PP Molter -Problem with BP -pics-

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sun Jul 30, 2006 7:02 am

Hi everyone,

I have a med-large PP that molted 5 days ago. She only molted 'okay' as she is missing her outside left leg and has a strange indent on her BP. I took some pictures on day 4 and tonight (day 5). Do any of you know if she will be losing her BP? It opens and closes normally. She's also been very active for a molter yesterday and even moreso today. She is also not scared of me and would eat from my hand before the molt.

I filled her shell dish tonight with honey, fresh carrots, grapes, dried cranberries, and dried shrimp drizzled with some mealworms. She went so fast for the dish and was so busy eating that she didn't even seem to notice that I was snapping 40 or so pictures of her!!

Here's the pictures, I apologize if they are too large, I don't know how to make them smaller.

The indent is not soft or soft around it. It is just as hard as the rest of her legs. I sure hope she doesn't lose it!

Day 4 after molt:

Day 5 after molt:

There's more pictures of her in my photo album linked in my signature if you want to see more of her.

Do you guys think she will be okay? Also, when is an okay time to put her back into the main tank?

annopia · Post by **annopia** » Sun Jul 30, 2006 9:15 am

I have heard that dentations in the claws or limbs like that can occur in the molting process because something presses into the exo while it is hardening. I actually have a medium PP, Go Go, who had indentations on his bp and one walking leg that looked much like those on your PP. these indentations disappeared during his next molt, however, so I think it must have occured while his exo was hardening.

I would keep a close eye on that spot however, and make sure that it does not grow larger, because then I'd be worried about it turning out to be a bacterial infection.

if she's hardened and is eating well, its fine to put her back into the main tank. personally, i don't iso molting crabs, but i think that your crab looks nice and hardened, and her large appetite is a good sign.

Caroline

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sun Jul 30, 2006 2:56 pm

I agree with Caroline, and I'm not sure if it's just a shadow, but I think I see a black infected area already. Only you can know for sure, but I feel like I see it in all the pics of her BP, near the top.

Crabs most likley would not drop a limb which is infected, I've never heard of that, although it would often be better if they did.

I have a little E who got in a shell fight, he had in indentation on his leg from being pinched there, within a few days the indentation caved in, and he began to get a black infected area on the caved in part of his exo. I put some honey on the wound to keep the infection from spreading, and it worked. 6 months later he has not droped the limb or molted and he seems just fine eating and drinking.

Like Caroline said, watch for black areas that spread or get larger, then your pretty little PP may be in trouble, but if she's otherwise acting fine there's no need to worry right now.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Mon Jul 31, 2006 4:15 pm

Hi guys,

yes, there is a small black dot on Raspberry's BP, it is in the center of one of the hair pores and it has not gotten larger or changed since I first noticed it on day 4. I put some honey on it like suggested, but she is eating it off! I will no doubt keep a close eye on it though. This morning when i looked at the BP (day 7) the indent actually looks better and the entire claw is hard now.

I think Raspberry is ready to go back into the main tank, as my largest hermie (black cherry) has been digging around like crazy, tearing up the main tank and making gopher tunnels (of course not in the deep sand!) so I'd like to put her in the ISO as soon as I move raspberry, just in case. I do not know if she is ready to molt, but she's been eating like crazy, literally like 4 hours out of her day will be spent at the food dish and then she has been in and drinking(?) at the saltwater pool ALOT!

I've only had her for 9 days now and I'd lile to redo the 5gal iso with 6" of substrate. I also think she might be more comfortable in there alone for a while, even if she isn't molting.

Raspberry still has the very ends of her exo legs and the BP claw part that she hasn't eaten yet. Do you guys think I should wait to move her until her entire exo is gone? It's been a week since she surface molted in the main tank and her 6th day in iso.

so many questions. I'm sorry!! Thanks everyone on this site for being so helpful!!

