Hermit crab molting is a very interesting part of having land crabs as pets and one you don’t get to experience with other pets. A crab molts in order to grow and during the molting process, he sheds his outer skin or exoskeleton and emerges in a fresh new skin that is a little bigger. When your hermit crab is getting ready to mold, he’ll show a few signs and you should remove him to a special molting tank so he can do his business in private.

If you have more than one hermit crab, and you should since they love company, you also want to have a special tank where you can isolate those that are molting. This is for the crabs safety as he is very sensitive just after molding and could be injured by the other crabs.

Some signs of your hermit crab molting include:

1. The crab eating and drinking a lot - they store up food and water just before molting so you will notice that he is eating a lot more than usual. This will probably be at night so keep a keen eye.

2. The crab is digging a lot. Crabs like to molt under the sand so if you notice your crab digging a lot, it could be a sign he is getting ready to molt.

3. The crab is regenerating limbs. Molting time is a time to regenerate limbs so if you see some little gel stubs sticking out where new limbs would go, this could also be a sign.

If you think your crab is molting, make sure you have the special tank set up with enough sand (about 6 inches) so he can dig in and get to business. The sand should be moist but not wet. Moist enough to dip your finger in and create a little hole that won’t cave in. Do just that, make the hole the size of your crab and see if he digs down in. If he does he’s probably in the mood to molt.

When your crab is molting do not disturb him. They are very fragile at this time and you could really hurt him. It takes a couple of days for his outer skin to harden so just leave him about his business. Don’t worry about the shed exoskeleton, the crab will eat most of this to replenish lost nutrients.

Hermit crab molting can be an interesting experience and usually happens about every 1 ½ years. Be on the lookout for molting behaviors so you can give your crab just what he needs to get into his new skin.