Is it a no-no to pick up a destressing crab?

[dstephens]

I have deducted that Razor is NOT molting, he is just destressing... I isolated him, believing that he was molting, but I would like to move him back to the main tank... Should I wait to pick him up until he is finished destressing?

[cannm]

From my experience, it's definitely better to leave them be while destressing. At the start of my crabbing, I had several PPs drop their limbs on me while handling them. It's probably best until your little guy is moving around and eating before handling.

[wodesorel]

If the isolation tank has proper conditions and space to molt, it wouldn't be a bad idea to leave him there if he has settled in. If the main tank is more stable then I think the risk is worth it to move him back as good conditions are key to recovery.

It's always better to limit interaction with new crabs. Will picking him up kill him? No. But repeatedly doing so on top of what he's already been through since he's new could push him over the edge if he's borderline. That's why we encourage owners of crabs to step back for a while until they molt. Overall it can really be beneficial for them to be left in peace at first. That doesn't mean no interaction, just limited until they've molted and are doing okay.