QuestionQUESTION: I have a hermit crab that recently molted about 1 1/2 weeks ago. The molt was awfull to say the least. Before it she was very pale and now is worse, not to mention almost 2 weeks later is still very soft.
Today this crab got into a conflict with another of my crabs, and was pulled from her shell. Thankfully, when I offered another she gladly accepted but I have noticed some strange problems that I have never encountered before.
Her exoskeleton is, like I said before, EXTREMELY pale and very soft to the touch. There is also a strange smell and slime that I have not ever had with any of my other crabs before. Not good at all. What could be the problem with her? I offer a good variety of fresh and processed foods for her diet, as well as keep pieces of cuttle bone scattered in the cage for supplemental calcium.
Because of the conflict with the other crab I have seperated her, but she has taken a beating. What should I do to provide her with a good recovery environment? What should I do to keep her alive? What improvements need to be made to her diet? and should I worry about the smell and slime? if so how can I fix that?
-hope to hear from you soon
ANSWER: These are all very concerning. Can you describe the smell? If it is an iodine or silicone type smell that is the molting hormone. Other smells may indicate other problems. Isolating the crab is a good first step. I have had this happen once or twice and both times the crab recovered (although there was no attack).
Try offering the crab some steamed shrimp (leave the tail and skin on) and mince it up really well. Organic babyfood turkey or veggies is a great option. The goal is to make it as easy for the freshly molted crab as possible.
grind some of the cuttlebone into a powder and mix it in with the food. Spirulina is a good choice too. Mixing olive oil and honey into the food can help boost the crabs energy as well.
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: The smell is that of, frankly, something rotting. Very similar to a dead fishy smell, which is what concerns me. I have also had more time to look over her injuries and I have noticed that in several places her exoskeleton has been broken and small bits of her insides (on the legs) are visible.
Do you know of any reason that she would still be so soft almost 2 weeks after the molt? Also, will a concentrated salt bath help her? ( I was thinking more of a prevention of any bacterial infection, as salt is supposed to help that) What were you able to do for your lil buddies when this happened and how was it similar?
-hope to hear from you very soon
AnswerA double strength salt water bath might help. None of my crabs were injured and I'm afraid the prognosis isn't a good one. make sure that after the salt water bath you rinse the crab in fresh water because the salt water will dry out the exoskeleton.
Good luck, please let me know if he pulls through.
