Just a few pics of my PPs

[wodesorel]

I started instagraming last week because all I ever want to do on social media is spam critter pics and I figure my non-reptile&arthropod friends would get sick of it. It's been a ton of fun and I am finding myself interacting more and spending more time with my critters. It seems to be helping with the mid winter blahs.

Got a few nice shots of the hermits this week
My tanks are no longer empty! I hate mass molts.

[Moonlightdreams]

Oh! Your crabs have gorgeous colouring. I love them. I was just looking at your Instagram yesterday - I love the pictures. Snapping cute photos of your pets is always a good pick-me-up! I have an Instagram account dedicated to my dogs, and I think Scarlett is secretly enjoying all the spotlight.

Also, I hate mass molts too. I guess I can't really say "mass" molts, since I only have two. . . . but they're both down and it's getting very boring to maintain a crabitat with no crabs. Boo.

[wodesorel]

Thanks!

I'm not sure how many hermits I have left. I was in the 60s (rescuing, so it was fluctuating with new crabs and adoptees that had PPS), and then a couple years ago I found a giant ant colony had moved into my tank and were making babies. The joys of having a huge tank on the floor and an extremely bad back, I wasn't climbing into it to get up close to everything so I never saw the itty bitty pavement ants until they moved under the raised water bowls. By then they had taken out all of the molters, about a third of the total crabs including all but one of my jumbos.

I think I had 44ish when I moved the crabs upstairs but the stress of bad molts and the ants and the move sent them all through PPS again, and they were almost all borderline jumbos so they did not bounce back fast. The next year and a half was heck, I kept finding dead ones before and after they went to molt, even my first crab Goji. It's been a while now since there have been any losses and last month I only had 5 above ground with the rest molting. There was maybe 15 or so out today, I didn't go poking around.

Not sure how many are left altogether and I am not digging for a head count. I think it's in the 30s but it may (probably) be less. The whole thing was depressing and saddening and I miss my old hermits. Especially Goj. I just shut down when it came to the crabs for a few months when I found him, he was my first and I had him for 8 years.

[Moonlightdreams]

Thanks!

I'm not sure how many hermits I have left. I was in the 60s (rescuing, so it was fluctuating with new crabs and adoptees that had PPS), and then a couple years ago I found a giant ant colony had moved into my tank and were making babies. The joys of having a huge tank on the floor and an extremely bad back, I wasn't climbing into it to get up close to everything so I never saw the itty bitty pavement ants until they moved under the raised water bowls. By then they had taken out all of the molters, about a third of the total crabs including all but one of my jumbos.

I think I had 44ish when I moved the crabs upstairs but the stress of bad molts and the ants and the move sent them all through PPS again, and they were almost all borderline jumbos so they did not bounce back fast. The next year and a half was heck, I kept finding dead ones before and after they went to molt, even my first crab Goji. It's been a while now since there have been any losses and last month I only had 5 above ground with the rest molting. There was maybe 15 or so out today, I didn't go poking around.

Not sure how many are left altogether and I am not digging for a head count. I think it's in the 30s but it may (probably) be less. The whole thing was depressing and saddening and I miss my old hermits. Especially Goj. I just shut down when it came to the crabs for a few months when I found him, he was my first and I had him for 8 years.

Oh, wow. That's so sad. We get ants in summer a lot, and my tank is on the floor. I'd better keep a lookout. Luckily, they mostly stay outside of the house. We have our doors lined with cinnamon, and supposedly they don't like the smell. We've had fewer and fewer ants ever since.

I'm sorry to hear about Goji. It's always sad to lose a pet. I had a goldfish when I was younger, one that I got from poor conditions at a fair. The other one was dead by the next morning, but she lived for about 7-8 months. Her name was Melody, and she was very, very demanding. She loved food so much that she would take gravel from the bottom of the tank and spit it at the side of the tank until I fed her. This was always after I went to bed, or course, and nearly every night. We had to move the tank out of my room.

We had a light in the tank that changed colours, and I switched it from pink to red one night. And she went nuts. Started swimming in circles around the light until I switched it to pink. I don't know why, but it was amusing. She was a quirky little fish. She got so big that by the time she died, we had been discussing giving her to someone with a bigger aquarium, since she was growing so fast.

I've only had my two crabs, and I don't know if I'll continue crabbing after they've gone. It's very interesting, and I love the little guys to death, but I'd also like something a little more interactive. But hopefully they'll live good long lives and get spoiled and live like kings. That's the plan, at least.

[wodesorel]

I'm sorry to hear about your goldfish. We had two a few years back, one a wishing well rescue and the other a half-blind feeder rescue. The feeder (Gail) lived about a two years, she never really grew so we were sort of expecting it but it was still sad. The wishing well one (Goldie) outgrew our 20 gallon and there was no hope of upgrading so we rehomed him to a friend of a friend who had a pond. I still think about him and wonder if he is alive and doing okay. The guy had a setup specifically for fish with wildlife barriers so I hope so!

And there is no reason to not have both hermits and another more interactive pet. Initial setup is expensive but maintenance is cheap, and they don't take up much room. I like having that variety, it makes me enjoy each of my pets for their own unique behaviours.

