Hi there 
I had a halloween moon crab named Winston that I loved. He was very beautiful and docile. He was full grown when I got him, but missing several legs. He lived for several months and just recently died. I truly enjoyed getting to know him and am interested in more, but I want to explain how I cared for him and make sure his death wasn't the result of incorrect care. At first, Winston lived alone in a 20 gallon long tank. His substrate was a mix of coconut fiber, calcium sand, jungle bedding, and small pebbles over a drainage layer. It was about 5 inches deep on one side. He had a log hide and some fake plants. He had a small bowl of brackish water and a large bowl of fresh water. I fed him veggies, fruits, hermit crab food, egg, mealworms, etc. Eventually, I wanted to improve him home and get him a friend or two so I designed a 40 gallon breeder tank for him. The substrate was the same as before except with the addition of orchid bark and oolite sand mixed in. It was 8 inches deep in some areas, there were several caves, logs to climb, fake plants, small brackish dish, and larger fresh water pool. Instead of a heat pad, I used a red heat lamp to heat this tank. I misted the enclosure several times daily. He was much more active than ever before and could be seen eating, exploring, etc. One day, I came home and found him upside down in the fresh water dish. Scared, I picked him up and thought he was dead but he started moving. I put him at the edge of the dish because he wanted to be near the water. I left him there and he eventually got very still. He sat there in the water for days and the back of his shell seemed to grow apart some with a white film stretched between the top and bottom. Soon, he apparently died and started to smell. I think he may have tried to molt (he also had nubs where his missing legs were), but it didn't work. From my research it seemed like he should have wanted to molt under ground or something instead of in his water though. I kept the substrate moist but not wet. Can you think of anything I did wrong? Was he just old? Is my set up and care ok? Would a few moon crabs be alright together in that size cage if I closely monitored them when molting? Please let me know of any ideas, tips, or suggestions you have.
I had a halloween moon crab named Winston that I loved. He was very beautiful and docile. He was full grown when I got him, but missing several legs. He lived for several months and just recently died. I truly enjoyed getting to know him and am interested in more, but I want to explain how I cared for him and make sure his death wasn't the result of incorrect care. At first, Winston lived alone in a 20 gallon long tank. His substrate was a mix of coconut fiber, calcium sand, jungle bedding, and small pebbles over a drainage layer. It was about 5 inches deep on one side. He had a log hide and some fake plants. He had a small bowl of brackish water and a large bowl of fresh water. I fed him veggies, fruits, hermit crab food, egg, mealworms, etc. Eventually, I wanted to improve him home and get him a friend or two so I designed a 40 gallon breeder tank for him. The substrate was the same as before except with the addition of orchid bark and oolite sand mixed in. It was 8 inches deep in some areas, there were several caves, logs to climb, fake plants, small brackish dish, and larger fresh water pool. Instead of a heat pad, I used a red heat lamp to heat this tank. I misted the enclosure several times daily. He was much more active than ever before and could be seen eating, exploring, etc. One day, I came home and found him upside down in the fresh water dish. Scared, I picked him up and thought he was dead but he started moving. I put him at the edge of the dish because he wanted to be near the water. I left him there and he eventually got very still. He sat there in the water for days and the back of his shell seemed to grow apart some with a white film stretched between the top and bottom. Soon, he apparently died and started to smell. I think he may have tried to molt (he also had nubs where his missing legs were), but it didn't work. From my research it seemed like he should have wanted to molt under ground or something instead of in his water though. I kept the substrate moist but not wet. Can you think of anything I did wrong? Was he just old? Is my set up and care ok? Would a few moon crabs be alright together in that size cage if I closely monitored them when molting? Please let me know of any ideas, tips, or suggestions you have.
