Helping a Pre-Molter?

[Guest]

Have a tiny E's that was lethargic, poss ill that I placed in ISO. Thought he might be ill from dechlor water that had been kept in fridge but had developed "floaties" that I didn't notice until after I poured water into dish that he was sitting in. Moved to ISO. While cleaning water bowls, found teeny bugs crawling on rock in tat. Had to do a deep clean and replace tat substrate. All 6 other crabs buried, either in sand or in moss bed. One sand buried tiny seemed sluggish so I put him in ISO too. Checked on ISO after a few hours, all OK. My 7 year old checked about 45 minutes later and said one was on top of the other. I checked and the buried one had pulled a very fast molt and the original lethargic one had already pulled her soft pink big claw off. Separated them and placed the molter on some moist moss along with the exo and the molter has eaten the body of her exo and seems to be okay.

My first question is, do I keep the molter in ISO until she regrows her BP? The main tank has 2 tiny/small E's and 3 small PP's - all bigger that my molter.

Second question, it's been 4 days and the "ill" guy is still lethargic and has a very visible water sac, but is having trouble molting. May be too weak to dig. Been giving him a water mist and keeping ISO dark, but he seems miserable. What should I do?

[Guest]

1. No, she'll regrow that on her next molt. She should be ok as long as she has one, or even if she's missing both. Just make sure she's really hardened completely before you put her back.

2. I'd try making him feel safe and secure for now, maybe slip a cocohut over him or something so it's nice and dark.

If they're attacking each other like that, I'd also consider upping the amount of cuttlebone, krill, or other chitin/protein building blocks in your food. Probably a little late for the guys in ISO, but definitely put some in the main tank for those there or when your ISO'd guys finish

[Guest]

Thnnks for the quick response. I think he attacked her because of the fresh molt. Otherwise I've never had an attack in the tat, not even for shells. I've been looking at the website recommendation for the special foods with vitamin and mineral supps. I've read so much about the store bought food and the preservative they use not being good for our little guys.

[Guest]

I think you're right about the attack being molt related, just trying to think of things you can do next time around to help with that. Hermies have brains that are actually smaller than a pea, (even on a jumbo), so you're dealing with something running on swarm intelligence. Something in your hermie's system needed protein or chitin, and a convenient source just happened to molt next to it.

The presence of something else in the crabitat that provides these might short-circuit that response in the future. Or the next molter could be unlucky enough to be closer to the crabby than the food dish is again. It's a little hard to determine.

[Guest]

Thanks again for your response. Late last night they both were buried. The molter finished her exo (except a few legs) and went under one of the water dishes. The pre-molter finally buried himself so only top of shell showing and hopefully he's getting down to business.

Since your first post, I've been checking out the web for homemade food ideas. They seem easy enough to make. I also found Spirulina Brine Shrimp by Hikari at Petsmart and the guys in the regular tat seemed to really enjoy it. It has Vit C and lots of B vitamins along with the spirulina that I see most every website recommends. Also got another cuttlebone and ground it up. I'll use your recommendation and supplement regularly (just in case) since my tiny guys seems to go down so quickly with very few premolt signs.

Thank you!

[bksbuddha]

[smilie=cheer.gif] Congrats on your first molt & on the possible pending one! Glad to hear that your molter is okay. Just give him a bit of honey & cuttlebone. It'll make ya feel better & will be beneficial to him. So long as he can hold his own & you didn't have a problem w/aggression before, he should be fine back w/his family. They usually do leave leg tips & BP behind. You could save any excess exo & crush it up real fine to use in an emergency. That's what I do.
Just do the mom thing when it comes to feeding & you should be fine. Provide plenty of fruits, veggies, grains, & meats-all unseasoned w/no preservatives or additives. It seems very daunting at first, but it's not so difficult once ya get used to it.

[Guest]

The first molter that lost her big pincher and a leg (still in ISO) but has eaten tons and sat in salt water for a few days - has gone down 6 days now for another molt and by the looks of the window she left me on the side, seems to be doing fine. Maybe she'll get part of her BP back.

My other tiny E barely buried his shell in the main tank and someone else got to him before I noticed. He lost his BP and leg next to BP. ISO'd him with his exo. He finished exo then went naked. He laid around out of his shell for a full day. I placed him and 4 other appropriate size shells in a 5" diameter lid (to keep him out of sand) and one water bottle lid with honey and cuttle bone, another water bottle lid with krill and oats. Left him right next to honey. He found a home the next afternoon is still doing okay. Haven't noticed him eating anything, but eyes seem bright and withdraws into shell when I lift towel to check on him and his food and water. I've dribbled a little salt water inside his shell every few days and his ISO is well humidified. Sometimes these guys are so reliant, other times they seem so delicate.

