Please help identify this picture Edit*Sad outcome

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu Jan 10, 2008 9:11 am

Well, It turns out this was a crab molt gone bad (I think it may have been Braveshell, my daughters favorite -we may quickly name another before she gets upset-)and the reason it changed in appearance was partly decomp and part cannibalism. Yuck, I know. But I decided if the little cannibal makes it back to the top (he was molting too) then at least we have a name for him: Lector

Hi, There was a crab just below this spot for a few weeks. This morning this appeared. Could someone please tell me what it is and if it is bad news?

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu Jan 10, 2008 9:52 am

I'm assuming that is your crab... If it looks like he's going into a molt, I'd probably pop bottle him. You take a 2L pop bottle (well rinsed) and take the lid off and cut out the bottom. Then put it over him and push it deep into the substrate, preferably until you hit glass, so that others can't dig under it and can't get in from the top either. It's an instant ISO to prevent him being attacked. Good luck and keep us posted!

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu Jan 10, 2008 10:00 pm

Wow the crab looks like he is stuffing himself to the shell. Yes what Raen said was a great idea and used by many crab owners. However you can also try to put him into an ISO but instant ISO is much better. Just put a cuttlebone beside him so that after his molt, he can eat to regain calcium from the cuttlebone also from his exo.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Fri Jan 11, 2008 8:03 am

Thanks,
I have been pretty worried. He actually was already in an ISO of sorts - he went underground in the 20g L before I changed to the 48G so I kept the conditions constant to wait for him to come back up. Last night it was all moved and there was a tunnel just beneath the surface from there to the water dishes. Now it is partially buried and looks different - there are no legs just stubs that you can see into the big part and the whole thing is hollow. I heard the knock of a shell when I went to change the water this morning so I know someone is alive in there!
I had oyter shell pieces in there and calcisand but I will go and put a piece of cuttle bone too.
Thanks for the advice!
I hope to see a whole and healthy crab up top someday soon!!!

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Fri Jan 11, 2008 10:12 am

No problem! WE're here to help each other!

I hope the crab molts for you. Well now...I am in trouble...one of my crabs got naked when I was with my family out in a shopping center...He or she is still alive, and he/she name is Pinx. Well she's one of my top 5 faves. And she got naked with her shell taken away by the beastie little blueberry Jacques. GRHHH!!!First my main tank was destroyed so I have less shells than usual, Odette the molter came up with some seriously odd behaviours and now this? Maan the first week of school sucks....

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Fri Jan 11, 2008 10:17 am

Oh I'm sorry to hear about your awful week!
If someone took Pinx shell maybe he/she will be more willing to go into another one that if she had decided to just streak for another reason
I hope everything turns out fine soon for all of them!
Did you post a topic about Odette's behaviour's? I'd like to read it.