Molting Hermit Crabs

Molting hermit crabs are under tremendous stress. The best way to help them is to make sure they are in an environment that is ideal for molting, but otherwise leave them alone to get through the molt. There are different ways to make sure they are in a good place as well as safe from other crabs during this vulnerable time, and these are discussed in the Molting Hermit Crabs FAQ.

I was a follower of the "don't interfere" method for molting, and mine all molted a couple of times each with no problems. They did tend to disappear for a long time, and just when I started to believe they must be dead, they'd reappear, freshly molted. However, over the last year, Sirius Black then Harry Potter disappeared under the sand for the last time, and never resurfaced. Other than their shells I never found any trace of them. I suspect that they were molting and that my large, and sometimes rough, Ringshark had something do with their disappearances. As a result, I think I am converted to the "do something to protect the molting crab" camp, although I haven't had the chance to test protection methods out. On the bright side, Ringshark is still thriving, and just emerged from a molt where I didn't see any trace of her for at least 6 weeks (I was sure she must be dead...but she's back -- bigger than ever and very hungry!).

Photo © Lianne McLeod