I've only lost 3 since crab keeping about 18 months ago. Two were lost a week after I got them so they must have been incredibly stressed. The other one I lost (out of her shell and would not reshell into anything), must have been made ill by her shell-mates (when I boiled her shell and put a Q-tip inside to clean, I pulled out 2 soft gray bugs that reminded me of rolly-polly or pill bugs or sow bugs). I wish I would have kept them or at least taken a picture of them because I have never seen anyone write about these kind of pests. But she was one of my first crabs and I hadn't read enough about them on-line to know about this or the other great websites dedicated to our addiction!!!

Thanks for listening to me ramble and for everyone's help when my molters were scaring me crazy!!!

[bksbuddha]

Yeah, molts do that to even the veterans on this site...none of us are immune to going crazy. That's a good track record, kudos to you. How are your little molters doing? How's the streaking one? Hope they're both doing wonderful for ya!

[Guest]

First molter just came up for a bite to eat and water. She has regrown her BP and leg although BP is still small (but she has one now!!!) Dug back down to rest for awhile.

My streaker reshelled has eaten a lot (ate 3 corn niblets off the cob the other day) and is now soaking in the salt water dish - I'd say he's ready to molt and grow his leg and BP soon also. They are both still in ISO. Everyone in main tank is doing OK, must have been my deep clean that disturbed my 2 little guys molting process and caused all the problems. Thanks for asking!!!

[bksbuddha]

I'm so very happy to hear that all are doing well. I'm a sucker for a happy ending. Hope the little one molts quickly & safely for ya.

[Guest]

Both guys grew back both pinchers and legs, eating well and back in main tank with everyone else. 2 weeks later, Snow pulled Spike out of his shell again with devastating effects. I found him naked in the food bowl with both pinchers missing again and a back leg. Snow apparently just wanted to try on his shell, because he was still in his old shell with Spike's shell next to him. I have plenty of tiny shells for them to switch. What's the deal?
I put Spike back in the main tank for about 30 minutes while I wetted down the ISO sand. Just as I went back for him, Snow, who had been up in the moss pit, crawled down the wood and got next to him and pluched him right out of his shell again. He didn't even try on his shell this time, just walked away. Got Spike out and ISO'd him. Seemed okay for a few days, then began walking around naked. I had already handled him so much getting him back in his shell, I left him naked and I spritzed him every so often. He'd get back in one of the shells for awhile then streaked again. Found him around lunch today with his face in the salt water. I placed a sponge in the salt dish and placed him on it. Both salt and fresh water next to each other with sponges so he could lounge on sponges if he wanted. After dinner tonight he was upside down in the salt water, naked and dead. The only thing I can think was the recent molt and the being ripped out of you shell at least twice, losing both pinchers twice, was just too stressful.
NOTE: saw both naked and realize they are/were both males.
Spike was such a gentle guy, my daughter (age 7) could hold and let him crawl all over her. Never pinched either of us. Snow is not terribly aggressive with us either. Could Spike have been ill and Snow realized it? Could Snow just be getting ready to molt and getting a little crazy? I know I'll never have the real answer, I just don't want to see this in the tat again. Any thoughts?

[bksbuddha]

[smilie=comfort.gif] I'm so very sorry you lost him & that Snow is being a real bully. Is it just to him? Do you have any others close to his size? Could be that Snow is Premolt or could be a dominance issue. My Vise is like that...kept stealing Hammers shell & ripped her apart in the process & forced her to nudity. Just keep an eye on Snow to see if he's harrassing anyone else or steals their shells. Make sure to have 3-4 his size in there in case he wants to switch. [smilie=hug.gif]

[Guest]

Have lots of other shells his size. Only recently began picking on Spike, last 6-8 weeks. I've had both my tinys for almost a year. They molted every month or so like clockwork. Everyone else is much bigger than Snow so I don't think he'll try to take anyone else on. Thanks for kind words, though.

[bksbuddha]

That's what we're all here for...sharing the good & the bad. I know how much it means to me when someone takes a true interest in my hermies or any of my babies.
:roll: You probably have the same problem hulk & I are having...a dominance issue. Just be really careful not to add someone who is close to his size or he'll more than likely do it again.