Signs and Symptoms When Your Hermit Crab Molts

The most stressful time in a hermit crab life was when they are molting. Hermit crab must shed it exoskeleton every now and then because it has rigid exoskeleton that do not grow as the crab grows. Hermit crab molting is the natural process by which they grow and it happens every eighteen (18) months.  It involves shedding its exoskeleton and forms a new one. At that point in time the hermit crab will start eating the old exoskeleton which helps to recycle calcium and other mineral for the new exoskeletons health and rigidity.

When hermit crab molting, they are under a lot of pressure and need extra care during this vulnerable time. During this process, hermit crab is defenseless. They tend to bury underground to provide an isolated and stable environment for protection away from temperature fluctuation, elements and predators.

Hermit crab gives signs to its pet owner before shedding its skin. Once you see these sign, you should    consider isolating them from the other crabs right away. Below are some of the common signs and symptoms that an impending molt is near.

These are the following sign and symptoms hermit crab molting include:

  • Excessive eating and drinking: they eat and drink significantly more and they may stop eating completely just before a molt.
  • Excessive digging behavior: the crab is digging a lot because they like to molt under the sand.
  • Spend most of the time around water: crabs need to store an abundance of water when getting to molt. Water is use in order to swell and break open their exoskeleton. You may noticed a form of molt sac or water sac under the abdomen which indicates that the crab is storing food and water reserves that will be used to survive the molt.
  • Changing into a smaller shell: crab choose smaller shell instead of bigger shell in getting ready to molt. Crab knows that a bigger shell with a larger opening will get bogged down with sand when they buries down. To avoid this, crab often moves into more tightly fitting shells before they bury.
  • Sluggishness or relative inactivity: the crab activity decline because they prioritize to molting. They may stay tucked within their shells and show very little interest in other crab or even feeding until after molting. However, sluggishness is not always a sign of hermit crab molting; some are just naturally not as active compare to other crab.
  • Other visual signs: a hermit crab that needs to molt will often have cloudy or whitish eyes, eye stalk may face away from each other, whitish color on legs and claws, legs may seem weak, ashy color body and a chalky appearance to their exoskeleton. Molting is a time to lost and regenerate limp bud. This limp bud is newly regenerated leg or claw that is forming in a soft white and will unfold into a smaller version of the original limb upon molting. So if you see some little gel stubs sticking out where new limbs would go, this could also be a sign.

Observe carefully for these signs mentioned above about hermit crab molting. If you see these sign remember to isolate and leave your crab alone. These are best thing you can do to help for your crabby. Have trust to your hermit crabs on what they do during molting.


Feeding Your Hermit Crabs

What do hermit crabs eat besides hermit food?  Actually in the wild, hermit crabs eat a variety of foods like fallen fruit, decaying wood, leaf litter, grasses and plants without conifers. They eat almost whatever they can find either by the waves washing it up onto the beach, or scraps other animals leave behind. There are two ways how hermit crabs locate food, through smelling it and through seeing other crabs eating.

Most of the hermit crabs are omnivores and they are not choosy eater. Omnivore’s means they can be able to assume both plant like an herbivore and meat like a carnivore. They eat variety of food as possible, either fresh vegetables or fruits. Always make sure to serve those foods freshly washed, patted, dry, crisp and free from pesticides and chemicals.

Before feeding your pet any fish food flakes, pellets or canned foods, you should read first the label because it may contain copper sulfate or ethhoxyquin may be fatal to your pet.  Fish vegetable flakes should be serves if and only if no preservatives added. Preservatives that are natural which can be found in fish like tocopherols are okay. Fish food flakes, pellets or canned foods should be served not more than twice amount.

Meat like beef, pork or fish should be well – cooked because any food that contains meat can become toxic. If you want, you can fed fish meat as long as it is fresh and not from an already process dish. They also love to eat seaweeds, freeze–dried and sun-dried shrimp and plankton or even any sort of dead crustacean. Serving them meat alone will not make healthy and well – balanced diet for hermit crabs.  Meat should be served moderately. 

Salted and sweetened foods are not safe. Junk foods should not be introduced to your pet like potato chips, corn chips, sugary cereals, doughnuts, pretzels and etc. You can serve popcorn but it should be air popped and unsalted or no butter.  Some hermit crabs favorite and enjoying eating namely applesauce, honey, cereal, cooked egg, plain rice cake, raisins, low salt content cracker and peanuts are safe foods. Dairy foods should be avoided and if those may be given, it should be in small amount and moderately.

What do hermit crabs eat in terms of fruits? Hermit crabs are not finicky when we talk about fruits. You can feed them any kind of fruits, except for those very acidic and citrus fruits like orange, tomatoes and etc. Fruits that are safe and healthy, which you can offer them are papaya, melon, mango, apple, banana, pineapple, grape, and coconut. Applesauce is good Berries are also okay to your pet namely strawberries, cranberries, strawberries, elderberries, mulberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries and gooseberries. Berries are safe even though it contains great antioxidant properties as well as color enhancer. Make sure that before serving fruits, it should be chopped into pieces and patted dry.

Aside from fruits and meat, what do hermit crabs eat? Well, they also eat vegetables of all kind. They like to eat green leafy veggies like cabbage, spinach watercress and lettuce except for iceberg or head lettuce. Broccoli and carrots are also safe to hermit crab. Grass leaves and strips of barks without conifer are also okay to serve. Starchy vegetables such as potatoes should be avoided also.

Water is also important in feeding hermit crab. All species of hermit crabs should have to access both fresh clean and salted water. Fresh clean water is needed for drinking and they cannot drink salty water as it causes dehydration. You should put water that is normally put in tropical tank which means that all traces of chlorine have been removed. They are ways in removing chlorine and minerals from your water before giving to the crab. If your water has a lot of chlorine, leave it stand overnight because chlorine will evaporate from the water overnight. Another was to purchase dechlorinator liquid from your aquarium shop. Always remember to replace the water about twice a day.

Learning about what do hermit crabs eat and drink is pet owner concerned. Now you know how to handle the hermit crabs, it’s time to decide to have hermit crab as a pet.