Do Emerald Crabs Molt?

kevin34

kevin34

Active Member
Ok thanks. Do they often go into hiding and become very mellow like other inverts do before they molt? I have one emerald crab that has been sitting in a hole in a rock for most of the day for the past 3 days or so and now I can find him. My other emerald is acting fine. I was assuming the other emerald could be molting.
 
A

alexmir

Guest
Originally Posted by reefkprZ
http:///forum/post/2647050
every creature with an exoskeleton must molt as it grows.
So every hermit crab i see floating around isnt necessarily a dead hermit? it could be a molt? for some reason i didnt think hermits molted......silly me
 
S

slugkeeper

Guest
Yes - lobsters, crabs (hermit and emerald), all molt otherwise they can not grow larger. With the emerald crab, you should notice his color becoming splotchy - more of a whitish green, rather than the solid darker green. During that stage, the exoskeleton is beginning to loosen. Once the crab has shed the previous exoskeleton, the exoskeleton underneath will harden and be a nice solid color again (until it is time for the next molt).
 
earnit33

earnit33

Member
That's how they grow and they get there legs back!If they have lost any.They do hide a little until the new shell hardens a little also.
 
kevin34

kevin34

Active Member
I have 2 emeralds that seemed to be the same size when I got them. Now one seems to be double the size of the other so I am guessing he molted. Now the other one is in hiding a lot and seems to have a lot of white on him instead of green. Does this mean he is about to molt?
 
9supratt4

9supratt4

Active Member
Do hermit crabs really molt?? I didn't think so since they don't have an outer shell.....which is why we have to provide shells for them as they grow.
 
kevin34

kevin34

Active Member
ok my emerald wont molt. He has turned that whitish green color and has been like that since I made this thread lol. The other crab molted within the first 2 weeks of adding it to the tank.
 
flip_x

flip_x

Member
Originally Posted by 9supratt4
http:///forum/post/2662973
Do hermit crabs really molt?? I didn't think so since they don't have an outer shell.....which is why we have to provide shells for them as they grow.
im pretty sure they molt.. first time it happend i thought it died then later i saw it crawling around again.. it did it again legs and claws fell off.. and hes just chillin in his shell..
 
kevin34

kevin34

Active Member
Originally Posted by Kevin34
http:///forum/post/2753508
ok my emerald wont molt. He has turned that whitish green color and has been like that since I made this thread lol. The other crab molted within the first 2 weeks of adding it to the tank.
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