Hermit Crab Malting?

[londonwriter]

Hi All,

Just a quickie - does anyone know how often hermit crabs malt?

My resident superstar malted about a month ago and is now displaying the same signs again - inertia and generally reclusive. Was just wondering if it's the same thing, or whether I should be concerned!

 

[Lynden]

Hi All,

Just a quickie - does anyone know how often hermit crabs malt?

My resident superstar malted about a month ago and is now displaying the same signs again - inertia and generally reclusive. Was just wondering if it's the same thing, or whether I should be concerned!

I've never, ever seen a hermit crab molt - nor have I found a skin afterward. But it is normal for them to hide away, sometimes for weeks. I assume they are doing their shedding then.

 

[SkiFletch]

Yeah, my hermits get reclusive from time to time... Normal behavior

 

[sjcneedshelp321]

do you mean when they move onto a bigger shell as they grow and get too small for their previous one?

 

[Mr Miagi]

do you mean when they move onto a bigger shell as they grow and get too small for their previous one?

Most hermits shed when their exoskeleton becomes restrictive, and this generally means they can search for a larger home! Not that size has stopped my hermits trying on rediculous sized shells! Humorous!

 

[londonwriter]

Well, she's been top dog in the tank for ages and has loads of food (read, I have an algae problem still!) so it wouldn't surprise me.

I saw her malt the first time - quite an amazing thing actually. She'd sat on a rock for three days hardly moving and I assumed the worst. During this time she was also very shy and would retract into the shell whenever I approached the tank. Then, as I watched, she started fitting. It was pretty freaky to be honest, but after a few minutes, most of her, minus her actual body, flew out of the shell and landed on the sand. She then spent another three days hardly moving while the shell hardened.

It was a pretty freaky sight, but quite a relief as well! And the snails loved it too, although watching a nassarius snail nibble on the nerve endings so that her big claw twitched was a little gross.

 

[Lynden]

It was a pretty freaky sight, but quite a relief as well! And the snails loved it too, although watching a nassarius snail nibble on the nerve endings so that her big claw twitched was a little gross.

There shoudn't be nerve endings in a shed skin...