HCA: Hermit Crab Association

Hello,
So I have had my current hermit crabs for about a month or two. Neither of them have officially dug down yet. They burry then come up the next day. They have both changed shells. I was wondering if it was too early to handle them? Should I wait till their first molt or can I hold them now?

Thanks,
Bonnie

Hello Bonnie,

Others may have a different viewpoint than me on this matter, but I do not feel that hermit crabs should be handled unless it is necessary. Picking them up to look at them occasionally is okay, but I believe that it causes them a lot of unnecessary stress to handle them. Not to mention they need the humidity level at the right place in order to breathe properly. It is like us being at a higher or lower altitude than normal. When you are high up on mountains it is harder to breathe.

If you do not share my view, and you are going to handle them though, I would definitely wait until they molt and return to the surface before you handle them. Also, try not to keep them out of their tank for long periods of time when you do for the reason I mentioned above.

I hope this helps.

Sincerely,
Ashley

Thank you for your reply,
I wasn't planning on holding them for long, but at some point I would like to hold them to see them, but I can wait until after their molt, if it ever happens, they keep teasing me

As long as there is plenty of moist substrate and the rest of the conditions of their crabitat are right, it will happen Bonnie, no worries!

I generally wait until my guys have been through 1 molt before I do much with them, but I do handle them immediately - I take pics and measure their shell openings just for ID purposes later, but I try to make it as quick and stress-free as possible.

I know what you mean on wanting them to molt! I've had Alduin about a month and I wish he would molt and regrow a couple leg tips, but nope. He'll disappear for a day or so and then pop back up and park his fat butt in the cork round.

Rebecca C wrote:As long as there is plenty of moist substrate and the rest of the conditions of their crabitat are right, it will happen Bonnie, no worries!

I already have one crab down, he is pretty small and has been buried over a month I hope he will be up soon.

megmaholm wrote: He'll disappear for a day or so and then pop back up and park his fat butt in the cork round.

Same with mine. Little bill went down for few days then came back up. They dig during the day and explore at night.