Cardisoma molting, how often?

[pinoccio]

Hi guys!

I´ve searched the forum for answers, but im not very good at the german language so I never found an answer.

Now I have two male cardisoma armatum.

They are about 3,5 cm over carapace.

They are eating very well and seems to have it nice. Living seperated in a 120l tank with a plexiglass in the middle giving them 60l each.
The meaning is to have two 120l later.

I´ve had them for 4 month and none of hem have molted yet.
I have a feeling my last armatum molted pretty often when beeing juvenile, and he wasn´t eating way as much as these two does.

How often is seen to be "normal" for a well beeing armatum of this size?

Can the presence of another male so close, force them to wait with the molt as they get so vulnerable durin molting? Or does it happens either they want it or not when needed?

[Ollie Mengedoht]

Hi pinoccio,

it depends on age, feeding, health and some more factors, including indeed the presence of congeners. Young crabs molt every few days and that becomes more rare getting older when they molt every one or two years. With 3,5 cm carapce width they should molt in distances from some months.

If they feel pressed by a congener they might prolong the molting but if I understand You correctly their decompartmentsi n the tank are separated. When they have some structure in their part of the tank with possibilities to hide then that should be not something that could cause a surpressing of a molting.

[pinoccio]

Hmm. that´s about the same I remember of the early days of my last one.
Yes, they are absolutly seperated from eachother with the plexiglass, but ofcourse they can see eachother clear through it.
They are having like 50% "beach" and the rest water enough to submerge. roots, stones and small flowerpot to hide in and under, but they rarely use them. Mosty they are submerged or climbing around. They don´t hide much at all in fact.

Thay haven´t showed any interest at all to eachother for a long time now, and seems to be very pleased with the situation they have. None of them are agressive to the other and not to people eather. One eats from my hand and the other one is a bit more reserved, but not affraid in any way.

Both are very curious and often follow what is happening outside of their tank

Just like my old one they are eating vegetables, fish, pellets, shrimps and so. Both are very glad in eating and are eating much better than my old one. This fact makes me a bit confused when they don´t molt.
When they have eaten much they submerge in water for a day or two, just like before molting, but they simply don´t...