Post
by Nat_addicted to HC's » Thu Dec 09, 2010 8:25 pm
I am eagerly Looking forward to reading the responses from merv and bob!
most of you would probably already know my thoughts on this myth my post is linked to on the C.V. care sheet.
My A's to wodersol's Q's
The question should be how many casualties from salt-water intake has there actually been? I have had none
Have a number of people here lost aussies due to gourging, or is it just a perpetuated myth? I think it was misunderstood information
If it's only one or two people, could 'regular' PPS be the culprit instead of the salt water? There will always be losses to PPS, even in the best conditions - could the mix-up be that the water got blamed rather than known causes of new crab deaths. Highly likely
My A's to Tigermoon89 Q's
State which method they use: 24/7 access
How large their Aussies were when they got them: Teeny's up to medium
How often each size spends time in the salt water dish: roughly the same amount of sand in the bottom of their fresh and salt water dishes in the mornings, new crabs straight home from the store nearly always hang in the salt water dish for a few minutes before heading of to explore and dig, not long later they are in the freshwater dish, it really depends on what one they discovered first I guess. I know they go in and out of both dishes with the same behavior/enthusiasm towards the water as I have sat up and watched them countless times.
How often each molts (to determine if the salt water (limit or unlimited) has any effect.: My crabs molt like crazy, there is always a crab or two or three down molting at any given time. my teeny ones are not teeny anymore! my larger crabs dont molt as often, 3-4 times a year. My new crabs, 2 out of 3 have molted and up sized their shells.
Appearance of Exo after each molt (ie: dull or shiny, any patches or spots that shouldn't be there...): each one has been different slightly, some are paler and others are darker, all have been shiny and hard, they have consumed all but a few bits of the pinchers of their exo, no noticeable abnormalities, before and after (especially after) cuttlefish is heavily fed on. The darker ones are often feeding on vine wood bark, dehydrated beetroot, red rose petals and bladderwrack.
Energy levels of the crabs on a daily basis: I have a rabbit worren tank too tnt4eva, they could not get more active than they are I hope!
If there have been any deaths considered to be due to salt water gorging-
How soon did they pass after you brought them home
What conditions did they come from at the store
Why you think it was due to salt water................
these last couple of questions dont really apply for my crabs, I have not lost one due to PPS. The losses I have had have been due to an aggressive crab that dug up everybody and was caught feeding on a molter after stealing his shell & one escaped and died due to the synthetic residual pesticide that I had our brand new home sprayed with before moving in.
The stores I have rescued (purchased) from have had their crabs in apaulling conditions, except one store= pet domain
several of my crabs were missing legs, leg tips and pincher's. All have come good after a few molts!
Come on all of you experienced Australian crabbers who are long time members of HCA, post and tell us about your experiences, I know you can back us up on this Myth
Natalie van Amstel
Life isn't about how you survived the storm...
it's about how you danced in the rain!
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