Coenobita cavipes Surface Molt

In: Caresheets, FAQ
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Hermit crabs typically go about their molting business below ground away from your prying eyes and nosey tank mates but this isn’t always the case. Sometimes you will find yourself with a surface molter on your hands. Surface molts can be very cool for you but additionally stressful for the crab. Let’s look at the best way to handle a surface molter. First do not touch or move the crab! (unless you feel you must to ensure it’s safety) Second find a way to securely isolate the crab. It is extremely important that your tank temperature and humidity are in the proper ranges at thisRead More →

In: Ask Milo
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Shawn writes: What should I do for my crab gypsy she went down for a molt shortly loosing hr companion sparky? I got her a new friend just before she went down now parodite keeps trying to dig her up. I tried putting gypsy in the molting tank but she was unhappy there anyway I can tell how she’s doing? Or how can I keep parodite off the area until gypsy is ready to come up? I have a small ( gypsy) and a tiny ( parodite) in a ten gallon with 6 inches of half sand half eco earth. Hi Shawn! Isn’t it frustratingRead More →

Coenobita compressus enjoying fish, peanut butter and veggies - Photo by Amber Miner

In: Caresheets, FAQ
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First and foremost use the SEARCH BOX and SEARCH, SEARCH, SEARCH! Our site has a ton of information and nearly every question that a new crabber is trying to answer, has been asked here before. We work hard to maintain a current and extensive library of articles to help you. Have you found yourself an unprepared parent of a hermit crab or two? Are you prepared to give them the proper habitat in which they can survive long term? If so, here’s a very basic list of supplies to get you started. A glass tank  go as big as you can afford  it doesn’t haveRead More →

C. compressus surface molt. Top most leg is a newly regenerated limb.

In: Biology, Caresheets, FAQ
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The molting cycle in crustacean is controlled by hormones. Below is a snippet from a study on crustacean molting that explains the role of hormones in the molting cycle. Land hermit crabs continue to molt their entire life unlike some other crustaceans. ERNEST S . CHANGM, ARILYN J. BRUCEA, ND SHERRY L. TAMONE Bodega Marine Laboratory, University of California, P.O. Box 247, Bodega Bay, California 94923 SYNOPSIS In order to increase in size, arthropods must first molt (shed) their confining exoskeleton. This molting process is under the immediate control of the steroid molting hormone 20-hydroxyecdysone (20-HE). Read the full article More articles on molting: WhatRead More →

In: General
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Marie Davis writes about moulting and her crabbing method: On June 17, 2000, we had the privilege of becoming hermie owners. My daughters received their first ones as souvenirs from somebody who had visited Ocean City, Maryland. My daughters, nor I, had any idea as to how to care for them properly. For this reason, I had gone to the library for books to read, to research on the internet, and I asked questions at pet stores. There was information on hermit crab care, and yet so much of it varied depending on which pet store we visited, which web site we were reading, orRead More →

In: FAQ
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Originally written by Marie Davis Updated by Stacy Griffith Is my hermit crab molting or dead? It is often extremely difficult to distinguish whether a hermit crab is indeed molting, or has passed over the Rainbow Bridge. This is due to how similar in appearance the two can be. In the early stages of the molt, the large cheliped (pincer) becomes somewhat paralyzed as it prepares to pull free of the old exoskeleton. The large shape of the claw must be pulled backwards through the smaller exoskeleton. The soft underlying tissue must be contracted to allow it to pass through the smaller parts of theRead More →

A hermit crab building it's molting burrow. Photo Credit Matt Steele

In: Biology, FAQ
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Originally written by Vanessa Pike-Russell and Lisa Loseke updated by Stacy Griffith Arthropods (e.g., insects and crustaceans) must molt their exoskeletons periodically in order to grow; in this process the inner layers of the old cuticle are digested by a molting fluid secreted by the epidermal cells, the animal emerges from the old covering, and the new cuticle hardens. The molting process is a central, and nearly continuous, part of a crab’s life. A hermit crab may spend 90% of its time getting ready to molt, molting, or recovering from a molt. There are many dangers to molting including predation, difficulty in movement as musclesRead More →

Hermit crab pre molt eyes

In: Caresheets, FAQ
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Observed Premolt Symptoms by Marie (aka ladybug15057) At times, crabbers become concerned due to certain actions their hermit crabs are beginning to display. Often, they are concerned that the hermit crab is ill, or has another form of complication happening that needs attention. Where, as on occasions, the symptoms they are observing may be due to a stressful situation, whether it be from their past or current living conditions, there are many times that the hermit crab is displaying pre molt symptoms. If one knows that he/she has provided the hermit crab with the essentials it needs to thrive (proper humidity level, proper temperature, properRead More →