So Many Molts!
So Many Molts!
I have a 20 long tank and right now 4 of my crabs are molting, and 4 are active. There are 4 small and 4 medium (i'm trying to get an upgrade soon) and they should start coming up soon! I changed the sub and they all went down, and i'm starting to get really worried, and fighting the urge to dig is almost impossible! I'm wondering if I could put up a piece of cardboard or something in the tank so the crabs coming up can have their own section and be separated from the active guys? I have an ISO ready but iv'e only had 2 down at once before. I might save up and get some nice new turbos for them, but I really want to upgrade the tank first, because I know they are slightly overcrowded. Any tips or suggestions on how to deal with this sudden mass molt? Also, it very suddenly got warm in Connecticut, so before I get it straightened out, if the temperature dips, do I turn off the UTH or the overhead? My UTH is under the tank, so iv'e been turning off the lamps so I don't mess with the molters.
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marandashermies
- Posts: 481
- Joined: Tue Nov 03, 2015 11:14 am
- Location: Minnesota
Re: So Many Molts!
Your crabs shouldn't surface from a molt until they are ready, in which case they can be with all of the other crabs. Just make sure you are offering lots of calcium and protein to all the crabs. IMO, there is no need to isolate freshly molted crabs that come up on their own. If they are dug up, that's a different story. Good luck on the molts! They will come up when they are ready.
You are right that 8 in a 20g is overcrowded, I would do that upgrade first and foremost! Your crabs will thank you!
How warm is your tank getting? If the tank is warming up and you feel like you have to eliminate some heat, I would turn off the UTH you have under the tank,until you can move it to the back of the tank. That will mess with the molters more than the heat lamps. When it's under the tank you can cook the crabs and heat the sand to where it is no longer moist enough to maintain their molting caves. Hopefully everyone will surface for you soon. My guess is they will all come up at once. Good luck!
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You are right that 8 in a 20g is overcrowded, I would do that upgrade first and foremost! Your crabs will thank you!
How warm is your tank getting? If the tank is warming up and you feel like you have to eliminate some heat, I would turn off the UTH you have under the tank,until you can move it to the back of the tank. That will mess with the molters more than the heat lamps. When it's under the tank you can cook the crabs and heat the sand to where it is no longer moist enough to maintain their molting caves. Hopefully everyone will surface for you soon. My guess is they will all come up at once. Good luck!
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{125g~56g~55g} {30 PPs~ 10 Straws~ 5 Ruggies~ 2 E's~ 4 Viola's~ 2 Cavipes~ 2 Indo's}
2 Handsome Kitties {Rolan & Luka}
http://s628.photobucket.com/user/marand ... t=3&page=1
2 Handsome Kitties {Rolan & Luka}
http://s628.photobucket.com/user/marand ... t=3&page=1
Re: So Many Molts!
My tank is getting to above the 80's on warm days. After the crabs that are molting that are somewhat near the UTH come up i'll move it to the back. No crabs are molting directly on top of near the UTH, as it has always been unsuitable in that small spot. I really don't want to mess with the overhead lamp because it's set on a tricky timer.marandashermies wrote:
How warm is your tank getting? If the tank is warming up and you feel like you have to eliminate some heat, I would turn off the UTH you have under the tank,until you can move it to the back of the tank. That will mess with the molters more than the heat lamps. When it's under the tank you can cook the crabs and heat the sand to where it is no longer moist enough to maintain their molting caves. Hopefully everyone will surface for you soon. My guess is they will all come up at once. Good luck!