Fiddler crab molting behavior

[snickers]

Hi all, my husband has a small aquarium at work (2.5 gallons) and recently got a fiddler crab for it. He has been fine for a week now, but today he has been laying on its back. My husband thought he was dead and took him out and placed him in a small plastic travel container. After about 3 hours he was up and walking around. My husband then placed him back into the tank and the darned thing is on its back again. He can and has reached the top of the tank for air. He can either climb the air tube and hang from the top of the plastic hood, or there is a rock he can climb and be flat and be able to stick out of the water. He thinks there is a small line down the middle of the belly that he has seen move a little. Is it possible he is molting? We hope it isn't dying Thanks in advance for your help!

 

[congealedmeat]

He could be molting, but I'd provide a bit more space for the crab to get out of the water, as the fiddlers like to hang out above the water and chill out. When my red crab molted I thought I found his corpse, but then I saw a crab-shaped blob in my filter

How is the water quality? Do you have a heater in there? I don't think that temperature should be too big a deal, as I've had my red crab in water >15 Celcius and he's still kicking around.

Your crab shouldn't be laying on his back, at least I've never seen any of my crabs do this(3 fiddlers and 3 red crabs)

 

[ATHFsloth18]

Yeah mines doing that too. I found him upside down today so I flipped him over. He's molted before but it happened during the night so I'm not sure how long it took. Sadly I think mines dead. Ill give it the night. If he's still not moving by morning ill bow out and remove him. If anyones nows how long this takes tell me thanks.

 

[wataugachicken]

if your crab does molt, leave the empty skin in there. they will eat it for the calcium.