Why is my hermit crab digging so much?

I have 4 hermit crabs in a 10 gallon tank with 10 pounds of cali-sand but one of them by the name of Captain Jack has been digging alot recently. The digging has been in the corners of the tank as well as inside the long log tunnel and coconut shack we have in there for shelter. We just got them about a week or so and have a hermometer in it which says the hummity has been 70s or higher but we don't have a thermometer yet so I'm not sure on the temperature but we plan on getting one this week. It has also been switching back and forth between the shell he came in and one other shell. I'm not sure what the digging is all about and wonder what the problem is.Why is my hermit crab digging so much?
That's EXACTLY what he's supposed to do! That means he's comfy in his new environment good job! When he's comfy he'll check out new shells and will dig to molt. Don't dig him up, let him do his thing believe me you can kill him if you dig him up during a molt. They will all start doing this as they relax. They will usually molt 2 times a year give or take a molt depending on their size and growth rate. When my little ones dig in I leave them alone and only dig to check on them after 4 weeks if they haven't come out by then and then bury them back if they move a little so I know they're alive. If you get a strong shrimpy/fishy smell then one of them has died but otherwise leave them be. If you have questions let me know and honestly it's not a great idea to use straight calcisand but mix it in with regular play sand or beach sand so they can eat the calcium or it'll get soggy and stink to high heaven and breed bacteria yuck. Email me any time you have a question and I'll try to help and have fun with them! Good luck :)
Give him more than one shell to try out. He may need to move out of the shell he's in and something about the other shell doesn't fit him just right.Why is my hermit crab digging so much?
The digging might be related to the temperature. If it's too chilly, the hermit crabs will burrow themselves to stay warm. Overall, some hermit crabs just like to dig and some like to switch their shells once in a while. It might be just getting used to its surroundings or it could be just a little chilled... or it could be just fine. For my hermit crab aquarium, we use part cali-sand and part substrate (kind of like soil.) They seem to enjoy both areas, but prefer to sleep in the substrate area the most.
Jack could be cold, he could be getting ready to moult, or he could be just playing. Crabs love to dig and make messes in the tank. Or at least my big Caribbeans do.



Hermit crabs often go back and forth between shells before the settle into one. One of my girls will spend a whole day trying on shells when I give her a new one. changing shells is healthy behaviour. You want to have a wide selection for your crabs to use in order to avoid shell fights. What I do is put so many in a tank then after a while I switch them with other ones I have. Make sure you boil your shells before putting them in. and always go with nonpainted shells.