Crab found under food bowl(uncovered hole)

This forum is where you discuss issues relating to molting hermit crabs, including pre- and post-molting issues. If you are having a molting emergency please post in the Emergency Forum.
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Crabbzymagnus
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Crab found under food bowl(uncovered hole)

Post by Crabbzymagnus » Sun Feb 01, 2015 4:48 am

Hello everyone,
I was cleaning my fresh water bowl when i noticed there was a hole under it!ImageI think that crab is going to molt soon,Here's a pic Image
Image
What should i do?


hermieluv1
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Re: Crab found under food bowl(uncovered hole)

Post by hermieluv1 » Sun Feb 01, 2015 6:23 am

Put the food bowl back over him. He is either digging down to molt but more likely just chilling out. All but 3 of my crabs dig down every day to sleep, then come up at night. When they dig to sleep, it is shallow. When they molt, they are just GONE!

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Crabbzymagnus
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Re: Crab found under food bowl(uncovered hole)

Post by Crabbzymagnus » Sun Feb 01, 2015 6:48 am

She has been showing signs of molting,bought her from a pet store a few weeks back,She has been eating alot,
and whenever i dig her up she keeps wanting to dig back down,she has been under there for awhile i think,i last saw her a week ago
before she went under....

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soilentgringa
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Re: Crab found under food bowl(uncovered hole)

Post by soilentgringa » Sun Feb 01, 2015 7:15 am

Crabbzymagnus wrote:She has been showing signs of molting,bought her from a pet store a few weeks back,She has been eating alot,
and whenever i dig her up she keeps wanting to dig back down,she has been under there for awhile i think,i last saw her a week ago
before she went under....
It's best to never dig up a crab unless it is by accident or there's an emergency. If they can't destress or molt because they are being interrupted, they can drop their limbs due to stress or even die. I just had one die because I accidentally dug it up while rearranging. She was down to molt and wasn't able to. Best policy is to leave them alone and let them be when they've gone underground. Image

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YYWW
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Re: Crab found under food bowl(uncovered hole)

Post by YYWW » Sun Feb 01, 2015 4:41 pm

You should stop digging crabs up. Doing so could make them destress longer before molting. If they wait to long they can die.


Crabbers unite!!!

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Crabbzymagnus
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Re: Crab found under food bowl(uncovered hole)

Post by Crabbzymagnus » Sun Feb 01, 2015 5:01 pm

YYWW wrote:You should stop digging crabs up. Doing so could make them destress longer before molting. If they wait to long they can die.


Crabbers unite!!!
Ok thanks for the info,but do i just leave her there under the water bowl?

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CallaLily
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Re: Crab found under food bowl(uncovered hole)

Post by CallaLily » Sun Feb 01, 2015 5:03 pm

I had this happen to me earlier this year. I carefully placed the dish back and used a turkey baster to do water changes until the crab resurfaced on it's own.

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YYWW
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Re: Crab found under food bowl(uncovered hole)

Post by YYWW » Sun Feb 01, 2015 5:09 pm

Yea she can molt under the bowl if she really wants to, but per CallaLily's advice your water changes will require you to leave the bowl in place.
Darkness encourages the use if the molting hormone, so when the bowl is lifted for water changes the hormone may be disrupted, leading to a stressful molt. Continuous darkness will encourage the molt to continue and complete, and hopefully she will molt further away.
It is possible she will consider the space under the bowl to be unsuitable and relocate before her actual molt. Just leave her alone and let her figure it out.
Good luck!


Crabbers unite!!!

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Crabbzymagnus
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Crab found under food bowl(uncovered hole)

Post by Crabbzymagnus » Sun Feb 01, 2015 5:15 pm

YYWW wrote:Yea she can molt under the bowl if she really wants to, but per CallaLily's advice your water changes will require you to leave the bowl in place.
Darkness encourages the use if the molting hormone, so when the bowl is lifted for water changes the hormone may be disrupted, leading to a stressful molt. Continuous darkness will encourage the molt to continue and complete, and hopefully she will molt further away.
It is possible she will consider the space under the bowl to be unsuitable and relocate before her actual molt. Just leave her alone and let her figure it out.
Good luck!


Crabbers unite!!!
Ok,But one question,Whats a turkey baster?We rarely eat turkey....

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soilentgringa
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Re: Crab found under food bowl(uncovered hole)

Post by soilentgringa » Sun Feb 01, 2015 6:16 pm

Crabbzymagnus wrote: Ok,But one question,Whats a turkey baster?We rarely eat turkey....
Image

I find that doubling up my dishes by placing the water dish inside another empty dish (same size/type), I can just lift the water bowl out without disturbing anything.

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YYWW
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Re: Crab found under food bowl(uncovered hole)

Post by YYWW » Sun Feb 01, 2015 6:49 pm

Soilentgringa's double stacking advice is great for people who use stackable food storage containers for water bowls. Containers are usually clear plastic.
If you do not have this type you can just place the water bowl in some type of dish or tray and surround the bowl with something the crabs can climb for access. The dish or tray will keep the place and you can change the water without disturbing the substrate.
If you must go the turkey baster method, but cannot find a turkey baster, just use some type of giant syringe, without the needle (for safety reasons).


Crabbers unite!!!

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CallaLily
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Re: Crab found under food bowl(uncovered hole)

Post by CallaLily » Sun Feb 01, 2015 7:54 pm

I find that doubling up my dishes by placing the water dish inside another empty dish (same size/type), I can just lift the water bowl out without disturbing anything.

Yes! I did the double stack dishes back when my pools were sunk down into the substrate. Definitely a great idea if it'll work with your water dishes. I've since moved my dishes to the surface to try to keep so much substrate from being dumped in (and changed one). The turkey baster works well for water changes if stacking isn't an option.

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