slumping over,still alive (strawberry)

[joe84]

Could it be that there is a CO2 buildup in your tank?
How long do you leave the top open for? When the lid is closed, are their any air vents? If so, how big?

(It's been observed that straws - at least near australia - are found very close to the beach or on small islands, so they would have constant airflow in their tanks. I thinking that your straw doesn't have enough O2, as CO2 is heavier then O2... And for memory PP's are found further inland, so there would be very low flow of air....)
^^^ Just a quick hypothesis

This is a good theory. I open the tank when im on my hour lunch break and when I get home. so maybe 2 hrs a day? This seemed fine up until that point, but now that I'm thinking about it, the temp here in NW Georgia has went from everyday 70-80 deg up into the 90s this last week. My AC is set in the low 70s and my crabitat is usually in the 80s. The only way air flows when I don't crack open the lid is a small hole about 1 inch in diameter.there is also a very small gap in between the class lid and this plastic thing to fill the space that came with lid. If this what infact happened, I feel terrible knowing I may have been able to prevent this

[aussieJJDude]

Yeah, my brain works weird when tired. Its just I couldn't really see anything out of the ordinary, so i thought maybe it was airflow.
An inch hole sounds rather small IMO, I try to go at least a tank side inch wide strip for my crabs. A small hole doesn't sound like there can be a great movement of air occurring.

But, don't you have airstones?

[joe84]

Yeah, my brain works weird when tired. Its just I couldn't really see anything out of the ordinary, so i thought maybe it was airflow.
An inch hole sounds rather small IMO, I try to go at least a tank side inch wide strip for my crabs. A small hole doesn't sound like there can be a great movement of air occurring.

But, don't you have airstones?

yes,a small bubbler runs into the salt water pool.

[marandashermies]

Sorry for the delay, first off, chicken was not the cause of death. Mine eat chicken all the time, and I have never had a problem. The main thing I would say, is the fact that he was the only straw you had. My Straws are an extremely tight knit family. Like 110% more than my PPs. They literally are ALWAYS together. They like the PP's too, but if they didn't have each other, I don't know what they would do! I can not stress enough how important a species buddy is with all types of carbs, but with Straws, in my experience it is even more pertinent.

You mentioned that you had a salt water pool, big enough for him, did you also have a large fresh water pool that he could submerge in? They LOVE water and LOVE swimming. There is always a Straw in at least one of my pools at any given time. You conditions look good, the sub could be a bit deeper and the tank larger. I wouldn't put them in anything less than a 55g and that's still on the smaller size. If you do plan on getting straws again, make sure you get at minimum two. If you have any specific questions or concerns let me know, I would be glad to help. Very sorry for your loss

[joe84]

Sorry for the delay, first off, chicken was not the cause of death. Mine eat chicken all the time, and I have never had a problem. The main thing I would say, is the fact that he was the only straw you had. My Straws are an extremely tight knit family. Like 110% more than my PPs. They literally are ALWAYS together. They like the PP's too, but if they didn't have each other, I don't know what they would do! I can not stress enough how important a species buddy is with all types of carbs, but with Straws, in my experience it is even more pertinent.

You mentioned that you had a salt water pool, big enough for him, did you also have a large fresh water pool that he could submerge in? They LOVE water and LOVE swimming. There is always a Straw in at least one of my pools at any given time. You conditions look good, the sub could be a bit deeper and the tank larger. I wouldn't put them in anything less than a 55g and that's still on the smaller size. If you do plan on getting straws again, make sure you get at minimum two. If you have any specific questions or concerns let me know, I would be glad to help. Very sorry for your loss

Thank you for the reply. I knew that buddies were required for crabs. I thought the PPs would be company for him. He seemed so active and always doing things and swimming and climbing, I didn't think that maybe he wasn't as happy as he appeared. I have a salt water pool,salt water water dish, and fresh water dish. I Did not have a freshwater pool because I thought that saltwater for submerging was what was required. I have decided to remove both dishes and just use a fresh water pool and a salt water pool. I have seen them drink from pools so having dishes as well seems redundant. As far as getting straws again, that will be a no. I enjoyed him and he looked amazing, but I don't want to lose another crab due to something I could control and until I figure out (if I do) what exactly caused it, I don't want to put anymore at risk.

[marandashermies]

It's always possible it was nothing u did, death is a part of life and a mystery. Don't be hard on yourself, these guys are not as easy as they look! There is a good chance u had nothing to do with it.


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[soilentgringa]

Straws are notorious for being delicate in captivity. I know of very few people who have had them for even 5 years, much less a decade. They're just not as hardy in captivity as PP's. It seems like even small fluctuations in tank conditions or environment can be harmful to them.