Moving help

[Hermielover121]

I am moving this Tuesday and am a bit worried about some things. I have my crabs in a custom 72 gallon with 10 inches of substrate, which is extremely heavy. The tank has to go down one flight of stairs to get out the door then up another flight of stairs at the new house. We have movers, that will move the tank but does anyone have any tips that will make this easier. Also, I have moved all the crabs that are up into a spare tank but there are still 3 down. I know I will have to carefully dig them up and place them in Tupperware containers with their exo (if I can find it). Hopefully that goes well too I’m also nervous. Any advice at all would really help


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[curlysister]

You will want to take all the substrate out of the tank to move it. If you can dry it out, it will be lighter.
Just go slow and steady when digging up the ones who are under - start in a corner and kind of dig sideways, so that you come across their cave from the side rather than the top.

[Hermielover121]

Will do, Thank you so much!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Hermielover121]

After digging up the crabs and taking out the substrate all I found was one crab in its shell and a couple large legs and a claw. I know exoskeleton can look very real but this looks exactly like it does while it’s attached to the crab. It also looks too big to be from (especially the large pincher) the one crab I found. Three where down and now I have only found one. I also found two empty shells, they belonged to the other crabs. I’m not really sure what happened while they where molting and I’m not sure which of the three I have right now. They switched shells a lot before going down. One of the crabs that went down was part of the first pair of crabs I ever had and has molted many times with be before. The other two where newer so maybe it was pps but I’m not even sure if my oldest one is the one I have because I have been to afraid to move or touch him in case he will get stressed. When I found home in his molting tunnel he very quickly moved all the way into his shell. I placed him in a spare Tupperware with the claws and legs in case they where his exo but I highly doubt that since two other crabs must have died. He has been in there for around 2 days and I have been so busy and waiting to post here on the HCA on what to do. I have seen him scooting around a couple times so I’m sure he is fine. Can I place him with the other crabs now.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Hermielover121]

I just opened the lid of the Tupperware while the crab was crawling around. It is definitely my crab rose which I have had for the longest. She is acting perfectly fine and looks fine. I think tomorrow morning I will add her to the other tank. Right now he has an egg shell with raw egg inside with him.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[curlysister]

Aw, I'm sorry to hear that two didn't make it.
And yes, if she's moving around normally, I would go ahead and add her in with the other crabs. If you want to be super cautious, consider giving everyone a quick dip in the fresh water so they all smell the same - if she did molt underground but didn't dig back up on her own, the molting 'smell' may not have been scrubbed off by the sand.

[Hermielover121]

I was so hoping they would all make it! Thank you again for all the help.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk