New crabs not moving, one buried....update...

CrystalR · Post by **CrystalR** » 22 Sep 2006, 06:35

I got four crabs for my daughter for her birthday. I bought them on Friday. I have them in a 10 gallon with play sand substrate, humidity and temp are in the right range.
On Sunday, one of the more active crabs went under ground. He came up once the next day and I haven't seen him since...so for four days. Two of the others have been in the same respective spot in the tank for four days. They move their legs a little, but otherwise don't move. I have checked at different hours of the night/morning and they are still in the same spot.
Is this normal? Do you think the one that went under is molting? If they are destressing, how long does that normally take? Do I need to ISO them?

Thanks so much!

Update...one of the crabs "woke up" about a week later and has been moving around just fine. The one active crab is now dug under, the crab that was buried is still buried (three weeks now) and the one crab that hadn't moved much at all died last night.

Thanks so much for your help, everyone! I really appreciated it.

Crystal

hermiesrokmysox · Post by **hermiesrokmysox** » 22 Sep 2006, 10:23

how long have the other crabs been standing there? I know my crabs find a goo perch on wood and stay there for a day.

The one that dug under might be ready for a molt.

CrystalR · Post by **CrystalR** » 22 Sep 2006, 10:58

THey have been in the same spot for four days. They are both in separate corners of the tank. I checked both of them today and they are both still moving...but as far as I can tell they haven't had food or water that whole time....is this normal for a destress?

hermiesrokmysox · Post by **hermiesrokmysox** » 22 Sep 2006, 21:42

usually when the de-stress they burry them selves. how deep is your sand?

CrystalR · Post by **CrystalR** » 23 Sep 2006, 00:04

Three inches...and these are about one inch tall crabs with their shells on.

I gave a piece of apple to both of the crabs yesterday, and one of them did eat it, so hopefully that is a good sign. The crab that is buried is still under, but I can hear him digging on occasion...

I did check on them both by picking them up a little and they are both alive.

Is it normal for them to be this quiet for this long?

hermiesrokmysox · Post by **hermiesrokmysox** » 23 Sep 2006, 05:49

they might be moving around at night and then returning to their spot in the morning, or you might just have some lazy crabbies. (most PPs are)

iluvhermies · Post by **iluvhermies** » 23 Sep 2006, 11:43

I would say the one that is buried is making its hole to molt in why you are hearing the moving. If you want to check if htey are moving at night you could smooth down the sand and check it later to see if there are fresh hermie tracks.

hermiesrokmysox · Post by **hermiesrokmysox** » 25 Sep 2006, 01:45

i agree with iluvhermies!

CrystalR · Post by **CrystalR** » 25 Sep 2006, 12:02

Well, one of the crabs that was not moving is okay now, he moves all over the place at night. The crab that was doing fine in the beginning is still doing well.
One of the crabs that wasn't moving is still not moving...in the morning he is in the same exact place and position as before...I put him under the hermie hut to hopefully give him some more rest.
The hermit crab that was buried is still under... I smoothed out the sand yesterday, but no tracks yet...

I am a little worried about the not-moving crab...hopefully he will make it.

hermiesrokmysox · Post by **hermiesrokmysox** » 27 Sep 2006, 07:37

is he all the way in his shell, like you can see his eyes?

New crabs not moving, one buried....update...

New crabs not moving, one buried....update...

Re: New crabs not moving, one buried....