Nicole

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Mon Jul 31, 2006 4:21 pm

OH! I remember what I wanted to ask you all!!

Do I give Raspberry (the new molter) a bath in distilled water before I return her to the main tank so she will smell like all the other crabs? I read something about cannibalism on here somewhere.

***I just peeked in my main tank. From who I was able to see topside, I believe I have 6 down as of Saturday evening. 2 of the little E's have left windows for me. Sigh.... are they all molting at the same time? I have had all these hermies for 3 months with only one molter. I sure hope they are not all distressing!!!

P.S. Molting is scary! I want them all to come out safe and unharmed!!!!

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Mon Jul 31, 2006 6:39 pm

Ah, you've discovered a crabber's fear of molting! I would guess most of us don't like molting, I know I don't. I like it when they come up from a molt successfully, that always makes my day, and surface molts are the worst! It's better in a way when you can't see what they are doing. Although molts do go badly on occasion, the majority of them are successfull, PPS, or improper tank conditions are far more of a crab's enemy than molting (And I know you have the proper temps and humidity).

What we crabbers call mass molts are actually pretty common, as well as crabs molting while destressing.

If the crab has been in ISO for his molt, then yes, I'd bathe him before introducing him agian, for a couple of reasons, crabs have very short memories, and if a crab is away from the group long enough it is essentially the same to the forgetful posse as introducing a brand new crab. And two, to get the molting smell off of him, because some feel that the molting smell is really yummy to other crabs. I would be really careful since the crab has an injury, and keep close watch, if he does have an infection it can release a pharamone that could trigger agressive responses from the other crabs. My little injured E is not picked on, but it can happen so just watch how they do.

It's not at all uncommon for crabs to leave a little exo uneaten. I find peices every time I do a deep clean, I keep them, because I allow main tank molts and in case I got a molter who's exo is stolen by other crabs, I can subsitute the other exo bits I've saved.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Tue Aug 01, 2006 12:57 am

Hi Crabber!

Yes, molting is VERY stressful for the mommie too! I have 6 down now, BUT, 2 of them came up to eat a few hours ago (one little E, and one of the medium PP's). The med PP went to climb up the log and hang out for a few hours before retreating back to his hole, and the little E is just wandering around the tank now! Do you think they are going to molt? Or maybe just like their little holes? There are plenty of hiding spaces in the tank.?.?.?

also, the jumbo is no longer digging, but is crawling all over the screen on the tank and is making the loudest noise with the tips of her legs scratching the plexiglass above it! I think I'll just watch her before I stick her in ISO by herself. Seems she is finally getting used to the other hermies and is enjoying the tank! yay!!

I work all day tomorrow, so I think I'm going to keep my molter in ISO for another day. When I came home tonight she was munching on one of her legs, whatever is left over tomorrow, I will do like you do, save it for when and if an exo gets stolen. GREAT idea by the way!! Thank you!!

He BP actually looks better too! maybe tomorrow night I will take more pictures. He coloring is simply GORGEOUS and seems to be getting more and more vibrant by the day!

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Tue Aug 01, 2006 1:25 am

It sounds like all is going well in your tank. I'm glad to see it.

Sometimes crabs practice dig before they molt, and sometimes they just dig for fun.

Being new crabs it's hard to tell right now what they're doing, but when you know their personalities better you'll have a better idea of when they're going to molt. If you have a climber who never digs and starts digging for example. Sometimes my crabs show a ton of molting signs, sometimes I don't notice any. It's strange too that sometimes a crab's personality changes once they've de-stressed, shy one's like your jumbo get social, or the social ones go shy on you. These little critters sure keep you on your toes. They're great for enhancing patients and the powers of observation.

I keep a weekly journal of my crabs so I know if which are above, which I haven't seen lately, if they are acting sluggish, or eating a ton more than usual. Between that and my photos out of 23 crabs I pretty much can tell them all apart and know which is doing what.

We'd LOVE more of your pretty photos!