Dead hermit crabs and molts...

[MarkW19]

How can I tell the difference between the two??

 

[indy]

If there's a chunk or rotting crab sitting in a shell, its a dead crab. If it looks like a crab with a chewed up butt and no shell around, its a molt.

 

[MarkW19]

So the eyes etc. will be on the molt too?

Could it not be a dead crab that's had it's shell nicked though??

 

[MarkW19]

Are the eyes etc. on the crab molt??

 

[indy]

It will look just like a crab including the coloring but there will not be a shell anywhere around it. Crabs tend to die in their shells, not out of them.

 

[MarkW19]

Could the crab not have been pulled out of the shell though?

 

[crage34]

its a molt...trust me...i thought the same thing but then counted my crabs....the molt looks just like a pulled out crab

 

[quarryshark]

It will appear clear somewhat. Also it will not appear to be rotting.
My money is on a molt.

 

[MarkW19]

It's sort of clear at the back - looks like someone's been biting away at his "body", but the front (legs/eyes etc.) are exactly like the crab!

 

[crage34]

thats exactly what my molts look like

 

[seafan]

give us a pic

 

[MarkW19]

I will do next time - just taken him out I counted 11 hermits yesterday though, the first time I've seen them altogether for ages. I put 11 in a few months ago, so not doing too bad really!

 

[MarkW19]

I just saw one of my crabs molt! Weird experience.

He was being pushed along the bottom of the tank by the waterflow, without his shell, shaking off his molt. Then he walked away and it was stuck to him, so he shook it off.

Then I was worried because there weren't any spare shells near him, just right at the other side of the tank. But, he started walking towards the shell and everytime he got near, he'd get blown back - obviously he's not very stable without his shell! But, he made one last attempt and ran to the shell, fighting off the current, and popped inside.

His body was a lot longer than I thought it'd be - and curled up beneath him most of the time. I've never seen a hermit like that before - very interesting!

Just thought I'd share this with everyone...at least now I do know what a molt and the real thing looks like

 

[Salttanker]

My hermit molts all the time. I bought a bunch of shells and threw them in tank. I look in there every now and then, and he is in a different shell every time. lol

Mike