Hey! We recently got my daughter a hermit crab for her birthday. I have more fun with the crab then she does. The first few days we had it was sleeping anywhere, on top of the coconut shell, on the soil. For the last few days it has started going into the coconut shell and digging under the soil. Is he getting ready to molt or is this where he likes to sleep??????? I haven’t seen him up and about… I have dug him up a few times to get him out and about, should I just leave him alone. When I put him back in his cage tonight he spent a little time in his water then went right back into the coconut shell…Is he going to always be like this??
Confused new hermit crab owner.
2007-03-10 13:30:03 · 4 answers · asked by annathompson1979 1 in Pets ➔ Other - Pets
I had a couple hermits crabs and from the sounds of it he is going to molt. If he is relatively small still this may occur relatively often. When he is going to molt LET HIM BE!! Molting is extremely stressful for animals and takes time. Be patient. I know mine sometimes stayed under the sand for up to 2 weeks. If you have another crab in the tank make sure that your molting crab is safely under the sand with some kind of barrier around him such as a 2 litre bottle cut in half and dug into the sand around him because sometimes the other crab will try to eat the molting crab. But like I said before, just leave him alone. When he comes up from the sand it is very exciting because he is usually a little larger after a day (after his new skin has hardened) and sometimes switch shells (make sure you have a large variety).
If you don't think he is going to molt make sure the air is humid enough (crabs breathe through gills) by misting the tank with de-chlorinated water. I would check the temperature as well because if it is too hot/cold he may just be burrowing for warmth and going into the water to cool himself. Also remember crabs are nocturnal so he may be more active at night. Anyways good luck with your new crab!! I hope everything goes okay!! =)
2007-03-10 13:51:39 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Make sure that u buy other size shells for the crab because as they grow they need other shells to move into u can buy crab shells at any pet store
2007-03-10 21:49:25 · answer #2 · answered by score2beat2004 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Hermit crabs burrow under sand and hide that is natural
they also usually only come out at night
2007-03-10 21:39:59 · answer #3 · answered by FlameBoy2210 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
If u r not sure, then go to any pet store and they will explain it.
2007-03-10 21:39:27 · answer #4 · answered by latina&hearts! 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