rough time with ruggies - surface molter

[Guest]

Having only straws and PPs, I was excited when I found a few ruggies at my pet store. They were in painted shells, and not the best conditions. All of the crabs I have purchased there have started to molt within a month. I got two of them, Lemon and Lime, about 4 weeks ago, and another, Blueberry, about 2 weeks ago. Lemon and Lime are in my main tank and Bluberry is in ISO with the two PPs I got the same day.

With both Lemon and Blueberry they were active the first night, eating and drinking, but had dug under by morning and I have not seen them since. I have worried and hoped and prayed for them, but otherwise left them alone and have only sniffed for them to make sure I didn't smell anything fishy. I sure hope those two are just down molting.

Lime has been just a little different. He was active for 2 weeks, eating, drinking and digging around, making friends, swimming in the salt water. His favorite place was always in the corner right next to the UTH on the side of the tank, next to the salt pool. 2 weeks ago he settled in there only half burried, I can still see the top of his shell. He has not moved. I assume he is doing a surface molt. Again, I worry and hope but just leave him alone and sniff for the fishy smell. So good so far, he smells fine.

This last weekend I had to clean my scummy salt pool. I was able to move it without disturbing him. I used a cd case to create 2 walls around him, but because he is right in the corner, I couldn't make a box or ceiling for his corner. For the last 2 weeks none of the other crabs in the tank had disturbed him, so I was hopeful that they wouldn't. Now I can tell that someone, most likely Razz, has climbed over the wall and checked it out. But, the tracks are not too close around Lime and he still appears to be undisturbed.

I've never had a surface molt or an unsuccessful molt and I am a very nervous crab mom now. Am I doing anything wrong? Should I be doing something different for my little Lime? I am torn between leaving him undisturbed (as I have for the last 2 weeks) and protecting him (which so far I didn't think he needed). Sorry this is so long...

[bksbuddha]

That's a tough call which you'll probably get differing opinions. I personally would gently pick him up & take a peek & a sniff. Again, just my opinion for what it's worth. Usually surface molts will go rather quickly & there would be legs scattered there. Totally up to you...or wait for another suggestion. Hope your little guy is okay. Please keep us posted.

[Guest]

Do you have an ISO tank? If so how big is it? He hasn't shed the exo yet, correct?

[Guest]

I have several ISO tanks. My 10 gal is in use for my 3 newest crabs, but I have another 10 gal or a 5 gal I could pull out and set up. He is partially buried, so I can see only the top of his shell and have not seen any shed exo. He has not moved except for very slightly for more than 2 weeks, so obviously this is not going to be a quick surface molt. He is right against against the UTH so if I move him to an ISO wouldn't that change the tempurature of his spot?

Thanks for your responses! Much appreciated!

[Guest]

I was actually thinking of putting the others in his tank in the ISO.

I had a surface molter do the same thing, sat for weeks (it was my first molt, actually). He had shed already, but the shed exo was tucked up under the shell so I couldn't see it. That could be the case here. No death smell=possible molt.

[Guest]

Moving the other crabs is a good idea, but one that makes me equally as nervous. His other roomates include my three straws that could be stressed by a move to ISO and don't fit too well in a 10 gal.

I guess that I have been lucky maybe that he hasn't been attacked? All of the crabs in the tank other than Lemon and Lime have recently molted and are well fed, so I think that may have contributed to his not being disturbed. They have left him alone, as well as one other area that they have not been digging in that I assume is where Lemon is hiding/molting at. There is a strong molting smell and no fishy smell so I am hoping the best for both Lemon and Lime.

When is a molting crab most likely to be attacked by the others? Is it possible that they will just leave him alone to finish? Should I try to come up with a better way to protect him from them?

Thanks bksbuddha and crabber for your thoughts!

[Guest]

I've had surface molts where the molter was undisturbed. Mostly I think it's due to diet and if the crab that has molted has an issue they release a pharmone that the other crabs can smell, the other crabs may canabalize the molter. This is their way of 1) being inoculated agianst a disease, or 2) instictivly keeping the molter from passing on a bad gene. I don't believe that the molting smell drives crabs wild.

Having said that, I certainly read about molters getting canabalized often enough to take every precaution against it. I would do one of two things, find a safer way to seperate him in the main tank (pop bottles or tupperware ISOs work well), or prepare the ISO and get the conditions to match the main tank conditions and when it's stable move the others.

[Guest]

Thanks Crabber! I did as you suggested and gave him some more protection. I took a 4 cup gladware and cut out one corner of it, and cut off the rim. I left the bottom intact. I turned it up and put the open corner around him in his corner, and sunk it into the sand almost to the bottom. I put two small shells in with him, one with fresh water and one with a little crushed cuttle and eggshell. There is still open space above him, but it is not big enough for my straws to get in (I hope). I was lucky that I didn't disturb him this time, either, and he still smells ok. I'm crossing my fingers for my new little ruggie buddy!

[Guest]

Glad you found a solution. Please let us know how he's doing.

[Guest]

Well that didn't exactly work! Something new in the crabitat is just too irresistible for a curious crab. This morning I found Razz in the ISO digging. She had wedged herself in the opening over Lime and pushed her way in. She was digging in the opposite corner from where Lime is. She had covered both shell dishes and most of Lime with sand. I took the ISO off, grabbed her out and sent her on her way. Strangely, Lime still does not appear to be disturbed. The sand pocket around him didn't look like it had been compromised, only buried. I don't think she wasn't digging to dig him up. I used a little paint brush and brushed back the loose sand, then replaced the ISO.

To add to my conundrum, I'm leaving for a 10 day vacation tomorrow. Ugh! What more can I do?

[Guest]

This morning found Lime undisturbed. The gladware seems to be giving him a little more privacy, if not much protection. I had not replaced the food and water shells in the ISO and I assume this is what really attracted Razz to want to go in there. Since she was able to get in, I am fairly confident that Lime will be able to get out once he finishes molting and feels like coming out again. I have decided to just let things be and hope the best while I am gone on vacation. Fingers crossed!

[Guest]

While I was gone Lime moved. He is now inside the gladware up against the side, and further away from the heater. Two days ago he either covered himself with a little more sand, or had some thrown on him. There are tracks everywhere. The gladware has not been moved the way it was last time when Razz went in there. Everything still smells fine. Perhaps he molted and then moved to a better place to rest? Time will tell...

[bksbuddha]

[smilie=claps.gif] I'm glad to hear he moved. Any sign of exo anywhere? I'm also very happy to hear that noone disturbed him. I've found my Straws to be very considerate to the others...it's those darn Es that I always have to watch & a PP who needs to be taken down a notch or 2.

[Guest]

No sign of exo. No activity at all. Lime hasn't moved much, but he is deep enough that I can only see the tip of his shell. My tank has been a ghost town. My two big straws are staying at the far other end of the tank. Lime has been under, sort of, for more than 5 weeks. Lemon, the ruggie who came home at the same time as Lime and disappeared the next day, has been gone for more than 7 weeks. Man, these little guys have got me so worried!

[bksbuddha]

[smilie=banghead.gif] Yeah, they can make ya really nuts & drive ya to distraction sometimes. You hang in there & try not to get to stressed out. [smilie=hug.gif] I doubt we have an ISO big enough for ya!
Keep us posted on little Lime. And if it's any consolation, I just found my teeny PP that I haven't seen in about 3 month...dug him up during a deep clean. I've been figuring he's gotta be dead by now, but NOPE! He's fine & apparently quite sneaky as he's sporting a new shell which means he's visited the 2nd floor at least 1x.