I needed to do a deep clean... so I moved all the top crabs to the holding tank. Early this morning (3 a.m.) there were two more that surfaced... so I moved them.
I've found 2 more... their colors are great... so I moved them. But I just found one that was white...and the exo by it. I got out the ISO tank... put him in there...with the exo....put salt water (big dish).. small Gatorade lids of food and water...and sprinkled crushed calcium around the area... I put a VERY large shell propped in the corner to "hide" him. Did I mention he is an E and the only one in the tank?
What do I need to do to make sure I don't loose him?
I want to make sure I do it right.. I don't want him to die
-
Guest
Topic author
Your holding tank and your ISO tank are different, right? Because if he's in there with everyone else, hiding him is not enough. You'll want to protect him by cordoning him off with either some CD jewel cases, or a cutoff old 2 liter bottle with the lid removed.
Once you've got him separated from the others, (if you haven't already, again no idea if ISO and holding are separate tanks or not), you'll want to make him feel safe. Anything that keeps it relatively dark where he is will work. I usually dig a small divot, place the exo in the bottom, the crabby on the top and some moss over the whole bundle to keep them feeling safe. The calcium can actually go in a nearby food dish if he's alone in an ISO tank. He'll dig into that once he's started to harden up and has finished as much of his exo as he wants.
Other than that, you've missed the worst part of the molt, which is popping off the old exo. If he's still ok now, he'll probably just need to be left alone in the dark and quiet of the ISO tank to finish the job. He still might take a horrible turn for the worse on you, but at this stage that's pretty unlikely in my experience.
Once you've got him separated from the others, (if you haven't already, again no idea if ISO and holding are separate tanks or not), you'll want to make him feel safe. Anything that keeps it relatively dark where he is will work. I usually dig a small divot, place the exo in the bottom, the crabby on the top and some moss over the whole bundle to keep them feeling safe. The calcium can actually go in a nearby food dish if he's alone in an ISO tank. He'll dig into that once he's started to harden up and has finished as much of his exo as he wants.
Other than that, you've missed the worst part of the molt, which is popping off the old exo. If he's still ok now, he'll probably just need to be left alone in the dark and quiet of the ISO tank to finish the job. He still might take a horrible turn for the worse on you, but at this stage that's pretty unlikely in my experience.
-
Guest
Topic author
Thank you..
Sorry the ISO is a 10 gallon tank... I put together quickly... The holding tank is a 40L tank. I'm planning on an expansion in the future....
:):)
I put a light on the tank thinking that I needed to do the 12 hour / 12 hour rotation. I'll go and turn it off.
I put the big shell in the corner... but I put him and the exo on top... what should I do now. I think he buried himself... but he didn't take the exo with him - will he eat it when he comes up to eat or do I need to bury that too?
I can add the moss... I have some readily available. I just don't want to stress him any more than I did. I really thought they were all done... I guess I miss calculated by 1.
Sorry the ISO is a 10 gallon tank... I put together quickly... The holding tank is a 40L tank. I'm planning on an expansion in the future....
:):)I put a light on the tank thinking that I needed to do the 12 hour / 12 hour rotation. I'll go and turn it off.
I put the big shell in the corner... but I put him and the exo on top... what should I do now. I think he buried himself... but he didn't take the exo with him - will he eat it when he comes up to eat or do I need to bury that too?
I can add the moss... I have some readily available. I just don't want to stress him any more than I did. I really thought they were all done... I guess I miss calculated by 1.
-
Guest
Topic author
Well, given where he is in the molting process, he's not eating at the moment. He will eat later on, which is where the calcium comes in. You actually put it in a little earlier than necessary.
As for the exo, he's going to want to finish at least most of it. Mine generally leave behind a leg or two, or a BP if they think it'd be more trouble to break down than it's worth. If you have more than that, you'll want to find him and try what I suggested with the divot and the moss covering. They don't like hardening up on hard surfaces, (like shells), so he's probably tried to dig himself a new cave so his legs don't get bent or crushed while they're still soft. Look for churned soil around the area where the seashell was. What you're going to want to do is find his new cave, enlarge it just slightly, and then place his exo underneath him in it. After that stage, cover him with moss and use the big shell you have to block the light source if you have a window. Usually he'll dig a bit more, and then get down to business on his exo.
If he just left behind a leg or two, then you're probably ok, he's just decided to dig down and harden up on his own. He won't normally surface to eat until he's comfortable that he's hardened up and feels safe enough to forage. If he's got exo to go, then giving him that will speed up the process a bit and ensure he hardens up well. You should see him again once he's comfortable with his new gills and feels protected enough in the new exo. It won't be completely hardened, as he's going to get a little bit bigger after he surfaces, but it'll be hard enough he feels comfortable being outside.
As for the exo, he's going to want to finish at least most of it. Mine generally leave behind a leg or two, or a BP if they think it'd be more trouble to break down than it's worth. If you have more than that, you'll want to find him and try what I suggested with the divot and the moss covering. They don't like hardening up on hard surfaces, (like shells), so he's probably tried to dig himself a new cave so his legs don't get bent or crushed while they're still soft. Look for churned soil around the area where the seashell was. What you're going to want to do is find his new cave, enlarge it just slightly, and then place his exo underneath him in it. After that stage, cover him with moss and use the big shell you have to block the light source if you have a window. Usually he'll dig a bit more, and then get down to business on his exo.
If he just left behind a leg or two, then you're probably ok, he's just decided to dig down and harden up on his own. He won't normally surface to eat until he's comfortable that he's hardened up and feels safe enough to forage. If he's got exo to go, then giving him that will speed up the process a bit and ensure he hardens up well. You should see him again once he's comfortable with his new gills and feels protected enough in the new exo. It won't be completely hardened, as he's going to get a little bit bigger after he surfaces, but it'll be hard enough he feels comfortable being outside.
-
Guest
Topic author
Tonight I couldn't sleep so I went to the family room to watch TV..that is were the ISO is at....
I heard tapping on the tank ... I went to the tank to look...and sure enough he was at the opposite end eating and drinking....and his color was back.
When is it time that I can move him with the others?
I heard tapping on the tank ... I went to the tank to look...and sure enough he was at the opposite end eating and drinking....and his color was back.
When is it time that I can move him with the others?
-
Guest
Topic author