Is my crab dead or molting?

Akizo · Jan 6, 2021

So I need help. This is my first hermit crab and it went into their new shell. And their big claw fell. It stopped moving but I dont see anything happening. Its been like this for 2 or 5 days but I haven't smelled anything strange from the cage. So this is what it looks like. I dont like the cage but I cant really get a new one atm. It changed from its yellow shell to the big one that you see im the photo. And yes its a land hermit crab

SaltyT · Jan 6, 2021

Welcome to R2R! Are you talking about a terrestrial hermit crab or a hermit crab in your saltwater tank?

Mikedawg · Jan 6, 2021

You're talking about a hermit crab that lives on land?

vetteguy53081 · Jan 6, 2021

If the new shell has meat in it- it’s the crab and should be moving
If the shell is hollow, the crab is somewhere else in tank. Loss of claw not unusual

Fred2482 · Jan 6, 2021

Welcome! I would assume you are talking about a "land" hermit ? There can be many reasons the claw falls off. Molting is a common reason, however there are other reasons that could be a sign of stress. Any other hermits in the same cage?

Akizo · Jan 6, 2021

Mikedawg said:
You're talking about a hermit crab that lives on land?

Yes! It just randomly went into its new shell and stayed there lifeless.

Akizo · Jan 6, 2021

Fred2482 said:
Welcome! I would assume you are talking about a "land" hermit ? There can be many reasons the claw falls off. Molting is a common reason, however there are other reasons that could be a sign of stress. Any other hermits in the same cage?

No its one by itself. And yea a land hermit crab.

Cell · Jan 6, 2021

Welcome to R2R!

Akizo · Jan 6, 2021

SaltyT said:
Welcome to R2R! Are you talking about a terrestrial hermit crab or a hermit crab in your saltwater tank?

I'm talking about a land hermit crab. Im new to this whole thing

Fred2482 · Jan 6, 2021

Akizo said:
No its one by itself. And yea a land hermit crab.

I'm not really familiar with hermits, I would definitely ensure its environment is ideal according to any qualified requirements. They can respond negatively due to stress, light, temp and other non-ideal environmental issues. If everything seems compliant, hopefully it is just molting and hiding in the shell until it fells safe again.

Fred2482 · Jan 6, 2021

Not sure if this is a good resource, however it had some obvious info that seemed legit:

Hermit Crab Care Sheet - Fluker Farms

Hermit crabs make great pets! Our habitat setup guide and care tips cover enclosure, substrate, temperature, humidity, lighting, accessories, diet, nutrition, behavior, handling, and safety.

flukerfarms.com

maceto · Jan 6, 2021

Welcome!

Vette67 · Jan 6, 2021

Akizo said:
So I need help. This is my first hermit crab and it went into their new shell. And their big claw fell. It stopped moving but I dont see anything happening. Its been like this for 2 or 5 days but I haven't smelled anything strange from the cage. So this is what it looks like. I dont like the cage but I cant really get a new one atm. It changed from its yellow shell to the big one that you see im the photo. And yes its a land hermit crab

I used to keep land hermits. When they molt, they bury themselves underground for like a month, where they molt their old “skin” then eat it. Once their new exoskeleton has hardened, they comes out from underground. If the crab is dead, you will be able to dump it out of the shell. It will not hold itself in. And if you touch it, it should retract and pull away to try to protect itself.

Akizo · Jan 6, 2021

Vette67 said:
I used to keep land hermits. When they molt, they bury themselves underground for like a month, where they molt their old “skin” then eat it. Once their new exoskeleton has hardened, they comes out from underground. If the crab is dead, you will be able to dump it out of the shell. It will not hold itself in. And if you touch it, it should retract and pull away to try to protect itself.

Thank you for the information! But I dont have any sand in my cage- so I'm a little confused because they dig under the sand for that.

Vette67 · Jan 6, 2021

I’m not

Akizo said:
Thank you for the information! But I dont have any sand in my cage- so I'm a little confused because they dig under the sand for that.

I’m not sure what happens if they cannot bury themselves to molt. I kept mine in about 2 inches of peat. I had a couple that hibernated in the corner of the tank for about a month to molt. They come back very brightly colored. I believe sand can be used too, but whatever substrate you use, it should be deep enough that the crabs can fully bury themselves.