molting too close together

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Wed Feb 06, 2008 12:48 pm

Could someone please delete this post? the crab in quezstion is no longer alive

Elle · Post by **Elle** » Wed Feb 06, 2008 1:11 pm

Once they start a molt, there is nothing you can do. Do not attempt to bury them as this will kill them. It is good you are worried, however in cases like this i feel like you may just need to let them be. I hope they pull through!!

CrabbyAbby · Post by **CrabbyAbby** » Fri Feb 08, 2008 10:48 am

Unless she's a large crab the span between molts isn't close together at all. Smaller ones can molt every month or two and frequency decreases with size while duration increases. Yours had 3 months to recover and prepare for this impending one and I would venture a guess that she is now very well prepared physically.

As for the surface molt, she's vulnerable if she's in the main tank. If you have an ISO with the same temp/humidity or higher than the main tank and she's completely out of her exo and tucked in her shell, I would carefully lift it making sure not to tip it or change it's position and set it into a saucer type depression in ISO, put the exo before the shell opening and cover her with a cocohut. If she's leaned out of the shell at all, don't move her because moving a soft bodied molter could cause twisted limbs or dented exo. In that latter instance you could cut the top and bottom off a 2 liter soda bottle and use the clean cylinder that remains to drive down to the bottom of the tank around her. She'll be protected above and below.

Keep your humidity in high range, and good luck!