hermit crab hibernating?

Question
Hi Tina,

Our hermit crab used to be very active, bathing in his salt-water bath, eating whatever we put in his dish and climbing all around all over the place. He is not shy but occasionally he will sleep in his hiding place. But now he has been in there for over 7 days and will not come out. He is not molting. He did that in the summer. It is humid in his tank and not cold, so I don't know what it could be... Any ideas?  

Thanks so much!

Debbie

Answer
Hi Debbie,   The process of molting is a very strenuous event for your crabby. It can take up to a month sometimes. If it is young or maybe it damaged its exoskeleton it is not unusual for them to molt more than once a year. Make sure you mist him a couple times a day and try not to disturb him. That being said they are tropical and do not hibernate. Have you added anything new to your tank from outside? A seashell or piece of pretty wood without proper disinfection for parasites? If not than that is probably not a worry. Unfortunately you can not tell his age and depending on his care will depend on his size not age......unless you bought him when he was a little bugger...lol I am sending you a site I love. It is one of the best and most informative care sheets. This man is extremely knowledgeable. There are alot of very kool facts. I think you will enjoy it. If you want to check him for parasites get a magnifying glass...though usually they are able to be seen by the naked eye and GENTLY pick him up and see if you can get him to come out of his shell abit so you can see the abdomen (the soft part in the back). What you are looking for is little black or red dots. I would wait another few days before you have to disturb him. If you see them I want you to understand this is a hard battle for us to win but, it can be done and we will work on that if we have to. So everyday for the next few days or so when your mist him get close and make sure you smell the area he is in. If he has died(sorry)it will be a very strong odor of dead fish....if not give him abit more time. Let me now how things go for your crabby or if you have any other questions please ask !!!!!!      Good Luck, Tina
  http://hermit-crabs.com/care.html