Really Aggressive Crab

[mdoggy2555]

Hey all.

So I'm having a huge problem with Markowski. I upgraded my 10 gallon tank to a 32 gallon tank pretty quickly. Everyone has done a shell change since they were purchased a couple of months ago. I even had Vanellope do her first molt (left her in Tue 10 gal for her molt then moved her after she changed shells). Markowski was my big scaredy cat and would always run away every time I was near the tank.

One he moved to the 32 gallon tank, he changed into another shell and became a big bully. He's only gotten along with Ralph and King Candy that I'm aware of. Ralph would push him away and off of pots in dominance displays, but otherwise there was no trouble. Ralph went under a week or two ago (possibly for a molt) and I think Markowski took over since Ralph hasn't been up. They have a varied diet of fresh fruits, always a bit of calci sand in a small dish, and offer re-hydrated shrimp every other day.

Yet.....Ghost passed away last week because he had lost 3 legs. The legs were not lost after the fact. I suspected Markowski was to blame because of how he's been acting towards the others. Plus I had to remove him when Ghost was dying because he attempted to speed the process. And I know crabs can lose legs when they're stressed, but everything in the tank is perfect. 80% humidity, 80 degrees consistently thanks to air stones.

But now I literally just watch Markowski charge Felix. Felix freaked out and toppled over, then hid in his shell while Markowski stole a piece of fruit and ran to his favorite spot.

It has me really concerned because everyone else gets along fine and I've already lost one crab to Markwoski. I'm tempted to put Markowski in iso for a little while.

Any suggestions?

[StarWarsHermitCrab]

ISO him, he needs time to calm down.

[CallaLily]

How long had you had the crab that lost limbs? Had he molted with you yet? PPS is a very real possibility here if he's a new crab. They go through a lot from the time they're collected from the wild to arriving at your home. Sometimes it's just too much, no matter how good your conditions are. Once they've had a successful molt with you, they're usually in the clear.

A lot of what you describe sounds like typical displays of dominance to me. It can be difficult to watch at times and it's certainly a good idea to keep an eye on the situation just in case. I usually only worry if a crab is actively trying to steal another's shell or trying to pinch/injure another crab. If those things are happening or he just won't let up, ISOing can help. It'll give him time to get his fill of good food and good shells. I'd also wait for him to complete a molt in there if he hasn't recently.

Edit: I would also suggest varying their protein and calcium sources more. Check out Kilimanjaro's Guide to Hermit Crab Nutrition and the Safe Food List for more info and ideas.

[mdoggy2555]

Thank you! I hadn't considered alfalfa a protein source, and I never thought to give them some of my chia seeds.

I'd had Ghost 2 months before he died. He had not molted yet, but had completed 2 shell changes.

As for Markowski, he hasn't tried to pinch anyone that I can tell. He's only pushed others away with his big claw open, but I haven't seen him try to pinch anyone except for Ghost when he was dying. But at that point Ghost probably smelled pretty tasty, so I don't blame him for that. Markowski has not molted yet. He's seemed a little bit better (albeit more skittish) since he changed to a slightly smaller shell, but still being a bully.

However, the dominance makes sense. Especially since Ralph and King Candy are down for a molt. They usually keep him in check, but with them both being down he's ruling the roost. Lol He totally claimed the food dish last night and I saw him making several trips to hoard pieces of fruit in his spot. When I checked this morning there was almost no food left. I hope that means he's preparing for a molt.

SIDE NOTE: My phone hates the word "molt" so if you see a word that starts with "m" and doesn't make any sense in the above, it should be molt. Lol

[StarWarsHermitCrab]

If markowski isn't pinching anyone then don't worry about it to much, but
keep a close eye on him. Some times when hermit crabs are displaying dominance
they take it too far.