Urgent! Sick Crab
Posted: Tue Mar 05, 2019 10:34 am
Since you've come to the emergency forum, we know you want a fast answer to your question. In order for us to figure out the problem as quickly as possible, we ask that you answer the following questions as best you can. Some of them may seem odd, but they're all designed to give us the information we need to give you a good solution for your problem. The things in the [ brackets ] are there to make this post easier to read once submitted. Thanks!
1. What kind of substrate is used in your tank and how deep is it? It's a rough mixture of ecoearth and playsand, and it's nine inches 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, the humidity is 80, and the temperature is 78.
3. Is a heat source used in the tank? If so, what? Yes, I have an ultratherm pad insulated with reflectix.
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)? I have both types of water. I follow the directions for Instant Ocean on the package. Dechlorinated with Dr. Foster & Smith Chlorine Neutralizer.
5. What kinds of food do you feed and how often is it replaced? I offer fresh and dried foods that I make myself, ranging from proteins like chicken and beef, fruits of all kinds, vegetables, sea vegetables, and staples like greensand and calcium carbonate.
6. How long have you had the crab and what species is it, if known? We adopted this crab recently, but the previous owners got it in October.
7. Has your crab molted, and how long ago did it happen? I don't believe it has.
8. What type of housing are the crabs kept in, what size is it and what kind of lid is on the housing? It's a 50 gallon tank, and I have a hood with a light on the tank.
9. How many crabs are in the tank and about how large are they? Four, and the largest one is a bit bigger than a golfball, the others are smaller than that.
10. How many extra shells are usually kept in the tank, if any? I only have nine shells right now, and have been looking online for some more.
11. Have there been any fumes or chemicals near the crabitat recently? No, this is something I am careful about. I don't use any cleaning agents in the room where the tanks are, and I avoid most products that have a smell. The only thing that I wear inside the room I keep the crabs in would be perfume, and skin treatments for my face. Nothing is applied in the same room.
12. How often do you clean the tank and how? I don't clean my tanks, I just change the water every week and pick out old food if spilled.
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? Yes, since this crabitat is new, I have added two climbing vines, a plastic plant, and a shell basket. They should already be familiar with these items.
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 do not handle my crabs very often, only to inspect them occasionally after a molt, or if they actually need a human's help.
16. Please describe the emergency situation in detail. I got up this morning to me my crab laying limp out of his shell right next to the water. He was all over the tank yesterday, climing and running around, but I think he may be extremely weak due to a lack of nutrients (these crabs were not provided with saltwater or proteins previously) and he may have overdone it.
Do I need to worry about this being contagious to the crabs in my other crabitat?
1. What kind of substrate is used in your tank and how deep is it? It's a rough mixture of ecoearth and playsand, and it's nine inches 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, the humidity is 80, and the temperature is 78.
3. Is a heat source used in the tank? If so, what? Yes, I have an ultratherm pad insulated with reflectix.
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)? I have both types of water. I follow the directions for Instant Ocean on the package. Dechlorinated with Dr. Foster & Smith Chlorine Neutralizer.
5. What kinds of food do you feed and how often is it replaced? I offer fresh and dried foods that I make myself, ranging from proteins like chicken and beef, fruits of all kinds, vegetables, sea vegetables, and staples like greensand and calcium carbonate.
6. How long have you had the crab and what species is it, if known? We adopted this crab recently, but the previous owners got it in October.
7. Has your crab molted, and how long ago did it happen? I don't believe it has.
8. What type of housing are the crabs kept in, what size is it and what kind of lid is on the housing? It's a 50 gallon tank, and I have a hood with a light on the tank.
9. How many crabs are in the tank and about how large are they? Four, and the largest one is a bit bigger than a golfball, the others are smaller than that.
10. How many extra shells are usually kept in the tank, if any? I only have nine shells right now, and have been looking online for some more.
11. Have there been any fumes or chemicals near the crabitat recently? No, this is something I am careful about. I don't use any cleaning agents in the room where the tanks are, and I avoid most products that have a smell. The only thing that I wear inside the room I keep the crabs in would be perfume, and skin treatments for my face. Nothing is applied in the same room.
12. How often do you clean the tank and how? I don't clean my tanks, I just change the water every week and pick out old food if spilled.
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? Yes, since this crabitat is new, I have added two climbing vines, a plastic plant, and a shell basket. They should already be familiar with these items.
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 do not handle my crabs very often, only to inspect them occasionally after a molt, or if they actually need a human's help.
16. Please describe the emergency situation in detail. I got up this morning to me my crab laying limp out of his shell right next to the water. He was all over the tank yesterday, climing and running around, but I think he may be extremely weak due to a lack of nutrients (these crabs were not provided with saltwater or proteins previously) and he may have overdone it.
Do I need to worry about this being contagious to the crabs in my other crabitat?
Dave the Wondercrab~Patpat the Scaredy Cat~MaggieMoo-Dumbo~Billy