Post-Molter Condition Worsening

DaddyShell · Post by **DaddyShell** » Tue Sep 19, 2006 4:09 pm

Hi there. Jonesy the Straw came up from being down under for over 3 weeks yesterday. She changed shells twice...both times into shells that were MUCH too small for her. I did not see another crab running around with her shell so I don't suspect a shell fight. This morning I found Jonsey naked on the other side of the tank...I dipped her tail in dechlor salt water, helped her into a right-sized shell, and placed her into ISO with a shell with honey, crushed cuttlebone, and dried coconut. That was this morning...when I got home from school she appears to have gone limp...some of the coconut was pulled from the shell but Jonesy's not looking good...

Help! or Tips! appreciated!

DaddyShell · Post by **DaddyShell** » Tue Sep 19, 2006 4:39 pm

Aw, man, I don't know what's going on...it looks like Jonesy has lost part of a leg! It does not look like a clean loss...it looks like when she came up she may not have been fully hardened and that this morning when she was naked one of the other crabs may have attached her...the leg is on the left side and looks like the shell was crushed (like when you crush a crab leg for dinner to get to the meat)...

This is bad...Emmyshell's gonna be devestated...

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Tue Sep 19, 2006 4:46 pm

I'm sorry. I can't think of anything to do besides what you are already doing. Hopefully she'll drop the damaged leg and regrow it in another molt.

DaddyShell · Post by **DaddyShell** » Thu Sep 21, 2006 5:48 am

Okay...dang-it...Jonsey passed.

We have the worst luck with crabs that go naked...not a one has "recovered"...

Rest well sweet Jonsey.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu Sep 21, 2006 6:48 am

I am so sorry!

And I agree....once a crab has run naked for me (for whatever reason), it seems to be only a matter of time until I lose them. Thankfully, that has only happened a few times.

HERMEZ · Post by **HERMEZ** » Thu Sep 21, 2006 7:48 am

Mine never recover from the nakie state either

Sorry Daddy for the loss

DaddyShell · Post by **DaddyShell** » Thu Sep 21, 2006 12:37 pm

Thanks. Emmyshell doesn't know yet. I am considering getting another one because Jonsey had done well for almost 6 months but I am curious whether we have too many crabs in the tank...and that, since they need a place to completely submerge (we only have a dish that's about 1" deep for salt water) that she wasn't able to get all she needed to stay healthy...I dunno. I think she did molt once successfully but when she went naked and the other crab was on her...that was just not a good thing. That's the 3rd crab we've had whose death can be partially attributed to another -

Swirl (PP) attacked post-molt Sweetie (PP) - shellfight...Sweetie went naked, died 4 days later

Sparkles (Indo) attacked pre-molt Bear (Ruggie) - shellfight...Bear went naked, hopped in another shell, went under...successfully molted but died during recovery

Blackie (E) attacked post-molt naked Jonsey (Straw) - smelled yummy...Jonsey died the next day

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu Sep 21, 2006 5:45 pm

My small hermit crab Claudia has recovered from streaking...twice! Possibly even three times. It just depends, I guess. My tank used to only have gravel and a fresh water dish in it when she streaked. Ever since I improved my tank she hasn't streaked once! I hope your Strawberry hermie pulls through!