Healthy hermit crab colors should be bright and vibrant.
Their exoskeletons are white, but hermit crabs are covered by skin, giving them a colorful appearance. A health or environmental issue is likely to blame if they turn pale or white.
Hermit crabs look white when they’re molting. This is where they shed their exoskeleton, producing a larger exoskeleton to accommodate their growth.
Hermit crab shells naturally turn white through exposure to salt and calcium bicarbonate. Unfortunately, if a hermit crab is white and not moving, it’s likely to be dead.
Watch out for white mold or mites, as they can create the illusion that a hermit crab’s turning white. Keeping a hermit crab’s environment clean and sanitary will enable you to avoid these issues.
Why Is My Hermit Crab White?
As discussed, hermit crabs should be deep and vibrant in color.
However, there’s no universal color you need to look out for, as each species has a different marking. As a result, the paler a hermit crab appears, the more likely it is to be unhealthy.
This doesn’t mean your hermit crab’s sick or dying – it may need a few environmental changes to get it back to its normal coloration. Usually, it’s the hermit crab’s shell that’s turning white instead of its skin.
These are the most common reasons why hermit crabs turn white:
Wear and Tear
As hermit crabs carry their shells around, wear and tear occur after being bumped and scraped along rocks, accessories, and the sides of the tank. Abrasive sand can also wear down the shell’s polish, causing discoloration that often appears white or pale gray.
Calcium Bicarbonate
Owners must provide their hermit crabs with shells in various shapes and sizes, which they move into when they outgrow their original shells.
Before you put them into the water, clean them first by boiling them in salt water. Shells are comprised of calcium bicarbonate, so this process causes the shells to bleach and turns white.
Overexposure to Salt
Hermit crabs are saltwater creatures. However, overexposure to salt acts similarly to bleach, turning the shell white.
This is common in the wild when the shells become immersed in the ocean or washed over by waves on the shore for a long time.
Nutritional Deficiencies
Hermit crabs often appear white or washed out when they don’t consume the right nutrients. Specifically, they’ll turn white if they don’t consume enough calcium and magnesium.
Cuttlebone and sea biscuits are good sources of calcium, so incorporate them into a hermit crab’s diet to bring it back to its full, normal coloration. Hermit crabs also need to consume:
A varied, balanced diet will help a hermit crab get the nutrients it needs and maintain its bright color.
Mites
Mite won’t necessarily cause your hermit crab to turn white, but some species appear as small white blotches on the eyes, legs, and body.
According to the Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, around 15 types of mites affect hermit crabs, including:
- Acarus siro – aka grain mites
- Demodex folliculorum – aka follicle mites
- Dermatophagoides – aka dust mites
- Liponyssoides sanuineus – aka house mouse mites
- Oribatid – aka soil mites or moss mites
- Psocoptera – aka booklice, paperlice or barkflies
- Sarcoptes scabiei hominis – aka itch or scabies mites
- Tyrophagus putrescentiae – aka mold mites
Mites enter the tank through fresh food, woods, rocks, or shells. Mites thrive in warmth, darkness, humidity, and places they can hide. Once they get into the tank, they multiply and cause a full-scale infestation, becoming difficult to eradicate.
Death
Hermit crabs don’t fade in color from the natural aging process.
Unfortunately, if you find a hermit crab that’s gray, pale, or white and not moving, it’s likely dead. It’s common for hermit crabs to die suddenly and without warning.
Sadly, molting hermit crabs are commonly mistaken for dead hermit crabs, which is where the confusion lies for inexperienced owners.
For that reason, don’t assume your crab’s dead – ensure it’s not molting by observing your hermit crab from afar.
This is so you don’t accidentally disturb your pet during this vital process. After a few days, dead hermit crabs start to smell, which gives you your answer.
Why Is My Hermit Crab White After Molting?
During the molting stage, a hermit crab will turn white.
The Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology explains how hermit crabs molt several times in the first three years of their lives, increasing in size and mass each time they molt.
During this process, the hermit crab will shed its exoskeleton and produce a larger one to accommodate its growing body.
Molting is a deeply private experience for a hermit crab, and it’ll barely move during this time. As a result, owners commonly worry that their hermit crab’s dead or dying.
The molting process lasts for several months. You must leave your hermit crab alone during this process, or there could be disastrous consequences. During a molt, hermit crabs:
- Bury themselves into their substrate
- Dig more often, as if they’re making a tunnel
- Limply hang out of their shells
- Eat and drink more than usual to store fat and water
- Develop a glassy or glazed expression in their eyes
Once a hermit crab completes its molt and emerges, it’ll stop being pale or white and return to its original vibrant color. This is how you’ll know that your hermit crab’s back to normal.
What Is the Fuzzy White Stuff on My Hermit Crab?
It may surprise you to know that white mold is a common occurrence in hermit crab tanks. It can also affect their shells, making them appear partially white and pale.
Fortunately, mold is a standard tank feature and doesn’t cause significant health issues. That said, you should manually clean it whenever you see any.
Mold most often comes from an old substrate, but it’s also caused by a lack of airflow in the tank.
Getting the right combination of airflow and humidity is tricky, as you must seal the tank tightly to produce enough humidity for hermit crabs. Also, food tends to get moldy if left in the tank for too long.
Once mold appears, you’ll always have mold spores, so keep an eye on the tank and your hermit crab’s shells to ensure it doesn’t overgrow and become too much of a problem. Once you have mold, it’s likely to return frequently.
In most cases, a hermit crab turning white isn’t anything to worry about. Depending on a hermit crab’s behavior, it’s most likely molting. However, always check for sudden changes and ensure the environment’s clean and sanitary.
