HCA: Hermit Crab Association

Posted: **Sat May 25, 2019 8:09 pm**

The past few days my substrate has been dry. Today I dug because I thought harry, who was molting , would suffocate. Turns out he had mooted and has just a small piece of his Edo keft. I iso'd him for a few hours, and he's doing fine. Hes back in the main tank now. I've been keeping an eye on him, but thankfully, I think he's going to be ok.

Posted: **Sun May 26, 2019 6:00 am**

That’s good.

Posted: **Sun May 26, 2019 7:38 pm**

They won't suffocate, when a crab digs it creates a pocket of air around it so that it can breathe, and that's why you should never attempt to recreate a crab hole, as we cannot replicate that hole made by a crab.

Posted: **Sun May 26, 2019 7:52 pm**

Odelay, if the sub gets too dry, the cave could collapse. I presume that's what the worry was - the sub was so dry that the cave would collapse and suffocate the crab who was under.

Posted: **Sun May 26, 2019 9:27 pm**

odelayheehoo wrote: ↑
Sun May 26, 2019 7:38 pm
They won't suffocate, when a crab digs it creates a pocket of air around it so that it can breathe, and that's why you should never attempt to recreate a crab hole, as we cannot replicate that hole made by a crab.

I dug because I thought the tunnel would collapse.

Posted: **Sun May 26, 2019 9:28 pm**

Update: he seems fine. He is running on the wheel currently.

Posted: **Sun May 26, 2019 11:55 pm**

Jamison wrote: ↑
Sun May 26, 2019 9:28 pm
Update: he seems fine. He is running on the wheel currently.

Posted: **Wed May 29, 2019 2:27 pm**

This was extremely dangerous. When crabs are down, they are down for a reason and it means they are not ready or safe to be topside. They are extremely weak post molt, and they still smell yummy to other crabs. This could have easy gone south and ended up with him ripped to shreds overnight by his tankmates. If a crab must be dug up, always iso afterwards for a few days to make sure it is okay and ready, and always bathe before reintroducing as it has not scrubbed the molting smell off by digging back up on it's own.

Posted: **Thu May 30, 2019 8:21 pm**

wodesorel wrote: ↑
Wed May 29, 2019 2:27 pm
This was extremely dangerous. When crabs are down, they are down for a reason and it means they are not ready or safe to be topside. They are extremely weak post molt, and they still smell yummy to other crabs. This could have easy gone south and ended up with him ripped to shreds overnight by his tankmates. If a crab must be dug up, always iso afterwards for a few days to make sure it is okay and ready, and always bathe before reintroducing as it has not scrubbed the molting smell off by digging back up on it's own.

Yes he was isolated for two days. And bathed. I understand how dangerous it was but the substrate was bone dry.

Posted: **Thu May 30, 2019 11:45 pm**

Jamison wrote: ↑
Sat May 25, 2019 8:09 pm
The past few days my substrate has been dry. Today I dug because I thought harry, who was molting , would suffocate. Turns out he had mooted and has just a small piece of his Edo keft. I iso'd him for a few hours, and he's doing fine. Hes back in the main tank now. I've been keeping an eye on him, but thankfully, I think he's going to be ok.

You said you dug the day you posted this, iso'd him for a 'few hours' and then he was back in the main tank when you posted. That's the part that was dangerous - putting him back with the other crabs so soon. As Wode said, if you must dig, the crabs need to be isolated for at least a few days.

Posted: **Fri May 31, 2019 6:05 am**

curlysister wrote: ↑
Thu May 30, 2019 11:45 pm
You said you dug the day you posted this, iso'd him for a 'few hours' and then he was back in the main tank when you posted. That's the part that was dangerous - putting him back with the other crabs so soon. As Wode said, if you must dig, the crabs need to be isolated for at least a few days.

I posted this a few days after I dug.

Posted: **Fri May 31, 2019 6:06 am**

I apologize for how I worded this.

Posted: **Thu Jun 13, 2019 12:42 pm**

Jamison wrote: ↑
Fri May 31, 2019 6:06 am
I apologize for how I worded this.

lol at least your crab is good now.

HCA: Hermit Crab Association

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