Straws & E's so excited

[dinky]

Was having trouble with a large E of mine, suspected him of being the problem in the past with my new E's I got in and they would die, but wasn't sure until I caught him recently when he killed a crab. I so love this E, his name is Roadrunner and I've had him over 3 years, he's friendly to me and such a beauty. So I was heart broken as to what to do.......I gave him a new home with 2 large straws I have and tonight one of the straws "RAO" (abbreviation for Red And Orange) came up from molt and they are eating side by side (: I am so happy and praying that when Rusty comes up the 3 of them will get along. Just didn't know what I was going to do with him and thankful that so far this is working out. Hoping the answer with this E is putting him with way bigger crabs to keep him under control (:

[aussieJJDude]

Glad that so far the tank is going good!
However, i still would suggest getting him a buddy or two, as their E's of a similar size or bigger? He might not want to pick fights with them when they around the same size.

BTW:

[wodesorel]

I personally think if you found something that works, stick with it. It's actually funny that you mention he's behaving with your straws - I sent my three troublemaker Es to live with Sach, and she has had them in with her Straws and they've been basically good for her for something like two years now!

[dinky]

Glad that so far the tank is going good!
However, i still would suggest getting him a buddy or two, as their E's of a similar size or bigger? He might not want to pick fights with them when they around the same size.

BTW:

Yeah I'll be looking for another bigger E....hopefully even be able to sex it and find a girl for him (: But so far only finding little ones. Have a privately owned pet store here and going to see if she can special order 2 large. Only concern is I had a larger one in the other tat and that is the one he wanted to pick on.....so thinking he needs a girl ?? (:

[dinky]

I personally think if you found something that works, stick with it. It's actually funny that you mention he's behaving with your straws - I sent my three troublemaker Es to live with Sach, and she has had them in with her Straws and they've been basically good for her for something like two years now!

I think there are those exceptional crabs where we have to go to this extreme, will try to get pics of Roadrunner, he is so beautiful with his colors and all, but just a problem crab. Never took people serious over issues like this till I ran into the problem myself. Kind of amazing that it's always E's I hear people talking about.....waiting to see how my Viola's do, they seem a lot like E's in their actions and seem really territorial, when it gets down to it.....I so love my PP's, just big babies and easy to care and love. Then you look at your other crabs and they are cute in their own way too.....just a heck of a lot more work (:

[thermidor]

I'd like to hear more about your strawberry's behavior. I am new to them, only had my two for about 6 weeks. One went under about a week after they came home. The other who is the female is so unlike any other crab I have or have heard described. She literally hates to hide; will not go under anything. When she rests she scares the heck out of me; she rests with her shell opening pointing up, and her legs hang limply down like a bunch of bananas; I call it going bananas. Do yours do that? (she moved out of a horribly tiny shell into a bigger one but has lots of choices so I don't think it is a shell problem"). When she is awake which is 90% of the time she is always moving. I don't handle my crabs, but when my hand is in the tank doing something she might retract a tad but then pops right back out as if she is afraid of nothing. Loves to climb into the shell shop and on the hides, normally taking down shells and generally being disruptive due to her size. Have never seen her dig; she seems happiest on the surface, especially in a little corner by the fresh water which is her special spot.

I also have e's and they do seem to fear and respect her. She doesn't try to intimidate them, but if she comes near them they scurry.

Does this sound typical? I see lots of info here about PP's and e's but little about strawberries. Maybe she is just a nutty individual?

[Breeezy]

I'd like to hear more about your strawberry's behavior. I am new to them, only had my two for about 6 weeks. One went under about a week after they came home. The other who is the female is so unlike any other crab I have or have heard described. She literally hates to hide; will not go under anything. When she rests she scares the heck out of me; she rests with her shell opening pointing up, and her legs hang limply down like a bunch of bananas; I call it going bananas. Do yours do that? (she moved out of a horribly tiny shell into a bigger one but has lots of choices so I don't think it is a shell problem"). When she is awake which is 90% of the time she is always moving. I don't handle my crabs, but when my hand is in the tank doing something she might retract a tad but then pops right back out as if she is afraid of nothing. Loves to climb into the shell shop and on the hides, normally taking down shells and generally being disruptive due to her size. Have never seen her dig; she seems happiest on the surface, especially in a little corner by the fresh water which is her special spot.

I also have e's and they do seem to fear and respect her. She doesn't try to intimidate them, but if she comes near them they scurry.

Does this sound typical? I see lots of info here about PP's and e's but little about strawberries. Maybe she is just a nutty individual?

Crabs are funny like that! Not just my strawberry does the "going bananas" thing. It seems like they're just laid back reclining in their shells haha! My strawberry is very timid (maybe because he's the only one I have right now?) But he's my biggest crab, so it's not a size issue.

[thermidor]

That's a relief. The first time I saw it I thought for sure she was dead. Next time I am feeling stressed out I want some of what she is having!

[dinky]

I'd like to hear more about your strawberry's behavior. I am new to them, only had my two for about 6 weeks. One went under about a week after they came home. The other who is the female is so unlike any other crab I have or have heard described. She literally hates to hide; will not go under anything. When she rests she scares the heck out of me; she rests with her shell opening pointing up, and her legs hang limply down like a bunch of bananas; I call it going bananas. Do yours do that? (she moved out of a horribly tiny shell into a bigger one but has lots of choices so I don't think it is a shell problem"). When she is awake which is 90% of the time she is always moving. I don't handle my crabs, but when my hand is in the tank doing something she might retract a tad but then pops right back out as if she is afraid of nothing. Loves to climb into the shell shop and on the hides, normally taking down shells and generally being disruptive due to her size. Have never seen her dig; she seems happiest on the surface, especially in a little corner by the fresh water which is her special spot.

I also have e's and they do seem to fear and respect her. She doesn't try to intimidate them, but if she comes near them they scurry.

Does this sound typical? I see lots of info here about PP's and e's but little about strawberries. Maybe she is just a nutty individual?

Sorry I haven't answered, messed up my back and ribs and it hurt to type for a while, then busy trying to catch up on work......Yes my straws are the only crabs out of pp's, Es, violas, ruggie that will find weird positions, they prop against coral, and on a big branch I have with opening up and half hanging out and they sleep like that. It's so funny, it's the one time I can talk to them and they look like they are looking right at me, but I know they are sleeping, there is no antanne movement or nothing, they just hang there. Today my 2 large decided to dig a moat around the outside of the tat, they had sand piled everywhere in food dish and water dish. They will be really active like this for a few weeks, then disappear for a few days then back up again. This has been an almost constant behavior with these two. They pig out for a week and then hardly touch their food the next week. They are very different in behavior compared to my other crabs.
Since I made this post I'm a little worried, the 2nd straw came up from molt and since then I have not seen the E ): He's a big boy, so hoping he is just chilling, but not sure.

[thermidor]

Yes I think that two equals a GANG in strawberry land. When my male was up the two of them literally rearranged the tank every night; I could not wait to get up and see which large objects they had decided to relocate. Now that he is down (3 weeks and counting) the Female is still active but not as destructive. We both miss him like crazy

Do you have a UVB basking spot for yours? Have heard that they like it but can't figure out quite how to do it; I have a hinged glass cover on the tank and my normal fluorescent hood just comes on over it. The UVB would not be able to penetrate glass so short of cutting a circle into the glass I am not sure how to best accomplish this. Unless someone out there has some info that UVB can pass through glass, but I believe it cannot. Don't think they would need a lot of it; in the wild I envision that they are out foraging near the beach at night, and at dawn they stay out for a little while so there is some sun exposure before they retreat to their daytime hiding spots. Same even for the PP's; that Caribbean sun is intense and even filtered through trees they would get some. I keep birds and even the tropical canopy species need some UVB just as people need a bit, as well.

I guess this is not technically not for the crab behavior section except that I am also wondering if anyone does this and has seen any different behavior; ie, basking, avoidance, etc.

[dinky]

Yes I think that two equals a GANG in strawberry land. When my male was up the two of them literally rearranged the tank every night; I could not wait to get up and see which large objects they had decided to relocate. Now that he is down (3 weeks and counting) the Female is still active but not as destructive. We both miss him like crazy

Do you have a UVB basking spot for yours? Have heard that they like it but can't figure out quite how to do it; I have a hinged glass cover on the tank and my normal fluorescent hood just comes on over it. The UVB would not be able to penetrate glass so short of cutting a circle into the glass I am not sure how to best accomplish this. Unless someone out there has some info that UVB can pass through glass, but I believe it cannot. Don't think they would need a lot of it; in the wild I envision that they are out foraging near the beach at night, and at dawn they stay out for a little while so there is some sun exposure before they retreat to their daytime hiding spots. Same even for the PP's; that Caribbean sun is intense and even filtered through trees they would get some. I keep birds and even the tropical canopy species need some

UVB just as people need a bit, as well.

I guess this is not technically not for the crab behavior section except that I am also wondering if anyone does this and has seen any different behavior; ie, basking, avoidance, etc.

Yes I have a UVB light....I have it in a drop lamp like mechanics use. I run the cord through corner where glass is cracked for air, then use the hanger on end of lamp to hang off of a vine I have in the tat

[thermidor]

So it is inside the tank? That is what I was thinking would have to happen. Do you ever see basking behavior?