Weak crab upside down in his saltwater pool!
Posted: Fri Dec 29, 2023 4:19 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?
6 inches of playsand/ecoearth
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 the back of the tank about half way down the wall. The hottest part of the tank is 80-84. Humidity is usually between 85-90
3. Is a heat source used in the tank? If so, what?
Uth with a thermostat
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)?
Both fresh and salt(instant ocean) changed weekly. I have well water. No chlorine so no dechlorinator.
5. What kinds of food do you feed and how often is it replaced?
turtle treats. Dried shrimp, crickets, meal worms, chia seeds, seasame seeds, worm castings, oats, cuttlefish bone, oak and maple leaves, millit, exoskeleton, dried cows blood, tumeric powder, green sand ... ect. I make sure they always have protein, green sand, worm castings and calcium in the tank at all times.
6. How long have you had the crab and what species is it, if known?
A year and a half. Purple pincher
7. Has your crab molted, and how long ago did it happen?
He's successfully molted with me several times. He recently came up from his last molt Dec 10th.
8. What type of housing are the crabs kept in, what size is it and what kind of lid is on the housing?
10 gallon(a bit small i know im working on an upgrade) and a solid glass lid.
9. How many crabs are in the tank and about how large are they?
2 crabs in 7/8 to 1 inch shells
10. How many extra shells are usually kept in the tank, if any?
10
11. Have there been any fumes or chemicals near the crabitat recently?
No
12. How often do you clean the tank and how?
Change the waters weekly. Scoop the tank of poop weekly.
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?
Plastic plant that i got from the fish section at the pet store. Its been in the tank before when i first got them, i changed up the decor. And some sphagnum moss i got from the petstore.
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.)?
This crab has gotten sick before when i first got him, though that may have been stress or pps as it happened before he had his first molt with me. He got better, though he seemed to have died and came back from the dead. That fake plant was in the tank at the time as well.
16. Please describe the emergency situation in detail.
I felt he came up from his molt fine but i noticed he wasnt quite as active. Then he gradually became less and less active then he started moving like his shell was getting too heavy for him and kept seeming to get weaker. So i hopefully thought he might just need to change his shell(its on the larger side for him). Today i caught him in his salt water pool upside down barely in his shell. He's alive but still acting very weak. My other crab seems normal.
I put him in some Tupperware with some moist sand on the bottom. Some food, wet moss and a bit of water in a seashell. I broke some holes in the lid and placed him back in his tank.
Please. Any reason why hes like this and what i could do for him would be appreciated.
1. What kind of substrate is used in your tank and how deep is it?
6 inches of playsand/ecoearth
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 the back of the tank about half way down the wall. The hottest part of the tank is 80-84. Humidity is usually between 85-90
3. Is a heat source used in the tank? If so, what?
Uth with a thermostat
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)?
Both fresh and salt(instant ocean) changed weekly. I have well water. No chlorine so no dechlorinator.
5. What kinds of food do you feed and how often is it replaced?
turtle treats. Dried shrimp, crickets, meal worms, chia seeds, seasame seeds, worm castings, oats, cuttlefish bone, oak and maple leaves, millit, exoskeleton, dried cows blood, tumeric powder, green sand ... ect. I make sure they always have protein, green sand, worm castings and calcium in the tank at all times.
6. How long have you had the crab and what species is it, if known?
A year and a half. Purple pincher
7. Has your crab molted, and how long ago did it happen?
He's successfully molted with me several times. He recently came up from his last molt Dec 10th.
8. What type of housing are the crabs kept in, what size is it and what kind of lid is on the housing?
10 gallon(a bit small i know im working on an upgrade) and a solid glass lid.
9. How many crabs are in the tank and about how large are they?
2 crabs in 7/8 to 1 inch shells
10. How many extra shells are usually kept in the tank, if any?
10
11. Have there been any fumes or chemicals near the crabitat recently?
No
12. How often do you clean the tank and how?
Change the waters weekly. Scoop the tank of poop weekly.
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?
Plastic plant that i got from the fish section at the pet store. Its been in the tank before when i first got them, i changed up the decor. And some sphagnum moss i got from the petstore.
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.)?
This crab has gotten sick before when i first got him, though that may have been stress or pps as it happened before he had his first molt with me. He got better, though he seemed to have died and came back from the dead. That fake plant was in the tank at the time as well.
16. Please describe the emergency situation in detail.
I felt he came up from his molt fine but i noticed he wasnt quite as active. Then he gradually became less and less active then he started moving like his shell was getting too heavy for him and kept seeming to get weaker. So i hopefully thought he might just need to change his shell(its on the larger side for him). Today i caught him in his salt water pool upside down barely in his shell. He's alive but still acting very weak. My other crab seems normal.
I put him in some Tupperware with some moist sand on the bottom. Some food, wet moss and a bit of water in a seashell. I broke some holes in the lid and placed him back in his tank.
Please. Any reason why hes like this and what i could do for him would be appreciated.