I think I just saw my crabs doin' the dirty! BABIES!!!

[wolfnipplechips]

Thanks wodesorel. I think I saved that paper on my computer from when MCD sent it to me when my crabs started pre-c guarding last year. I'll have to check.

Tammy wrote back. She said that I should find somebody locally to take her since the stress of shipping would probably cause her to drop the eggs. Finding somebody locally might be an issue since it's, well, Fairbanks. I don't have any contacts I can think of. There's an awesome fish rescue place in Anchorage, but a seven hour drive one way doesn't interest my husband. haha. Looks like there is a store called "Fishtopia" in Fairbanks. Maybe I can check them out this weekend. It just sucks I'm going to be out of town. I'd have to rely on a stranger and you know what they say about wanting a job done right...

Don't think I am going to win this round. Hopefully there will be a next time for this. And hopefully I'll be in town and have a bit more money to work with.

Thanks for the answers to my questions. I'm sure there will be many more when I actually get a chance to do this.

Right now, I'm kind of wondering what the eggs would taste like. I like to get the sushi with the flying fish roe on it. It's so salty and sweet. I wonder what hermie eggs would taste like...

[MudCrabDude]

...Right now, I'm kind of wondering what the eggs would taste like. I like to get the sushi with the flying fish roe on it. It's so salty and sweet. I wonder what hermie eggs would taste like...

Like chicken.

Which begs the question, what does chicken taste like...?!?!?

[wolfnipplechips]

Got a couple better photos. Figured I should document this.

[SojMad]

W-O-W! I LOVE the pictures!

[zippity]

Wow. That's not something you see every day. Where's the emoticon for amazement and wonder...

[hulk]

very cool!

[stan]

Remember when they're gray they're ready to hatch.

I read you're giving up the babies but I would at least give it a try. I mean, I have a very very few tiny shells, but anything can work. I would put the shells inmediatly in the tank where the babies are so they metamorphose quicklier. Feed 'em brine shrimp. It would be so wonderful. Keep us updated qith the babies!!

[wolfnipplechips]

Remember when they're gray they're ready to hatch.

I read you're giving up the babies but I would at least give it a try. I mean, I have a very very few tiny shells, but anything can work. I would put the shells inmediatly in the tank where the babies are so they metamorphose quicklier. Feed 'em brine shrimp. It would be so wonderful. Keep us updated qith the babies!!

I can't this time. I'm going to be out of town. :/

But I am DETERMINED DOWN TO THE BONE to be ready for next time if there is a next time.

I've got an empty 20 gallon and I'm on a mission.

[wolfnipplechips]

Are these shells small enough? Does anybody know? I think Kili has had "ants" before, right? Maybe he would know.

This shows the range of the super tiny shells I have (I have a bunch slightly larger, too). I have like 200 now I think! $4 at Fred Meyer!!! What a steal.

[sdevine]

so what do you have to have in order to be ready?

[wolfnipplechips]

I've been keeping a journal, so I'll just copy and paste what my initial plan involved.
Marine testing kit: $40-60
Sponge filter (Hydro II Sponge Filter Pro): $9
Replacement filter: $4
Powerhead (Eheim Aquahead 1212): $30
Small heater (50watt): $30
Deep Six Hydrometer: $7
Thermometer: $15
Brine shrimp eggs (6 gram bottle): $4
Hikari Fry Food (.35oz): $2
Live rock: $11-22
Tubing: $7
Air stones: $3
Air pump: $8
Salt (60ga): $56

Pries are from petco or from aquariumguys

If I continue with this plan, I'll also need play sand, some kind of marine substrate, a test kit for calcium, and a bucket to mix the salt water.

Then I was talking with wodesorel (hope I spelled that right), and she had this awesome Idea to have a top-mounted molting box with a ramp that didn't need to be water-tight. This would allow me to have minimal contact between the salt water and plastic container (which may leech all kinds of chemicals into the water, but I'm not sure), and it would save me a bit of money because the container would be smaller, and I would use less sand. But I just dont know how the heck I am going to make a top mounted molting box.

However, in the scientific paper, they reared compressus in plastic cups (like sojmad did) and when the time came for them to be going into land, they put them in little viles and sunk them into the sand so they had a chance to leave the water. But if I did this, it would require daily water changes, no way to regulate temperature, and I just really don't want to deal with all the cups and water. That is why I want to set up a cycled marine tank.

Maybe I can turn the whole 20ga (wodesorel suggested 10ga, but my husband won't allow ANOTHER tank) into a cycled marine tank and when the time came for them to go into land, I could do what the scientists did and just put them into viles and put them in the sand...? It would certainly be easier to do it this way without having to worry about plastic contaminants and trying to make a beach...

As you can see, I have several plans, but none are solid... :roll:

[sdevine]

the whole thing is just so awesome.

[MudCrabDude]

Are these shells small enough? Does anybody know? I think Kili has had "ants" before, right? Maybe he would know.

This shows the range of the super tiny shells I have (I have a bunch slightly larger, too). I have like 200 now I think! $4 at Fred Meyer!!! What a steal.

The smallest one (the one in the "9 'o clock" position) seems small enough.

[crabbyhappy]

This is all so interesting! Those pictures of the eggs are so cool!

[wolfnipplechips]

Thanks! And thanks for your input, MCD! I got a bunch off tiny shells off ebay for like $4 including shipping, and now I think I have a big enough collection if I ever succeed in my quest. Took some pichuzzz.


These are my tiniest ones:

And I found a super sad surprise...