how to clean a crab?(not for dinner)

[sw-addict]

Last week we bought a calico crab that is about 5 inches and a beautiful addition to our 29g tank. Well it has a sand bottom that is kept impecably clean by a orange spotted goby and the glass is alway clean other then coraline scraped weekly. Now the crab has a brown algae film on his back and I dont think he is going to shed anytime soon. So I was wondering if there is a animal that will clean him without becoming a meal?

 

[scuba_steve]

i dont think so !! when did he molt last ?? prob gonna have to wait for the molt !!

 

[sw-addict]

We just bought him last week as it says above so I do not know about last molt.

 

[scuba_steve]

do ya add iodine ?? if not ya could add some to try to get him to molt !! my large stone crab molts mabe every other month !! hes about the same size !!
not sure about this crab but ya know some like to add algaes to them to hide !! so might be something ya cant avoid !!

 

[Biggen]

do ya add iodine ?? if not ya could add some to try to get him to molt !! my large stone crab molts mabe every other month !! hes about the same size !!

I actually would advise against this unless you have tested your iodine level and it is below NSW levels. Iodine is extemely toxic is high amounts. NSW has an iodine level of around .06 ppm, FYI.

They aren't too many people that dose iodine. This is because most salt mixes have plenty in it already.

 

[scuba_steve]

i add 2 drops every other day of kent lugos and i test for it and always come to zero !!! iodine gets absorbed so fast anyway !!
i have xenias, 8 pepper shrimp, 2 cleaners and a stone crab that molt more on the days i add the iodine than when i wasnt !!

i kinda disagree with the salt mix having enough !! could be wrong but even after a new mix the iodine shows 0 on my tests!! my molting have been alot more frequent after adding than with out just my thoughts though !!

 

[cmor1701d]

I find that my shrimp often molt right after a water change. Just FYI.

 

[WarOrks15]

ya the more i feed my cleaner shrimp the more he molts.

 

[jamal-188]

ya the more i feed my cleaner shrimp the more he molts.

That's probalby because molting is how they grow, more food= grow faster

 

[WarOrks15]

ya i know that but i was trying to say is maybe you should try feeding him more so that he will grow faster and get too big for his shell