Would it be a good idea to get Oscar a friend? Will Pinchy be upset when he comes up to find a new crab there? I don't want Oscar to die from being alone while he waits who knows how long for Pinchy to resurface. What should I do?
Fiver
Should I Get a New Crab?
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Guest
Topic author
Should I Get a New Crab?
I'm concerned about my hermie Oscar being lonely. Pinchy, his tank mate, has been buried for a week now. I have a good feeling Pinchy is just destressing, but Oscar seems so lonely. He doesn't do anything but sit, hidden in his shell in the leaves of one of the plants (his favourite one). He seems depressed to me.
Would it be a good idea to get Oscar a friend? Will Pinchy be upset when he comes up to find a new crab there? I don't want Oscar to die from being alone while he waits who knows how long for Pinchy to resurface. What should I do?
Fiver
Would it be a good idea to get Oscar a friend? Will Pinchy be upset when he comes up to find a new crab there? I don't want Oscar to die from being alone while he waits who knows how long for Pinchy to resurface. What should I do?
Fiver
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cranlsn
Topic author
You're asking the WRONG group of people...when do we ever STOP getting new ones? 
In all seriousness...if you've got room for another one, it probably wouldn't hurt anything...just watch for agresssion and/or ISO the new guy for a few days with some protein rich food.
You don't want him to go after the one that's dug down if he's molting.
In all seriousness...if you've got room for another one, it probably wouldn't hurt anything...just watch for agresssion and/or ISO the new guy for a few days with some protein rich food.
You don't want him to go after the one that's dug down if he's molting.
what sizes are your crabs and tank? the only worry I would have depends on how much space you have...its not good for the crabs to get too crowded. if you post your tank size/ crab sizes, we can help you figure out if you have enough space for another. but, as long as space isn't an issue, i'd say go ahead!
Caroline
Caroline
26 LHC: 6 PPs, 5 Es, 1 Straw, 6 Ruggies, 2 Indos, 1 Blueberry, 4 Violas, 1 Aussie
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I know what you mean about the crabs looking like they are lonely. I just bought another PP to be a same species friend for my first PP, but my first PP is buried under right now. And so are my two Es. So I bring this poor PP home from the pet store where he has lots of friends and dump him into a cage that looks like there is nobody else living. I try to keep reassuring him that he really is not the only crab in the tank, but I don't think he believes me.
As far as getting another crab while the others are under, All of my crabs have been introduced while at least one of the others was dug under destressing or sleeping or whatever it is that Digger does under there all day. So far I have had no problems with aggression and, in fact, my two Es seemed genuinely happy to see each other when Stewie surfaced and found Gizmo in the tank.
I think your crabs will appreciate having another friend to play with as long as you have the room.
As far as getting another crab while the others are under, All of my crabs have been introduced while at least one of the others was dug under destressing or sleeping or whatever it is that Digger does under there all day. So far I have had no problems with aggression and, in fact, my two Es seemed genuinely happy to see each other when Stewie surfaced and found Gizmo in the tank.
I think your crabs will appreciate having another friend to play with as long as you have the room.
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Topic author
Thanks for all the info everyone.
Oscar and Pinchy are two small Es in a 10 gallon tank. I'm pretty sure I have enough room to buy one more. I think my boyfriend and I are going to go buy another one when he gets off work.
I hope the one we saw the last time we were in the store is still there. It was hard for me to walk away. It was at the front of the tank, out of its shell, staring at the world. I put my finger a little farther ahead of it, and it crawled over to my finger. I was unsure at the time if we should pick up another one. I should have grabbed it when I could. If it's not there, I will be a little disappointed.
Last time some of the crabs were starting to get too big for their shells, and some of the shells they had looked too small. I think I may have to rescue a bigger one. I have some new shells coming next week so it will have some new shells (I do have some in the tank right now). I will more likely than not post pics of the new guy.
Fiver
Oscar and Pinchy are two small Es in a 10 gallon tank. I'm pretty sure I have enough room to buy one more. I think my boyfriend and I are going to go buy another one when he gets off work.
I hope the one we saw the last time we were in the store is still there. It was hard for me to walk away. It was at the front of the tank, out of its shell, staring at the world. I put my finger a little farther ahead of it, and it crawled over to my finger. I was unsure at the time if we should pick up another one. I should have grabbed it when I could. If it's not there, I will be a little disappointed.
Last time some of the crabs were starting to get too big for their shells, and some of the shells they had looked too small. I think I may have to rescue a bigger one. I have some new shells coming next week so it will have some new shells (I do have some in the tank right now). I will more likely than not post pics of the new guy.
Fiver
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Topic author
Well, we went to the pet store last night and purchased another crab. The guy at the pet store was so rough with them. I felt like saying to him "excuse me, but how would you like it if someone grabbed you and started throwing you around like that" but I didn't.
He put all the crabs upside down and we waited. Obviously nothing happened, so I asked him to gets a mister and mist them to see who would come out first. Well, he mists them, and then goes "Or another way to do it is like this" and picks them up and dumps them in the water dish, before they even had time to react to being misted. That ticked me right off. So I picked the first crab that came out of the water dish. The pet store guy picks him up, trucks him to the back room, and puts the crab into the carrier, without moistening the paper towel so the little guy has some humidity. Good thing we were going straight home.
On the car ride home, the little guy was out of his shell most of the time. Quite cute. We named him Spunky, as he had a lot of spunk to be out and about in a very bumpy situation. When we got him home, and had finished doing the nightly caring for the tank, he put him into the tank. He then proceeded to go into a corner and bury himself. Which worked out all right, because Oscar (the one on his own) had decided during the day to bury himself. Now, we have an empty tank with hiding crabbies. Now we're just waiting to see who comes up. Maybe the shrimp for dinner will bring them to the surface. I was going to post pics, but I somehow doubt that pictures of the sand are all the exciting. I'll post when they are up and about.
Fiver
He put all the crabs upside down and we waited. Obviously nothing happened, so I asked him to gets a mister and mist them to see who would come out first. Well, he mists them, and then goes "Or another way to do it is like this" and picks them up and dumps them in the water dish, before they even had time to react to being misted. That ticked me right off. So I picked the first crab that came out of the water dish. The pet store guy picks him up, trucks him to the back room, and puts the crab into the carrier, without moistening the paper towel so the little guy has some humidity. Good thing we were going straight home.
On the car ride home, the little guy was out of his shell most of the time. Quite cute. We named him Spunky, as he had a lot of spunk to be out and about in a very bumpy situation. When we got him home, and had finished doing the nightly caring for the tank, he put him into the tank. He then proceeded to go into a corner and bury himself. Which worked out all right, because Oscar (the one on his own) had decided during the day to bury himself. Now, we have an empty tank with hiding crabbies. Now we're just waiting to see who comes up. Maybe the shrimp for dinner will bring them to the surface. I was going to post pics, but I somehow doubt that pictures of the sand are all the exciting. I'll post when they are up and about.
Fiver
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cranlsn
Topic author
I'm glad it sounds like he's doing well...sorry that they've gone all "ostrich" on you though.
Thats so frustrating at pet stores...but maybe that's what someone "taught" him and he thought he was showing off "knowledge"? I've seen that at several Petco's around here...the salespeople weren't out and out malicious, just ignorant of crab care.
So...welcome to Spunky...hehe...I like the name!
Thats so frustrating at pet stores...but maybe that's what someone "taught" him and he thought he was showing off "knowledge"? I've seen that at several Petco's around here...the salespeople weren't out and out malicious, just ignorant of crab care.
So...welcome to Spunky...hehe...I like the name!