HELP!!!!! not sure if crab is alive or dead!!!

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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soilentgringa
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Re: HELP!!!!! not sure if crab is alive or dead!!!

Post by soilentgringa » Thu Aug 11, 2016 9:41 am

isadoraisacat wrote:So what am i supposed to do with the other two who are down which i don't see ?

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I doubt you will come across them while digging this one up. You know exactly where it is in the tank. Carefully dig straight down and retrieve the one crab.

You will know if it is dead. There will be a stench, decomposition, or the crab will fall out of it's shell.

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isadoraisacat
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Re: HELP!!!!! not sure if crab is alive or dead!!!

Post by isadoraisacat » Thu Aug 11, 2016 5:05 pm

Ok I'm headed to pet smart to get a few things than coming home to attemp this i hope he's ok and everyone else

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soilentgringa
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Re: HELP!!!!! not sure if crab is alive or dead!!!

Post by soilentgringa » Thu Aug 11, 2016 5:50 pm

isadoraisacat wrote:Ok I'm headed to pet smart to get a few things than coming home to attemp this i hope he's ok and everyone else

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Hoping for the best for your lil guy!

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KayedeeLove<3
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Re: HELP!!!!! not sure if crab is alive or dead!!!

Post by KayedeeLove<3 » Thu Aug 11, 2016 6:21 pm

Just make your iso as close to tank conditions as possible and you'll be fine.

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isadoraisacat
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Re: HELP!!!!! not sure if crab is alive or dead!!!

Post by isadoraisacat » Sat Aug 13, 2016 12:03 pm

I started to dig and noticed no smell and he appears to be inside his shell (not outside) i shined a light (which prob bothered him)
to see if there was any 'mites' i didn't see anything and what i believe i saw out of my own paranoia was in fact a piece of sand on
his leg, as there was not 'tons' of mites only one. I still see the exo. I don't wanna dig him up as i dont think hes being eaten
by anything and or dead...but i'm worried hes sick. I also have 3 others missing wondering whats up with them too.

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isadoraisacat
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Re: HELP!!!!! not sure if crab is alive or dead!!!

Post by isadoraisacat » Sun Aug 14, 2016 10:47 am

so i just spent the last 10 minutes crying and freaking out. Kiwi is alive still and moving theres no bugs on him
theres no smell but he hasn't eaten his exo i feel so worried/scared and bad i had dug him up i reburied
him i wish i had not done this and trusted my instincts to not dig him up. I'm so paranoid of losing one of my
guys that i thought i saw mites on him what actually was there was pieces of exo that were dried up. he is alive
but now did i stress him digging him? will he make it why hasn't he eaten his exo???? what should i do!!!! PLEASE HELP !!!

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soilentgringa
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Re: HELP!!!!! not sure if crab is alive or dead!!!

Post by soilentgringa » Sun Aug 14, 2016 11:53 am

You never want to rebury a crab after it's been dug up. If it didn't make and pack it's cave, the substrate can collapse on it and suffocate it.

Isolate the crab in good conditions with the rest of it's exo. That is literally all you need to do. Once the crab has finished eating it's shed and hardens up, and it is walking around, it can go back into the main tank.



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isadoraisacat
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Re: HELP!!!!! not sure if crab is alive or dead!!!

Post by isadoraisacat » Sun Aug 14, 2016 4:31 pm

soilentgringa wrote:You never want to rebury a crab after it's been dug up. If it didn't make and pack it's cave, the substrate can collapse on it and suffocate it.

Isolate the crab in good conditions with the rest of it's exo. That is literally all you need to do. Once the crab has finished eating it's shed and hardens up, and it is walking around, it can go back into the main tank.



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ok so i isolated him unburied him and he looked right at me with his beedy little eyes.
hes very bright red and looks as if hes hardened pretty good. what i did was took a small tuperware and cover it over him (but enough to let in air too)
the other guys are down molting now i have found their tunnels so im not worried too much about him being attacked. his exo does appear to be pretty well eaten only a claw, and one piece of leg and its very crunchy. I really hope hes ok. My other 2 crabs baja and pitch are in my 20 gallon, so all thje molters are basically isolated in a 10 gallon at the moment, until this is all done, than i can begin a new tank set up.

i hope hes ok

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isadoraisacat
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Re: HELP!!!!! not sure if crab is alive or dead!!!

Post by isadoraisacat » Tue Aug 16, 2016 6:28 pm

Ok i checked on my crab he still hasn't moved much but he's still alive how long should i wait now ? I really don't know if he's ok or not and its really upsetting.

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Re: HELP!!!!! not sure if crab is alive or dead!!!

Post by Rawrgeous » Tue Aug 16, 2016 8:49 pm

He's fine, just wait until the exo is mostly gone, and you see him up roaming around. There really is no definite time limit, as they all take different times to molt.2 days isn't long though, it takes a while for them to spring back from a molt.

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isadoraisacat
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Re: HELP!!!!! not sure if crab is alive or dead!!!

Post by isadoraisacat » Tue Aug 16, 2016 8:53 pm

Rawrgeous wrote:He's fine, just wait until the exo is mostly gone, and you see him up roaming around. There really is no definite time limit, as they all take different times to molt.2 days isn't long though, it takes a while for them to spring back from a molt.

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yea i mean hes basically not really moving but hes alive.
and hes so bright. hopefully hes ok. i have 3 now guys down under
in the sand now :( only one little guy out at the moment.

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Rawrgeous
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Re: HELP!!!!! not sure if crab is alive or dead!!!

Post by Rawrgeous » Tue Aug 16, 2016 8:58 pm

It's normal the actual molting process doesn't actual take long, most of the time they spend under ground is preparing for molt, and eating the exo. They remain still to store energy, almost like a trance like state. It's all completely normal. It can still take weeks in an iso, some crabs are ready before others. It also Sometimes takes time before they Even have energy to eat the exo

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Rawrgeous
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Re: HELP!!!!! not sure if crab is alive or dead!!!

Post by Rawrgeous » Tue Aug 16, 2016 9:02 pm

http://www.hermitcrabassociation.com/ph ... hp?t=92527 there is more in depth explanation of the whole molting process thete for peace of mind.

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isadoraisacat
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Re: HELP!!!!! not sure if crab is alive or dead!!!

Post by isadoraisacat » Tue Aug 16, 2016 9:15 pm

Rawrgeous wrote:http://www.hermitcrabassociation.com/ph ... hp?t=92527 there is more in depth explanation of the whole molting process thete for peace of mind.

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thanks for the tips. my concern is this, i dug him because i thought it was an emergncy.
and he is alive and fine. I have 2 other molters now. So i simple covered his hole with a tuper ware with one tiny space over for air
and than put duct tape all over the one side of the tank to keep it dark. And your right he does look like hes in a 'trance' i felt bad for him
he looked at me with his little beedy eyes like trance like. for now on im going to let nature take its course. I'm going to try to trust them
and let them do what they do. But i cant help worry about him.

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KayedeeLove<3
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Re: HELP!!!!! not sure if crab is alive or dead!!!

Post by KayedeeLove<3 » Tue Aug 16, 2016 10:11 pm

Molters go through a period where they literally don't/can't move from what I've read on here, can't remember why though!

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