Please post here if you are a new crab owner and someone will be along shortly to welcome you to the HCA! This is also the place to welcome new crabbies to your clan!
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megmaholm
- Posts: 1247
- Joined: Wed Jul 16, 2014 8:15 pm
- Location: Bloomington, IN
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by megmaholm » Tue Dec 09, 2014 2:38 pm
cswan81 wrote:It appears to be completely empty. Now, I suppose it's possible she could be WAY up in there. I didn't pick up the shell. But it's on its side, and I can see the entire opening and a good half inch in, and it looks empty. The parts are harder to identify... There's a leg or two andwhat MIGHT be part ofan abdomen, it's very pale and not whole, so it's impossible to tell. It's been fed on pretty extensively.
From the pic, the shell does look empty. The bits and pieces remind me of what it would look like after a crab molts and eats the exo, but I doubt she could have eaten that so quickly. If it were me I would go ahead and pick the shell up and take a quick peek just so you know for sure. You can also pick up one of the legs and break it in half - if it's shed exo, it'll be hollow. It doesn't sound good
Crabbing since July 2014! 75 gallon with 12 Purple Pinchers.
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Topic author
cswan81
- Posts: 28
- Joined: Sun Dec 07, 2014 11:09 pm
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by cswan81 » Tue Dec 09, 2014 2:43 pm
10 gallon is all I have now. We were planning another upgrade sometime I'm the next couple of months, but won't help me now. My daughter had been wanting some jumbos soon, which is why we planned on getting a new tank soon.
I will pick it up and check. Also, I will double check to make sure she didn't switch shells, as there's a bunch in there and I suppose it's possible. I thought the same thing, looks like a lot of eating for one crab to do. I saw Flame over there, eating, so I know he was at thevery least contributing. But she was WHOLE last night and not smelling.
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aussieJJDude
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- Location: Melbourne, Australia
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by aussieJJDude » Tue Dec 09, 2014 5:41 pm
Just letting you know she might of moulted. Can you see if any part of her body - the legs - still has some meat inside? If not, there is a good chance that the crab has not died, but moulted instead!
When a crab moults they "lose" their hardness for a while & become almost jelly like. So they able to squish into their shell, making them look like they died but in fact, still alive & well.
Fingers crossed that this is the case!
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Topic author
cswan81
- Posts: 28
- Joined: Sun Dec 07, 2014 11:09 pm
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by cswan81 » Tue Dec 09, 2014 6:41 pm
The shell is indeed empty. So if she molted she's changed shells or is buried nude. I don'thave the heart to "break a leg" so when my husband gets home I'll ask him to do it for me. Lol . Thanks for giving some hope, however small.
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megmaholm
- Posts: 1247
- Joined: Wed Jul 16, 2014 8:15 pm
- Location: Bloomington, IN
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by megmaholm » Tue Dec 09, 2014 7:29 pm
cswan81 wrote:The shell is indeed empty. So if she molted she's changed shells or is buried nude. I don'thave the heart to "break a leg" so when my husband gets home I'll ask him to do it for me. Lol . Thanks for giving some hope, however small.
I'll keep my fingers crossed for you. Keep us updated! I understand not wanting to break a leg - I've had my hubby do stuff like that for me before too.
Crabbing since July 2014! 75 gallon with 12 Purple Pinchers.
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KellyCrabbieLove
- Posts: 2635
- Joined: Fri Jul 04, 2014 9:51 am
- Location: Indianapolis, Indiana
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by KellyCrabbieLove » Tue Dec 09, 2014 7:58 pm
aldebaron0626 wrote:They can drown if they don't have a way out...the information was just incomplete, not wrong. They can't stay under indefinitely.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Exactly!
#1 rule of crabbing - crabs are weird.
#2 rule of crabbing - see above
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Topic author
cswan81
- Posts: 28
- Joined: Sun Dec 07, 2014 11:09 pm
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by cswan81 » Tue Dec 09, 2014 9:59 pm
Well, my husband pulled her pieces out of there, and says he found the abdomen and it feels fleshy and heavy so it looks like she's dead and Flame ate her.
How long can he be alone before he gets lonely? Trying to decideif we should wait andupgrade the tank and get a big one, or go with a baby that go right into my current set up.
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megmaholm
- Posts: 1247
- Joined: Wed Jul 16, 2014 8:15 pm
- Location: Bloomington, IN
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by megmaholm » Tue Dec 09, 2014 10:02 pm
cswan81 wrote:Well, my husband pulled her pieces out of there, and says he found the abdomen and it feels fleshy and heavy so it looks like she's dead and Flame ate her.
How long can he be alone before he gets lonely? Trying to decideif we should wait andupgrade the tank and get a big one, or go with a baby that go right into my current set up.
Oh no!! I'm so sorry for your loss
There's really no huge rush on getting Flame a buddy. Crabbies obviously are social and need friends, but if you want or need to hold off until you upgrade, I think he would be fine for a while. Some people have multiple crabs, and all but one dig down to molt and the one on the surface is fine
Crabbing since July 2014! 75 gallon with 12 Purple Pinchers.
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Topic author
cswan81
- Posts: 28
- Joined: Sun Dec 07, 2014 11:09 pm
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by cswan81 » Tue Dec 09, 2014 10:06 pm
Thank you, I appreciate it. We're all sad. She was my favorite crab. The most social and always willing to come out of her shell and visit. She had a particular fondness for my husband. He's upset about it too. Later on tonight I'll have to post a good pic of the crabs instead of a sad one!
