HCA: Hermit Crab Association

I'm not really sure where to start here so I will just tell you all what's been going on (75 gal, 11 pp 4 e, I follow the 80/80 rule, substrate is 7-8" deep, both salt and fresh water, plenty to climb and a second floor, tons of extra shells in various sizes scattered about...):

A little over a week ago one of my smallish purple guys started to act aggressively towards the others. I've read that some weird behavior is okay but he seemed to be sticking his claws inside of their shells trying to fight or something. Like I said, I have provided tons of shells so he had no good reason to be doing this (that I'm aware of...).

He went several days, running, without stopping. I know you're probably thinking "how would she know does she watch them 24/7"... No, but every single time I went to look at them he was moving. I figured it was just to blow off steam. But then he kept going for days. I would record them at night too, with time lapse.

I decided since he seems to be acting so... Territorial? That I would separate him from the group at night, because I don't want everyone hiding forever because he's being weird/a jerk/whatever he's being. So I have a container with water, something to climb on, some food, and a few in of sub and still he hasn't really stopped moving and trying to get out...

Yesterday when I let him out for the daytime, he immediately switched shells. Today, I let him out again, he has switched twice since this morning. He is now in a shell that's much too big for him, his first shell fit him just perfectly...

Sorry this is so long but I just wanted to include all the strange behaviors because I really don't get what he's doing, & I don't want him to be a threat to the other crabs... I haven't found anything when I've googled, either... Especially not about the nonstop moving.

Anyone know what's going on?! Thanks for the help.


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Sometimes they get weird or aggressive when they're due for a molt. And sometimes they do pick a too big shell just before molting too - often coming up fitting in it much much better. I don't blame you for ISOing him. I would give him everything he needs in ISO though. Deep substrate, saltwater, extra shells, etc. (sorry if you already are, it just sort of sounded like his ISO didn't include these things) Provide plenty of protein and calcium too. Hopefully he'll dig down to molt and will come up more like his old self. I had one that went a little shell crazy once but was fine after he finally settled in and molted (not even close to his first molt with me either). Good luck and keep us updated.

Thanks I will do that. Wasn't sure if iso would help anything but I will continue that with those additional things (I hadn't included the things you mentioned because I was only isolating him at night and he had access to all of that in the daytime but I'll fix it now!). I hadn't even thought about molting because he is younger and growing but this would be his second molt with me and I didn't realize it's already been 4-5 mo since he last molted! Thanks for the advice I will keep this updated hopefully he goes under soon.


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