update I got two new fiddlers then we lost power

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sat Apr 14, 2007 1:52 pm

Yesterday I returned my two dead little guys and got two larger fiddlers. When we got home about noon we had no power. It was off for about 18 hours. This morning when I got up the house got to 59 and the high till this evening was 66. My little fiddler crab I still had left was intact and on his back. Then I saw one of the larger ones eating him. Then later we saw him moving just a bit. They ate his feeder claw so it does not look good. Not sure how the other two new crabs will make it either.

I saw this white stuff. Almost looked like salt when water evaporates. Not sure so I removed it. It was on the sand on the land side and the silk leaves. Under the leaves I found a big claw. The rest of the crab was in the water. He was missing some legs and one eye (dead).

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sat Apr 14, 2007 2:29 pm

Do you think the larger fiddlers are less likly to die on me? These guys have a the body about 3/8-1/2 a inch across. I see the pictures here and they are the larger type.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sun Apr 15, 2007 6:42 am

Hi Kathsmom, was the white stuff hard? If so, it was probably hardened salt. My tank has it too, but mine is on the glass. I dont find it in the sand very often. If it was soft and fuzzy, it was probably mold, but that would be kind of unusual with the salt content in the water. Your other two fiddlers, are they male or female? It almost sounds like a fight to me. I found one of my little ones like that that my redclaws attacked. I ended up taking the redclaws back to the petstore. I wont be back on until after 8 tonight but Ill check in then. Hope that helps

Angela

NaRnAR · Post by **NaRnAR** » Sun Apr 15, 2007 9:18 am

Yea I have the salt on, well, everything too. But I also have the same thing that happens (the white stuff) when my fresh water crayfish molts, theres white stuff everywhere, Im guessing its something that has to do with their exo. *shrugs*

How long have you had the one that died? Sometimes they will die after a few months of being with you due to stress from the petstore as well as changing of their environment. Some fiddlers tend to be finiky, while others do fine with stress. I had one, where all I did was take them out of the tank and into a bowl, so I could clean their tank...well he got stressed and died in the time it took to clean their tank (about 45 minutes).

I really dont think size has anything to do with it, unless your tank is possibly over crowded? What is your ratio of males/females?

I have two girls that were the size of nickles when I got them, then I have Bob who was almost two inches across, when he is sitting (leg tip to leg tip), when I got him. Spook was a little smaller than Bob when I got him.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sun Apr 15, 2007 1:07 pm

I first bought two males. In March. One was laying on its back in the water twitching. Died shortly after that. (not sure how exactly long I had that one)

I bought two more at Petsmart (same batch of crabs) on April 7th. I can return him. I was not sure if it was the exo, but the claw was not near the rest of his body. I can also see some of the inside where the legs are missing. So I have 2 males currently.

I have a 10 gallon. I do not have any red claws. You can watch them eating the fiddlers at PetSmart. <shudder>

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sun Apr 15, 2007 5:29 pm

Ugh lost another one. This one was intact.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sun Apr 15, 2007 5:35 pm

Maybe you could try to get them from another place and see if that helps.