I think I just saw my crabs doin' the dirty! BABIES!!!

[wolfnipplechips]

Thanks! I'm really scared of flying. hehe. Probably more scared of flying than of telling my family I eloped. ha! Oh! and I will reply to your PM about the drawing! I read it over, and I have a couple questions, but I will have to get to it tomorrow. I realize it's going to be a b-day gift, so I promise I'll answer tomorrow! These last few days have been hectic.

[powerfulpup]

I'm sorry if I missed this as I read through these 5 pages somewhat quickly, but as far as I knew, these eggs hatched in the water. Assuming you didn't have to leave, which really sucks , how did you plan on accomplishing the egg laying part of the experience? This was a very cool thread btw!

[wolfnipplechips]

I figured I would just let the female do her thing. I have been observing her closely. Normally, she is a 2nd level crab, only coming down at night to eat, but for the last couple days, she has been on the ground level. I'm hoping her instincts for this are kicking in. I think if I was going to be here, and when the time came she she wasn't hatching them, I would do what Tammy (THCP) did and just gently shake her in a marine tank. But for now, I am an observer.

My grandpa just sent me $100 for doing two portraits of his cat (still working on the second one), so I need about $200 more to set up a cycled marine tank for next time...if there is a next time...I REALLY hope there will be. This will be kind of experimental because previously in the scientific papers, the babies were raised in cups with daily water changes. I'm hoping a marine tank will be less continuous work (though, more initial work and much more expensive), and it will be easier to monitor temperature and stuff.

Then when they are ready to go on land, they will have a molting tub at the top of the tank with a ramp they can climb up! Like a beach.

[wolfnipplechips]

My husband just got back to fairbanks and he said that the salt water has "million of tiny little things" swimming around in there!!!

I wish I was there to see it. He has my old SLR camera and a temperamental macro lens...I hope I will have photos to share, but it's probably not likely that he will be able to get any good ones.

I'm so happy, though! I hope I will be there in the future if this happens.

[Disgruntled Crab]

My husband just got back to fairbanks and he said that the salt water has "million of tiny little things" swimming around in there!!!

I wish I was there to see it. He has my old SLR camera and a temperamental macro lens...I hope I will have photos to share, but it's probably not likely that he will be able to get any good ones.

I'm so happy, though! I hope I will be there in the future if this happens.

Aww thats cool! When you get time could you do a brief explanation what needs to happen for the next stages?

[wodesorel]

I hope he does gets some shots for you! It is so amazing that this even happened.

[SojMad]

My husband just got back to fairbanks and he said that the salt water has "million of tiny little things" swimming around in there!!!

I wish I was there to see it. He has my old SLR camera and a temperamental macro lens...I hope I will have photos to share, but it's probably not likely that he will be able to get any good ones.

I'm so happy, though! I hope I will be there in the future if this happens.

Yay, congrats!! How long will you be gone? Maybe he can keep some of them alive untill you get home?

[wolfnipplechips]

He already washed them down the drain. There's no way with two jobs, that he would be able to have time to keep any alive since I'll be gone until Aug 8. I'm really hoping it will happen again when I am actually in town! He said that he got some good shots, but with his camera skills, I'll believe it when I see it...

[Thalomos]

Aw that's a shame! Would have been cool to see what would have happened with all of them.

[S-Exotics]

I wish you all the best. I hope mine will be parents someday.

[wolfnipplechips]

I was SO impressed with my husband's photos of the babies. Glad I taught him how to use a camera!

I was near tears looking at the photos of my "grandchildren". I didn't think it would affect me so much, but it really tugs on my heart! I wish I could have been there for them.

Here are the best two photos:

[wodesorel]

*hugs*

[kgbenson]

you do not need a cycled marine tank. Use the method Brody used in her papers and raise them in little cups. Much easier and if you have a cycles marine tank with live rock, the odds are that there will be other critters in that tank that will damage the kids, the pumps you will need to use will shred them etc.

Lab folks use the little cups or some form of Kreisel in order to keep the little one's in the water column for some time. They are pretty artificial environments though - but you are talking about raising 99.99999% more of the kids than would ever make it out of the plankton in the wild.

Not easy, but interesting and definitely doable. Also, if you get more little one's let me know, I know a guy who raises larval fish and decapods who would like to try his hand at land hermits. Contrary to what one might thing, you can ship the larvae and they will most likely do just fine - if you know what you are doing, and he should have all the info one would need.
Just a thought.

Keith

[jmfx2]

OMG - how cute - why did he have to get rid of them?

[Thalomos]

How big and deep is your salt water pool? I wonder if the crabs require a certain size/depth before they think about this sort of thing...