I have two big hermies (one about the size of a golf ball, one about 2x bigger) and recently my son won two more from the library. They were tiny and one died right away within a week. It had buried itself and the smell finally gave it away. I'd had the two new ones in a seperate tank until I was sure they didn't have bugs, and after the first one died, I waited a couple more weeks and moved the second one into my larger tank with the other two.
The little one immediately buried himself. Within about two minutes he was buried. I left him alone. Every couple of days I'd move the tank so I can peek underneath and see if he was moving. I hadn't seen any movement for over a week, so I figured it was dead and started digging around. I dug up some random legs and two pincers, and then I finally found the shell (can you see where this is headed?). It wasn't dead, it had molted. I put him back in and buried him and I remembered to throw in the molted limbs (they eat them, right?). But now I'm worried I killed him, anyway. They need to create an air pocket when they bury themselves to molt, right? I'm worried he's suffocating (stop laughing).
Don't ask me why I worry about these crabs so much, I just do. We've had the two bigger ones for almost three years, so I should know better than to dig one up, but I just figured since the other one died right away, this one wouldn't live long, either, and I didn't want a dead hermie stinking things up and getting the tank all gross.
The little one immediately buried himself. Within about two minutes he was buried. I left him alone. Every couple of days I'd move the tank so I can peek underneath and see if he was moving. I hadn't seen any movement for over a week, so I figured it was dead and started digging around. I dug up some random legs and two pincers, and then I finally found the shell (can you see where this is headed?). It wasn't dead, it had molted. I put him back in and buried him and I remembered to throw in the molted limbs (they eat them, right?). But now I'm worried I killed him, anyway. They need to create an air pocket when they bury themselves to molt, right? I'm worried he's suffocating (stop laughing).
Don't ask me why I worry about these crabs so much, I just do. We've had the two bigger ones for almost three years, so I should know better than to dig one up, but I just figured since the other one died right away, this one wouldn't live long, either, and I didn't want a dead hermie stinking things up and getting the tank all gross.
