Out of shell and in water!

[chobbychobby]

My crab is on a plastic leaf mostly in the water. She isn't moving and has left her shell on the bottom of the saltwater tank/bowl. Do I try to reshell her? She recently had a surface molt and lost her big claw. I have no idea what to do and I am really scared for her.

[KellyCrabbieLove]

You have to get her in a shell immediately.

[CallaLily]

It's extremely important to get her reshelled asap. If she won't or can't do it herself, you need to help her. Make sure the shell is clean and free of any pokey bits. Leave a little dechlor freshwater in it, then carefully slide her "tail" in and gently touch her to try to get her to pull in the rest of the way. Sometimes this is easier if you use a slightly too large shell.

Is this crab new? I don't want to scare you but sometimes they do go to the saltwater like this to die. Can you please go over your tank conditions so we can try to figure out why she surface molted and is now streaking?

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.)?