molting concern plz help now!

[purplepincher]

Since you've come to the emergency forum, we know you want a fast answer to your question. In order for us to figure out the problem as quickly as possible, we ask that you answer the following questions as best you can. Some of them may seem odd, but they're all designed to give us the information we need to give you a good solution for your problem. The things in the [ brackets ] are there to make this post easier to read once submitted. Thanks!


1. What kind of substrate is used in your tank and how deep is it?

eco earth, 3 inches. i am upgrading and have 3 bricks of compressed CF but i have a molter.
2. Do you have gauges in the tank to measure temperature and humidity? If so, where are they located and what temperature and humidity do they usually read?

80%, 75 degrees
3. Is a heat source used in the tank? If so, what?

a light and a heat pad
4. What types of water are available (fresh or salt) and how is the water treated (what brands of dechlorinator or salt mix and what ratio is used to mix it)?

fresh dechlorinated, and salt dechlorinated from imagiterium
5. What kinds of food do you feed and how often is it replaced?
fruit and vegies and nuts, replaced every other day.

6. How long have you had the crab and what species is it, if known?
PP, owned for 5 months

7. Has your crab molted, and how long ago did it happen?
yes, is molting currently

8. What type of housing are the crabs kept in, what size is it and what kind of lid is on the housing?
10 gal with hides and climbing toys

mesh lid

9. How many crabs are in the tank and about how large are they?
4, 2 tinys 2 smalls

10. How many extra shells are usually kept in the tank, if any?
7 at all times, i plan to order more

11. Have there been any fumes or chemicals near the crabitat recently?
NONE

12. How often do you clean the tank and how?
freshwater spray bottle

13. Are sponges used in the water dish? If so, how are they cleaned?
yes, i replace them monthly

14. Has anything new been added to your crabitat recently?

no
15. Is there any other information you would like to share that might be helpful (anything that is regularly part of your crab care, playtime, bathing, etc.)?

no
16. Please describe the emergency situation in detail.
i was cleaning the water and spilled some on the substrate. it opend a hole to reveal a very unhappy molter! i panicked and watched to see if he was okay. he started grooming himself but was very white. he has been under for 2-3 weeks. has he shed yet or is he hardening? after this, i put a shell above the hole to make the cave dark again and if he wanted up, he would just push on it. then i noticed acorn spining around my smallest crabs shell, and i knew: SHELL FIGHT! i picked acorn up and put him on the other side of the tank, and he went to the molter and treid to change into the shell that covered my molter! the shell is way too big, so i didnt worry, and acorn has plenty to choose from. is my molter going to be okay? i am worried sick!

.

[hyelah1990]

I would ISO the molter just to be safe. That way noone eats him or steals his shell. Hopefully someone with more experience will be along shortly.

[JoeHermits]

I would also isolate the molter. Being exposed like that is gonna attract some attention. You can bring him back once he’s eating and drinking normally.

Hopefully this won’t happen again once you finish upgrading the substrate depth.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[doth]

if you don't have a separate container to iso the molter in you can cut the top off a liter soda bottle and place it over him. Just leave some water and food in there with him.

Sent from my XT1635-01 using Tapatalk

[ciaraalston]

I agree with everyone, isolate the molter! A small tote, a 10 gallon tank, whatever you have. I'm using this tote for sebastian, it was $5 at walmart. Cheaper (and bigger!) Than buying a 10 gallon tank.


I've got a piece of heat tape across the back, water bowls, a coconut hide, some moss, an oak branch, and food/calcium bowls. He doesnt have much to climb other than the oak branch, but he's been focusing on growing so he doesnt do much climbing lately. I added smaller shells for him to change into since he lost so much size in the fight. He was a molter than got attacked and I almost lost him, so if you can, iso your baby!



Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk

[curlysister]

1. What kind of substrate is used in your tank and how deep is it?

eco earth, 3 inches. i am upgrading and have 3 bricks of compressed CF but i have a molter.
Curly - Your sub should be at least 6 inches or 3x as deep as your largest crab, whichever is deeper. You can add sub while crabs are under - no more than an inch per day, and don't pack it down.

2. Do you have gauges in the tank to measure temperature and humidity? If so, where are they located and what temperature and humidity do they usually read?

80%, 75 degrees
3. Is a heat source used in the tank? If so, what?

a light and a heat pad
4. What types of water are available (fresh or salt) and how is the water treated (what brands of dechlorinator or salt mix and what ratio is used to mix it)?

fresh dechlorinated, and salt dechlorinated from imagiterium
5. What kinds of food do you feed and how often is it replaced?
fruit and vegies and nuts, replaced every other day.
Curly - Do you give a source of protein and calcium daily? Those are important.

6. How long have you had the crab and what species is it, if known?
PP, owned for 5 months

7. Has your crab molted, and how long ago did it happen?
yes, is molting currently

8. What type of housing are the crabs kept in, what size is it and what kind of lid is on the housing?
10 gal with hides and climbing toys

mesh lid

9. How many crabs are in the tank and about how large are they?
4, 2 tinys 2 smalls

10. How many extra shells are usually kept in the tank, if any?
7 at all times, i plan to order more
Curly - HCA recommends 3-5 extra shells per crab - so it's good that you plan to order more soon.

11. Have there been any fumes or chemicals near the crabitat recently?
NONE

12. How often do you clean the tank and how?
freshwater spray bottle

13. Are sponges used in the water dish? If so, how are they cleaned?
yes, i replace them monthly
Curly - Sponges are not necessary, and just harbor bacteria.

14. Has anything new been added to your crabitat recently?

no
15. Is there any other information you would like to share that might be helpful (anything that is regularly part of your crab care, playtime, bathing, etc.)?

no
16. Please describe the emergency situation in detail.
i was cleaning the water and spilled some on the substrate. it opend a hole to reveal a very unhappy molter! i panicked and watched to see if he was okay. he started grooming himself but was very white. he has been under for 2-3 weeks. has he shed yet or is he hardening? after this, i put a shell above the hole to make the cave dark again and if he wanted up, he would just push on it. then i noticed acorn spining around my smallest crabs shell, and i knew: SHELL FIGHT! i picked acorn up and put him on the other side of the tank, and he went to the molter and treid to change into the shell that covered my molter! the shell is way too big, so i didnt worry, and acorn has plenty to choose from. is my molter going to be okay? i am worried sick!
Curly - I would agree with the others, iso him to be safe. Be sure to put his exo in there with him, dig around gently in the area to find it. I used the 'pop bottle' method the couple of times I have had to iso Cher, with little bottle caps of waters. It will be good when you have more shells, so they don't fight over them.

[purplepincher]

thanks for the help! turns out he was done molting because i saw a very eaten exo. he was up and walking around looking healthy this morning.

[ciaraalston]

thanks for the help! turns out he was done molting because i saw a very eaten exo. he was up and walking around looking healthy this morning.

Yay!!! So glad things ended well!!!

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk

[scuttlecrusty22]

Congrats on a good molt!!!