HCA: Hermit Crab Association