How do i know if my hermit crab is molting or not it just switched its shell

Question

How do i know if my hermit crab is molting or not it just switched its shell

Answer 1

Pre-molt symptoms include:

Digging

Consuming large amounts of water or soaking in the dish

Cloudy Eyes

Ashy looking exo

Lethargy (very in active)

Spilling water to dampen the substrate

A crab changing shells does not necessarily mean that they are getting ready to molt.  Hermit crabs will generally dig into the substrate (EcoEarth/Sand) if it is at a proper depth (2x the depth of the largest crab) for a long time if they molt.

Shell swapping could be done if the shell they were in before didn't fit right (too small/too big/not smooth enough on the inside), or maybe they did it just for fun.  Some crabs like to keep a shell for a long time, and others love to swap shells.  Just make sure there are plenty of available shells for the crab to choose from.

Check out http://www.hermitcrabassociation.com for a lot of information on hermit crabs and their care.  They have a FAQ for the most common questions that pop up.