My issue is with our tiny crab, who has been out of his shell for over 24 hours now. Yesterday morning I found him in front of the water bowl, loosely hanging out of his shell, which was on its side, and not moving. I thought he was either dead or surface molting. When I checked on him a couple minutes later he had ditched his shell (it was now deep in the water dish) and was hiding behind the food dish. I isolated him from the main tank and tried putting him in a washcloth-covered coffee cup with some suitable shells. Eventually, hours later, he partially backed into his old shell but promptly ditched it when I let him loose in the small iso tank. I then boiled his old shell in salt water to see if something was lodged in there--some sand came out which may have been irritating him, but we're now on day 2 and he still won't go back in a shell! Prior to this, he had been acting strangely for over a week... Hanging out on the surface more than usual during the day, one day he was in the food dish all day long, etc.
He's currently hanging out above the surface in the iso tank but isn't moving much. I'm worried he'll dry out if he doesn't reshell soon. Any thoughts?? Should I try the coffee cup trick again? Please help, experienced crabbers!
1. What kind of substrate is used in your tank and how deep is it?
5:1 mix of sand and eco earth, sandcastle consistency, ~ 8" deep
2. Do you have gauges in the tank to measure temperature and humidity? If so, where are they located and what temperature and humidity do they usually read?
Yes, on side of tank a few inches above substrate level, ~ 74-79 degrees, 65-80% humidity
3. Is a heat source used in the tank? If so, what?
UTH covering back of tank above substrate level
4. What types of water are available (fresh or salt) and how is the water treated (what brands of dechlorinator or salt mix and what ratio is used to mix it)?
Fresh and Instant Ocean salt water, tap water treated with Prime
5. What kinds of food do you feed and how often is it replaced?
Every day/every other day. Brine shrimp, various fruits/veg, seaweed, peanut butter, blood worms, chicken, etc
6. How long have you had the crab and what species is it, if known?
Purple pincer, we've had him 5 months
7. Has your crab molted, and how long ago did it happen?
He's molted definitely once, maybe two times, since we got him last spring.
8. What type of housing are the crabs kept in, what size is it and what kind of lid is on the housing?
29 gallon tank, screen top that is mostly covered with plastic wrap to keep humidity in
9. How many crabs are in the tank and about how large are they?
5 crabs - 3 purple pincers and 2 Ecuadorians, range from tiny to medium
10. How many extra shells are usually kept in the tank, if any?
15-20
11. Have there been any fumes or chemicals near the crabitat recently?
No
12. How often do you clean the tank and how?
Haven't done a full cleaning (removing the substrate) since we upgraded to a larger tank about 4 months ago. Spot clean the surface regularly.
13. Are sponges used in the water dish? If so, how are they cleaned?
No
14. Has anything new been added to your crabitat recently?
No
15. Is there any other information you would like to share that might be helpful (anything that is regularly part of your crab care, playtime, bathing, etc.)?
I can't think of anything else.
16. Please describe the emergency situation in detail.
See notes above
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I'm just trying to keep him comfortable and praying for the best, but I think he may be gone. I noticed a definite odor when I opened the tank earlier.
