Trying hermies again..

[krackersmom2]

Wait until it starts to smell to make the final determination. Are you sure she didn't molt and you're looking at the exo?

[MoribundMaverick]

Yea, unless you can molt completely inside your shell, she's dead. And the smell came and came fast. In a period of thirty minutes it went from "She stinks" to "UGH get this thing OUT of here!"

I took her back to the store to exchange her and the people there looked at me like I was crazy. They were like... "We don't need proof..." hah. I guess I'm just used to Walmart and Petco.

Anyways, I got a different crabby. This one I'm trying to rescue. Her shell was painted <i>and</i> had stickers on it. Plus she was too big for it by a mile. AND... there was a hole in her shell!
I'm going to go check on her in a little bit to see if she's changed shells yet. I hope so!
If not, what can I do to encourage it? Should I iso her? There are only two other crabs, one of which (I think) is starting to try and molt, since she's gone and buried herself in about five different spots.

[krackersmom2]

I am willing to bet she will change shells pretty quick without encouragement....especially if the shell is too small. My only paint that took forever to change shells was in the proper size, but in a chipped, super ugly shell. She has since changed shells.
In the even your crabby doesn't change shells, you can encourage her/him by putting the shells in a smaller plastic shoebox or some other escape proof container and put the crab in there with the shells for a couple of hours. If the crab doesn't change, then just have patience.

[MoribundMaverick]

She has finally changed! I came home from classes and saw her naked!
I ran out of the room to give her privacy, and when I checked back on her, she was in a new shell
Only, this one is pretty small too. She should pick a shell on size, not looks. (This shell is my prettiest one, lol)

[alli'smommy]

They are so crazy! I had a crab once that always picked a shell that was too small. I even had the exact same shell in several sizes, most of which were the proper size, and she still took the small one! I've stopped trying to figure them out!!!!

[MoribundMaverick]

Oh NO! I just went back in there to get dressed for bed, and since my hermit crab home is on top of my dresser, I checked on the crabs. Jerzy, check. She's eating. Bob, check. He's in the hut thing. Tarzan (the new one), BAD check! He's also in the hut thing, but he's NAKED! Again!

I freaked out, went and washed my face, and came back in. He was still in the hut thing but he was in his shell, but he was hanging halfway out. Looks like a molt he wasn't prepared for. I quick ISO'd him, but I've never been able to catch a crab in time for iso before. I have NO CLUE what to put in there. I just have the hut, him, every possible shell he could ever want, and tons of sand. What else do I do????

It kind of looks like he's preparing for a molt, but then again, he could be sick... but I don't think so, unless it came on all of a sudden, because he's been playing ALL DAY.

Help!?

[bluconspiracy]

Was tarzan ever ok ??

[MoribundMaverick]

Nope, he never made it. =[
He died before the fifteen day warrenty was up, but I just didn't want to go back to that same store.
Seems all their crabs die within a week.