How long for gel limbs to form?

[hermieluv1]

Curious, those of you who have had crabs with limbs missing: how long did it take for gel limbs to appear?

And how long after that for the first molt?

Thanks!

[Lburns]

I'm new to crabbing so maybe I just didn't know exactly what to look for but... Batman, my first crab, was missing a leg when I found him. I had him for a month before he molted. Never noticed a gel limb form. It took him almost 2 months to molt. He came up with the leg regenerated. It looked really skinny at first but now, a month and a half after his molt, looks just like the leg on the other side. I got another crab last week that is missing a leg. He went down last night (I think for his first molt). Didn't notice a gel limb on him either. Again, I'm a newbie, but my guess is maybe sometimes the gel limb forms after they bury themselves??

[wodesorel]

Sunshine was my crab that had almost no legs left. She had no gel legs when she wanted to be buried, a week later there were extremely well formed little gel limbs, and one week after that she had molted. It's usually a really quick process.

[hermieluv1]

Thank you! I think I can see them now, and it has been a week. She stopped eating and drinking but can't dig so I made her a cave and covered her up! Here is hoping she molts!

[YYWW]

Good luck!


Crabbers unite!!!