shell fights and pinching

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Tue Dec 18, 2007 5:06 pm

Hi I have someone who wants to give me her male PP. He is 4years old and the size of an egg.

The owner said "Lewis is a meanie, he pinches people bad and doesn't let go, I've always had to stick him in water to get him to let go of me. He has eaten from my hand but he usually prefers to run and hide when I get near him."

She kept him in isolation for months and then put him back with small pp's so far he has not had shell fights with anybody.

My concern is I have 4 med to large Straws. They don't fight with each other nor with the other small E's and tiny PP's. How should I handle Lewis? It sounds like he is shy. How do I introduce him to my tank. Please Advise Thanks!

brad873 · Post by **brad873** » Tue Dec 18, 2007 5:14 pm

love him into kindness

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Tue Dec 18, 2007 5:18 pm

Pray tell How?

brad873 · Post by **brad873** » Tue Dec 18, 2007 5:37 pm

not sure, but i tink christa has done it a few times

hermiefanatic · Post by **hermiefanatic** » Wed Dec 19, 2007 7:32 pm

welll, unless the crab has a known history of being agressive, i would jsut let him in the tank. if he has, i would put him in the tank, and i know it saounds boring, but watch him rather closely to make sure no fights art anything happenes. ya could get a book and glance up him every couple mins or so though....

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Wed Dec 19, 2007 9:08 pm

That's what husbands are for

Besides they are right by his chair and they are his. He will worry about his his Straws. I PM'd Christa so I hope she has more idea too.
I don't get him and 4 small pp's till after Christmas. Then he will have more time to watch him.

hermiefanatic wrote:welll, unless the crab has a known history of being agressive, i would jsut let him in the tank. if he has, i would put him in the tank, and i know it saounds boring, but watch him rather closely to make sure no fights art anything happenes. ya could get a book and glance up him every couple mins or so though....

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Wed Dec 19, 2007 9:12 pm

He has shell fought and and grips with his claw us humans and will not let go.

hermiefanatic wrote:welll, unless the crab has a known history of being agressive, i would jsut let him in the tank. if he has, i would put him in the tank, and i know it saounds boring, but watch him rather closely to make sure no fights art anything happenes. ya could get a book and glance up him every couple mins or so though....

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Mon Dec 24, 2007 12:32 am

I had that problem with The Marquis. He was a real bully to my little crabs and would always pinch me when I picked him up (still does actually). I took everyone out of the tank, let them run around in some shallow water to 'bathe' themselves and rearranged everything in the tank, including putting down a new top layer of substrate. Then I put them all back in at the same time so they were all on equal footing. Now he's fine with the other crabs, it's just me he doesn't like!

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Tue Dec 25, 2007 9:49 pm

I have an abused PP who used to pinch people and wouldnt let go for several minutes. i didnt want to scare him off so I dealt with it until he walked off . He seems to respond that way when hes on anything warm. I had to place him on the back of my hand (my hand on the ground so i wasnt moving or shaking at all) to get used to the warmth and to show him I wont drop him and now he is harmless. it took about a week

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Wed Dec 26, 2007 2:00 am

I get him on Thursday so I will work with. Thanks for your idea's. If you think of anything else please let me know.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Wed Dec 26, 2007 4:06 am

I think some crabs just aren't people crabs! I think I would give him lots of hideys, lots of shells in his size, lots of protein in his diet, and then just leave him alone! Once he has all he needs and starts to feel secure that someone is not always trying to handle him (I hope!) he would settle down.

Good luck!

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Wed Dec 26, 2007 1:13 pm

I also remebered that I left my anti-human crab alone until after his first molt, I wanted to make sure it wasnt just pre-molt aggression that was making him hate me and my bf and the other crabs

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Wed Dec 26, 2007 2:19 pm

Lewis is coming with his original tank and I think I will set him up next to my 25g. That way he is still with his own group and can get use to our movement. It's our living room so it's brighter and more busy then where he was. I will take this slow. He is only in a 10g with four tiny to small PP's. I think I will also feed him what he is use to. I will change his diet slowly. Not sure how to break him into being handled but that will be awhile. I think he needs to feel safe and then acclimated in his new tank before I hold him. All my crabs will be moving to a bigger tank in January. So that will be another change for him. I wonder if that is when I should move him in with my crabs. They will all be a shaky ground then.