trouble making crab

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Tue Aug 07, 2007 2:13 pm

It sounds like dominance displays to me. Crabs don't have long memories, so when a crab is gone molting for a month or so when they resurface Hulk doesn't remember them and it's like adding a new crab, she's showing her dominance again. Is it possible to dip the molters in the community pool when they come up, along with Hulk so they smell the same, just like when you get a new crab?

hulk · Post by **hulk** » Tue Aug 07, 2007 4:52 pm

yes it is worth a try.

I was thinking it IS possible I assumed Hulk was responible for Hellboy, becasue she was in the hut "gaurding" his shell..but maybe Hellboy just went naked from the molt...OR Hulk was being dominate and wanted to take his shell to show it and then eat the exo?

I am very worried however beacuse Hellboy was naked again this morning but this time in the saltwater bowl. I don't have it too deep cause he is so weak and I am afraid he may drown if not able to get out. This morning is the first he actually moved from his spot though. I hope he will make it. His eyes look like they have spunk sometimes..but his exo is still soft and strange looking.

If he makes it through this....how long should I keep him in iso? I leave fore vacation on the 17 (next Friday) I wonder if he will be ok in iso while I am gone. I am so worried cause he has been naked the past couple mornings! The woman I have coming WILL NOT be able to help him I fear..not that I am doing much...but I do rinse him and put im back in is shell right in front of the food.

I thought maybe he comes out of his shell to be able to move being so weak he may not be able to carry the shell?

I haven't been able to sleep. I worry so much.

hulk · Post by **hulk** » Tue Aug 07, 2007 5:03 pm

oh and ijust thought of this...

if it is dominance then why did Hulk not bother them when I first put them in the tank..hulk was perfectly fine when the straws were NEWly added..but then you know the story. If it is the case that she is not remembering the straws when they come up from a molt > How come nothing bad happened when I first introduced them? I am not trying to be difficult =) just trying to figure it out. I suppose the only the only explanation is Hulk being dominate...I just can't totally figure out the logic in Hulk's head is all.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Tue Aug 07, 2007 5:06 pm

Did you give the straws a bath in the community pool before you let them roam when you first got them? If so, it may be when you introduced them they all smelled the same, and now they don't.

hulk · Post by **hulk** » Wed Aug 08, 2007 8:51 am

I can't remember. I may have. I definately will do it whith Hellboy if he pulls throug. He has made it through another night ~ and was not naked this time...It looks like he really is eatting those baby gamma shrimps I put over the honey mixture. I hape he is doing better. It is hard to tell cause he doesn't move much and still looks weak and strange. I keep giving fresh shrimp with shell and he hs his exo and calcium next to him. I am just glad he has survive this long. it is givingme hope that he can make it.

bksbuddha · Post by **bksbuddha** » Wed Aug 08, 2007 8:20 pm

I'm glad to hear that he had a better night. Staying shelled is a better sign than streaking...as is eating. I'm sending prayers for him to get stronger! [smilie=hug.gif]

hulk · Post by **hulk** » Thu Aug 09, 2007 2:59 pm

he died last night sometime.

I was really starting to think he may pull through.

DANG I wish I could have done something to help him.

I thought he was doing better too. I am going to miss Hellboy..he was my BIG GUY and I really liked him alot.

hulk · Post by **hulk** » Fri Aug 10, 2007 4:36 pm

yeah I know but geez why does this have to happen?

I had another scare today....Hulk and Rogue (my last straw) were doing some strange things today. First of all I had to sccop some smelly sand out today and rearranged afew things..and I guess I got them hyper???

So after I left and came back again afew crabs were running around includeing Hulk and Rogue..so I found Hulk and Rogue fact to face....and they were lifting their legs up to the side??/like copying eachother and then their antennas would go really fast..and they did this until they saw me panicing haha and they went thier separate ways. I am nervous now to see what is going on with them..especially since all that has happened.

I am not sure if this is something I should be worried aobut or is it normal (if normal is even in Hulk vocabulary) so what do you think?

bksbuddha · Post by **bksbuddha** » Fri Aug 10, 2007 10:47 pm

I'm probably the wrong person to answer that...husband says I worry too much & overreact to things. I personally would put Hulk in w/smaller ones...didn't ya say you do have some smaller ones in another tat?
Just my 2 cents worth.

Perhaps wait for someone more levelheaded & calm to give ya some advice.

hulk · Post by **hulk** » Sat Aug 11, 2007 4:51 pm

I have the 55 and an iso...but I could put Hulk and the other two smaller pps in there. I just would hate to have Spidergirl cooped up in a 10 lol she is such a climber lol and she would be cramped going from a 55 to a 10. BUT I have to do what I have to do.

Hulk and Rogue seem to be doing fine...they are both the same size and she came up from her molt recently while Hulk was under molting (she was ucky) and so far they are fine; which makes me even more sure Hulk only attackes the straws(or her size) who come up from molting.

I could just take Hulk out when I have the straws under..so I don't stress the straws out..and Hulk isn't really bothered by being moved or taken out of the tank. Hulk would be safer to move then the straws I am sure of it.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sun Aug 12, 2007 9:54 pm

It sounds at first glance like Hulk should be moved.

The smelly sand caught my attention.

What is causing this?

I'm wondering if both crabs came up but were some how ailing. Who knows what role Hulk played in his crab community. They live in very large, at times, groups and will often molt near the same times and forage in the same places yet they are scavengers.

Hulk needs lots of food and shells and to feel that nothing in his surroundings will be threatened.

But, since it *appears* he's destroyed two crabs already, I would see him as a threat to the community and ISO him for awhile and introduce him in small increments of time for a period of time.

Loved the name Hellboy, as I said elsewhere, I'm so sorry he didn't pull through.

hulk · Post by **hulk** » Mon Aug 13, 2007 11:52 am

yeah me too. I really miss Hellboy.

I had a leaky fountain..so i think the sand was a bit too damp..I cleaned it out so everything is clean again.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Mon Aug 13, 2007 4:54 pm

I'm sorry you lost Hellboy, I know how much you liked him and how long you've had him.

The raising legs at eachother is a dominence display, a warning. I've seen my crabs doing it a lot and one will back down to the other (these are same sized crabs). Do you have room to add one bigger than Hulk? Doing that seemed to work well for my Fancy, although she is still a bit of a bully she's no longer killing my crabs.

hulk · Post by **hulk** » Mon Aug 13, 2007 8:13 pm

yeah I have a 55 gallon ..with 2 med, 1 small, 2 smaller, and 1 tiny...so I should have plenty of room...I do have 4 lil E's coming sometime when the heat cools off a bit. I just am not sure if that will work cause Hellboy was alot bigger and he was killed by Hulk

I am afraid that Hulk will eventually do to Rogue as Hulk did to Elktra nd Hellboy..Hulk is probably waiting for Rogue to molt

Maybe they worked it out...they shared a hut the other day and tonight as I turned the lights off they were both on the netting. I just worry with Hulk..ya know.

I guess I could try a large PP instead of a large straw seeming as how Hulk does end up hurting my staws(but it could just be that they are big and not that they are straws?) I leave for vacation on Friday...so should I separtae Hulk now and while I am gone?

hulk · Post by **hulk** » Wed Aug 15, 2007 4:47 pm

OH NO! I haven't seen Rogue in acouple dyas! Do you think Hulk did something to her? I tisn't like her to hide...maybe I should check or dig or something? I dubt she is molting, but I do have two small pp under molting? I wonder if I should take Hulk out?