HCA: Hermit Crab Association

Hello! New, 1 week crab owner here. I don’t feel it’s an emergency, just looking for what this behavior is. I’ve been searching google for indications and ended up here.

We have 3 crabs set up in a 20 gallon tank. Earl, Scamper and Camper. They all have fun personalities. Scamper has taken a liking to Earl and follows him everywhere. Earl pushed sand in the opening of this rock 3 days ago which didn’t deter Scamper. He knocked it down and went inside. They both were in there all day yesterday, opening exposed. I see this morning the opening is barricaded. Could they both be getting ready to molt? They haven’t been out to eat or bathe/drink in 2 days. I know to leave them alone but if I hear any frantic chirping, should I go in? Thank you!




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Welcome! It's not that they barricaded the opening. They just backfill when digging tunnels. So I would bet there's a tunnel under the hide and they could be anywhere.

Oh! Thank you


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All 3 of our crabs have been down since posting this. My daughter is becoming very anxious that they’ve died and wants to dig them out. We continue to replace food and water but I can’t see that they’re coming up to eat.

When molting, do they eat?


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thepickerexchange wrote: ↑

Thu Sep 05, 2019 8:29 pm

All 3 of our crabs have been down since posting this. My daughter is becoming very anxious that they’ve died and wants to dig them out. We continue to replace food and water but I can’t see that they’re coming up to eat.

When molting, do they eat?


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No, they don't. They eat their exoskeleton. They can be buried for several months. Please don't dig them up but continue putting out food and water.

No, if they decide to hang out underground for a while it could be to molt, which they do usually need to do soon after coming home, or it could be to destress. This just means that although they are very glad to be in their new home with the things they need, they also need to be left alone to recover from the physical and ‘emotional’ trauma of being caught and shipped and handled and potentially not gently, being deprived of their needs for hours or days , although perhaps not all at once. The point is, they go through a LOT to make it to us, and they just need some time to relax and recover, and possibly molt too. They can stay under for weeks at a time, and they are nocturnal- I assume you have Purple Pinchers- and so do come out at night more readily, as long as they have the darkened hours.
Please do not dig- if they ARE molting you can stress them to a potentially bad point- and if they’re trying to get all good and happy and healthy for you again, who are we to begrudge them that time, right?
Alright it’s late and I’m rambling a bit, apologies, but I hope that helps. Please visit the HCA care pages on here, they are incredibly informative and cover a huge variety of topics. I’ll try to add a link in a minute, unless someone else beats me to it! Best of luck!


Dave the Wondercrab~Pat~MaggieMoo~Billy~
Pop~Corn~Ten~Sam~Tim~Gene My PP clan

Thank you for this reassurance. They definitely deserve some time to de stress or molt. Praying that’s what they’re doing. On a side note, I’m not sure exactly what I have. I’ll post some photos if anyone care to possibly identify the characteristics. My photos are screenshots from videos and not real clear.




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Looks like purple pinchers.

Looks like you have some super adorable PPs! I love when they’re so tiny and sweet. I have them that size all the way up to Jumbo now, including 3 different species, and I still can’t get enough of them! They’re sooo addicting! There’s always something to improve and work on for them, I just love everything about it. Here I go rambling along again... ha! You’re doing great, and the right thing! They’ll be coming around more as they get more comfortable and settled, once they’re done being down under. Pet sand is so anxiety ridden but it’s a wonderful feeling to see them all freshly molted with black tips and ‘hair’ on their legs- so relieving. I always feel proud of them for accomplishing their molt, as if I have anything to do with it! Ha. Anyway- best wishes to yours new crew, I hope they all pull through beautifully. Just for fun, here’s my smallest, Tiny Tim (was missing a leg when I got him), and then my jumbo girl, Princess.


Dave the Wondercrab~Pat~MaggieMoo~Billy~
Pop~Corn~Ten~Sam~Tim~Gene My PP clan

Overmountain1 wrote: Anyway- best wishes to yours new crew, I hope they all pull through beautifully. Just for fun, here’s my smallest, Tiny Tim (was missing a leg when I got him), and then my jumbo girl, Princess.

Thanks so much for the support! And oh my goodness... look at that darling face! Princess looks like a happy crab.... And she’s so big!!


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