HCA: Hermit Crab Association

Hi guys! I need opinions. Or a hermit crab whisperer. Or both. I don't spend a whole lot of time watching my crabbies. I do look in on them every day, but sometimes one or the other is down in the tunnels. So how will I know when they are dug down for fun vs. dug down for molt, and get them moved over to the iso tank in time? Thanks in advance for your help.

(A friend of mine is making fun of me for the idea of moving them to the iso tank to molt at all- he says they survive in the wild just fine without them.)

I mainly only move mine to the molt ISO when I know they're due and they start digging around, or I unearth them to move them to safety with the other crabs start turning half the tank into swiss-cheese. If the crabs molt on the left side of the tank they are always safe, but those stubborn ones who try to molt on the right half always get disturbed mid-molt, and get chased out of shells, get legs cut off, etc. So when the trouble-makers start I try to cut them off and move the molters out, though normally I get there too late and the damage is already done, but I'm usually just in time to save them!

I never move mine into ISO when they need to molt, they do their molting in the regular tank. The only times I put hermit crabs into ISO is when someone is sick, naked or new. All new hermit crabs are put in isolation so that they can have peace and quiet until they have molted for their first time. After their first molt, they get moved into the regular tank - though now I have three tanks going since the hermit crabs in my regular tank won't accept newcomers.

I've only had one death in molters due to another crab, and that was when my E for some reason wanted the molting crabs shell. Stupid crab. :roll:

The only time I have put mine in an ISO is when he had a surface molt. Otherwise they do it in the regular tank.

I only iso if there is a problem,such as a molter getting dug up. Or if its a new crab that's in rough shape.

Thanks so much everybody! I really appreciate it!

Usually just new crabs.