[Moonlightdreams]

I'm sorry to hear about your goldfish. We had two a few years back, one a wishing well rescue and the other a half-blind feeder rescue. The feeder (Gail) lived about a two years, she never really grew so we were sort of expecting it but it was still sad. The wishing well one (Goldie) outgrew our 20 gallon and there was no hope of upgrading so we rehomed him to a friend of a friend who had a pond. I still think about him and wonder if he is alive and doing okay. The guy had a setup specifically for fish with wildlife barriers so I hope so!

And there is no reason to not have both hermits and another more interactive pet. Initial setup is expensive but maintenance is cheap, and they don't take up much room. I like having that variety, it makes me enjoy each of my pets for their own unique behaviours.

I hope he's alive too.

Yeah, that's true. Once I know where I'm going in life and have my own place and everything, that's a good possibility. But for now, I'm still just a girl living with an allergic-to-birds mother and a father that has it out for anything that sheds fur all over the carpet. I'd really like a ferret, though, or maybe rats. I've also always wanted a parrot, but alas, allergies. I've got my dogs, though, and my two little crabby critters, and that's all I need for now.

Also, I noticed you have scorpions. I don't think I've met anyone who has. What does it take to care for them? Do they sting? I'm not a big fan of insects, especially those that sting, but I'm always interested in their care. Animals are fascinating - there are just some I'd like to keep at a distance.

[wodesorel]

It depends on the species - there is a wide variety available, with conditions from desert to forest and with venom mild to nasty. The bigger the claws and the skinnier the tail, the less of a threat it is.

I keep a tropical rainforest to savannah species found in Africa that is considered to have the mildest venom and the best disposition. Conditions are similar to hermits,
- deep moist dirt (I use peat moss), 80ish degrees and high humidity though since they stay under cover it doesn't have to be closely monitored so long as the sub is moist. Feed live insects once or twice a week. They are beyond simple, but they also spend most their time hiding. Or they're supposed to at least, mine are pretty bold. Emperors are also CITES listed as their populations and those of similar species are under threat due to the pet trade. It's why I started breeding them, I have a knack for it and it may help keep them in the hobby someday.

[Moonlightdreams]

It depends on the species - there is a wide variety available, with conditions from desert to forest and with venom mild to nasty. The bigger the claws and the skinnier the tail, the less of a threat it is.

I keep a tropical rainforest to savannah species found in Africa that is considered to have the mildest venom and the best disposition. Conditions are similar to hermits,
- deep moist dirt (I use peat moss), 80ish degrees and high humidity though since they stay under cover it doesn't have to be closely monitored so long as the sub is moist. Feed live insects once or twice a week. They are beyond simple, but they also spend most their time hiding. Or they're supposed to at least, mine are pretty bold. Emperors are also CITES listed as their populations and those of similar species are under threat due to the pet trade. It's why I started breeding them, I have a knack for it and it may help keep them in the hobby someday.

Oooh, that's interesting. Thank you for indulging my curiosity!

[wodesorel]

It depends on the species - there is a wide variety available, with conditions from desert to forest and with venom mild to nasty. The bigger the claws and the skinnier the tail, the less of a threat it is.

I keep a tropical rainforest to savannah species found in Africa that is considered to have the mildest venom and the best disposition. Conditions are similar to hermits,
- deep moist dirt (I use peat moss), 80ish degrees and high humidity though since they stay under cover it doesn't have to be closely monitored so long as the sub is moist. Feed live insects once or twice a week. They are beyond simple, but they also spend most their time hiding. Or they're supposed to at least, mine are pretty bold. Emperors are also CITES listed as their populations and those of similar species are under threat due to the pet trade. It's why I started breeding them, I have a knack for it and it may help keep them in the hobby someday.

Oooh, that's interesting. Thank you for indulging my curiosity!

No problem! I have an old thread about them as well: viewtopic.php?f=3&t=96604&hilit=Emperor

[piratetoothgir]

Great thread, I have to join!
Wode, my crabbies really like those turbos you sent me, and here's one thing. Every crab I own are currently wearing a turbo shell.

[GotButterflies]

Gorgeous pictures! You are a great photographer!

[wodesorel]

Not sure how, but this one came up cobalt blue!!

[Moonlightdreams]

Not sure how, but this one came up cobalt blue!!

Excuse me while I let out a scream of pure awe.

Wow! He (or she) is absolutely gorgeous! I've never seen a PP like that!

[wodesorel]

I get some insane colors post-molt. I've had neon magenta and purple before as well. Old crabs and a varied diet make for strong pigments. This is the first time I have had one this blue all over, usually it's just on the inside of the claw and legs.

[Mindibun]

Those are all such gorgeous photos, but I really like the third one. I just started an Instagram account for the same reason! -lol- All my friends and family are like, "I don't even know what you look like anymore because you never post photos of yourself. But I know what all of your animals look like!" I've also noticed that when I have a social media account dedicated to my animals that it makes me want to spend more time with them, making them and their enclosures pretty.