QuestionI have a 30-gallon (I think...it's bigger than a standard 20-gallon) tank with 6 small hermit crabs in it. The one I've had the longest (almost 14 months) had to be dug up. It was an emergency...that was a while ago, but not so long that he's molted again. He had molted before I dug him up, and wasn't quite ready to come up. I made little holes in the dirt and such for him to re-bury, but he didn't. I kept a close eye on him and he seemed ok. He's a light orangish color right now with blue on his legs. Last night, he switched out of his shell into a new one, which I thought was a bit odd. He stayed in the shell he came in for almost a year before switching. Months ago I found the identical shell to the one I bought him in, just a size larger. No holes/cracks/etc. He recently switched into the shell I'd picked just for him and buried his old shell. This morning, we woke to find him out of his shell, half in and half out of the salt water bowl. I cleaned out the larger shell I'd picked out for him and he went back into it shortly. I had someone checking on him all day long and he's been lethargic, but has stayed in his shell. When I got home from work, he was in the same spot he was in when I left. I added fresh ground oyster shells to the calcium bowl, made sure the water bowls were filled, sponges wet, and gave him a bath. He's become a little more active and seemed interested in a piece of popcorn, but he's still very lethargic. I don't want him to die! Do you have any advice? Anything I can do for him? Thank you so much!!
AnswerIf he has recently molted (very recently) he will need to rest for awhile. The fact that he was eating is a very positive sign. Try offering him a little honey on the end of a toothpick or drizzle some in some mashed banana.
Did he get a chance to eat his exoskeleton?
