My big crab attacked my baby crab! Help!

[Jaaaaaab7]

Since you've come to the emergency forum, we know you want a fast answer to your question. In order for us to figure out the problem as quickly as possible, we ask that you answer the following questions as best you can. Some of them may seem odd, but they're all designed to give us the information we need to give you a good solution for your problem. The things in the [ brackets ] are there to make this post easier to read once submitted. Thanks!


1. What kind of substrate is used in your tank and how deep is it?


2. Do you have gauges in the tank to measure temperature and humidity? If so, where are they located and what temperature and humidity do they usually read?


3. Is a heat source used in the tank? If so, what?


4. What types of water are available (fresh or salt) and how is the water treated (what brands of dechlorinator or salt mix and what ratio is used to mix it)?


5. What kinds of food do you feed and how often is it replaced?


6. How long have you had the crab and what species is it, if known?


7. Has your crab molted, and how long ago did it happen?


8. What type of housing are the crabs kept in, what size is it and what kind of lid is on the housing?


9. How many crabs are in the tank and about how large are they?


10. How many extra shells are usually kept in the tank, if any?


11. Have there been any fumes or chemicals near the crabitat recently?


12. How often do you clean the tank and how?


13. Are sponges used in the water dish? If so, how are they cleaned?


14. Has anything new been added to your crabitat recently?


15. Is there any other information you would like to share that might be helpful (anything that is regularly part of your crab care, playtime, bathing, etc.)?


16. Please describe the emergency situation in detail.

I got a new crab and I was gonna put him in the finished tank with the big crab and medium sized crabs I have but the big crab attacked him and now idk what to do!
.

[Jaaaaaab7]

Btw they are both purple pinchers

[curlysister]

How many crabs do you have in what size of tank? I saw that you had a ten gallon in the past - had you upgraded or still a ten gallon? If your tank is over crowded, it can cause crabs to harm other crabs while molting.
Many of us recommend giving both the existing and the new crabs a quick dip into the fresh water so that they all smell the same. If a current crab feels threat from a new crab, it can cause aggression.

[Jaaaaaab7]

3 crabs. I still have the ten gallon and I have a large crab and medium sized crab. If I dip the baby crab into the water and then the big crab still attacks him then what do I do then?

[curlysister]

You can try dipping all of them into the water so they smell the same. Then you will need to keep a close eye on them. You will need to separate them if there is any aggression. What is the behavior that is 'attacking'? Did the small crab get hurt?
Your ten gallon is probably not big enough for a large, medium, and small crab.

[Jaaaaaab7]

The big crab put all his legs and claws around the little crabs shell and was swinging him around. I separated them and he was not hurt.