Disturbed and came up too early?

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So I’ve had two crabs for about a year now, and other than a dropped claw which was regrown on next moult, I’ve had them both successfully moult about three times.

I had a crab (Barry) go down mid December and come back about 35 days later. I log their moult duration, and this seemed to be a slightly longer period. However though I have 6-7 inches of substrate, there’s a pretty prime spot under a piece of partially buried driftwood that they both seem to like. I believe my other crab (Rambo) disturbed Barry just as he was finishing up.

Barry came up looking very pale, and while he’s normally very active post moult he’s been brooding in the moss pit for about a week. Should I be worried at all?

Barry seems to be able to climb and walk around fine, but I’m unsure if this was a warning sign that something needs to be changed in the tank.

[JoeHermits]

He’s probably just chilling. If he’s still walking and climbing okay I wouldn’t worry about it too much.


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What worries me is this crab is normally very active, and he's been stuck in the same spot / position for a week now. It's a huge change in behaviour.

[crabbycasey]

Just a thought...are you sure he actually molted? Maybe he hadn’t finished


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That was something I'd considered, but Rambo shifted a bunch of dirt around near Barry's molt chamber and I found a piece of Barry's large pincher near the surface. I'm almost certain he hasn't completely finished molting/hardening up, but his condition hasn't seemed to improve since he came up, though it also hasn't gotten worse.

[crabbycasey]

If you found some of his exoskeleton, I wonder if he’s lacking the nutrients he was supposed to get by finishing it. Maybe get some food close to him that will provide the same? He could also just be takin it easy while he hardens up still...since he got disturbed too soon. Idk, lol. Just bouncing ideas around. Hope he gets back to normal soon!


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Good suggestion! I’ve put some eggshells, powdered egg yolk, and honey near him. Hopefully that entices him! I guess there’s not much else I can really do. Thanks for the help!

[crabbycasey]

You’re very welcome! Keep us updated on how he’s doing!


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I set the Wyze camera up to look directly at him, so I can see that he’s definitely moving around (like tossing and turning in bed) snacking on moss and drinking water. Though he still doesn’t seem interested in the food. I’ll reply with an update once he’s fully active again!

[crabbycasey]

Well that’s good at least !


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Just a quick update, Barry is back to fully active! I'm thinking he just needed a couple weeks to harden up and reacclimate to the hustle and bustle of above-ground living. His color is looking a lot better as well!

[crabbycasey]

That’s great news!


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