Lethargic Crab

JangoCatt · Post by **JangoCatt** » Sun Nov 12, 2006 9:29 pm

I'm afraid we may be losing another crab. One of our PP's (we've had it for three weeks) has moved very little for the last three days. I finally moved it to an ISO tank this evening and while it moved in and out of it's shell very slowly, it doesn't look good. The eye pods are droopy and the antennae aren't moving at all. The very small legs at the abdomen are moving in a digging motion pretty rapidly, but other than that, it is pretty listless.

I hate this - this would be two losses in the last three days. This one was doing so well for the first week. Then he went under the EE with the rest of the PPs and came back up like this. Is there anything else I should try other than leaving him alone and seeing what happens?

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sun Nov 12, 2006 10:36 pm

I'm sorry. It's never easy to lose one, we get so attached so fast.

The only other thing that you may not be doing already would be to add some high engery foods for him, like honey and spirulina.

I hope he is just lethargic becuase he's pre-molt, that is a reasonable assumption.....

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Tue Nov 14, 2006 3:54 pm

I hope he's o.k. In addition to the Honey, maybe you could try some Maple Syrup mixed with finely crushed egg-shells. If he is indeed pre-molt, the syrup provides energy and the shells for calcium and a healthy new exo. Ya know, he may just be absolutely fine. More than once I've wondered if I wasn't losing a crab to lethargy. With your recent loss your concerns are well founded though. I'll keep him in my crabby prayers.

JangoCatt · Post by **JangoCatt** » Wed Nov 15, 2006 5:27 pm

Unfortunately, we lost him yesterday. I came home from work and he was still sitting in the same place he has been for three days, but this time he was hanging half way out of the shell. I picked up the shell and he slid out. No doubt he was dead. I suppose we just have to chalk both of them up to PPS. The temp and humidity in the tank are great and at least one of our other PP's is very active - he has changed shells multiple times. The other three have stayed buried, but I see signs of activity under the EE (new mounds).

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Wed Nov 15, 2006 5:36 pm

I am sooo sorry Krabby! I had hoped and prayed for a different outcome for you. I keep seeing posts on multiple crab deaths in close proximity to one another. If it's not illness related, which most times it seems not to be, is it possible that the first in the string of deaths actually contributes to the stress level of other crabs causing further deaths? Just wonderin'. I'm sorry again Sweetie!

JangoCatt · Post by **JangoCatt** » Wed Nov 15, 2006 5:44 pm

I wish I knew. Maybe we will all continue to learn more about it as time goes on. This one seemed so healthy and well adjusted too. He is the one in my avatar and was very active and friendly for the first few days after we brought him home.

Thanks for all of the advice and well wishes. This has certainly dampened our initial excitement over being new crab owners. I think our purchase streak has ended for a while until we are sure the other PP's are fine and that we don't have a habitat issue.

On a positive note, our E tank is doing great. Everyone is active, changing shells, digging up and down, climbing the multiple levels. This is what we hoped our PP tank would be like. Unfortunately, it just looks empty most of the time.