HAMMER! [ The fiddler crab ] JUST MOLTED!

[William]

Wow!!

This is so fricken neat!!

I thought Hammer was looking really pale, then I see hammer on the other side of the tank..

I just woke up mind you, so it takes a few seconds before it sinks in that he molted!


This is so fricken cool!

 

[fishfreek]

YEp. Some people acutally mistake the molt for a dead crap/shrimp. Under proper conditions they will molt on a fairly regular basis.

 

[William]

This is so fricken awesome!

He was missing a leg, to [ I don't know how he lost it ], and boom. There it is, back again.


I've known since I was a kid crabs molt and they grow back their lost limbs during the proccess, but.. This is the first time I've had it happen in a tank!

I'm giddy 8O

 

[dralarms]

Yea, in the Food department (I'm from eastern NC), what you have is called a soft shell crab. We catch them all the time and they are sure good to eat.

 

[Guest]

One thing, leave the old shell in there for a few days. Crabs frequently eat some or all of the old shell to replace minerals lost in molting, and needed to harden the new shell. Also, leave him alone, don't touch him or put your hands in the tank for 2-3 days. Molting is very stressful on a crab, and they are vulnerable. Let him harden his new shell in peace.

 

[William]

One thing, leave the old shell in there for a few days. Crabs frequently eat some or all of the old shell to replace minerals lost in molting, and needed to harden the new shell. Also, leave him alone, don't touch him or put your hands in the tank for 2-3 days. Molting is very stressful on a crab, and they are vulnerable. Let him harden his new shell in peace.

I know all this

 

[madasafish]

Can you send us a pic?

 

[William]

I have a pic of Hammer in my gallery.

But I can't send a pic of his shell or him right now because I don't have a digicam.

The pics I took for the gallery I had to use someone elses camera, and they only had about..40 seconds to wait for me because they had to get someplace important before it closed. :-\

 

[William]

ON a site note..

When its time to take the shell out, How can I preserve it? it would make an awesome decoration in another tank

 

[bettacove]

When my bros crabs shed we kept the big claw. Its so weird when they shed! We just took it out and let it dry out, but didn't put it back in the tank.

ashley

 

[An t-iasg]

Wow...it's a good thing I didn't read this before bed...I would have had nightmares!!

Just kidding, William...I think Hammer is pretty cool 8) and I hope he's doing ok! Post a pic of the molted shell if you can! I hope you're able to preserve it and keep it!

 

[William]

I don't think I'll be able to get a pic before Tuesday, since I don't have a digicam, nor do I have film for the antique film-based cameras.


And hes doing great, Been shy since he molted tho, Which is understandable since he feels vunerable at the moment.

 

[notmuffy]

CONGRATS!!!!!

My Crab just molted today too!
*I* was able to take a photo
it is huge wallpaper-sized, but very cool:
http://hhouse.net/j/p/crab1024x768wall.jpg
When my Crayfish molted, I just put his shell out in the garden on a log. It sat there for a few months and then suddenly was just gone.

 

[William]

What kind of crab is that?


and I ended up taking hte shell out today, because I accidentally messed it up during a gravel vac.

I saved his claw, tho. It'd make a wicked necklace or osmething

 

[Chikadee]

Yay! I'm glad to hear that your crab molted! Mine did too while he was still alive (he died a few days ago after his epileptic-like episode... *sniff* ) He was really inactive for about a week before he molted, but a few days afterwards, he was super active and crawling all over the place and raising his claw at everything! (He looked like he was doing the robot) He stayed that way until just before he died. Poor Wannahawkaloogie, I will miss him.

I want to get a new fiddler crab but am afraid that my water is just not suitable. It's mostly aquatice which may be a problem, but my first crab lived for 3 months before passing on, so maybe he was just sick? What do you guys think? Should I give it another go?

 

[William]

First off. Do you have a place for your Fiddler Crabs to get above water? They need to get above water from time to time.


Second. Since I gave him his girlfriend, Hammer brandished his claw at everything. This months ago, and hes been acting the same ever since. Altho I did notice the day before his molting that he was FAR more intent then usual on getting into my HOB, For what reason I have no idea... since he has been in there before and knows there not enough room to molt.

 

[Chikadee]

Yup, my crab always had access to air and he often hung out on the roots of my philodendron that hangs out of the back of my tank. I don't think getting two fiddler crabs in my 10gal would be a good idea though, cuz I don't think there's enough room for two, even if I get a guy and a girl, but maybe I'm wrong? I have a FW tank and I hear fiddler crabs are brackish, so maybe that's why he died. I have no clue! I don't want to get another one if he's gonna die too, so it's a tough decision.

 

[William]

I had my two crabs in a FW tank for a long time [ The tank had 1 rounded tablespoon of Doc Wellfishes aquarium salt per 5 gallons, whici is no where near brackish ] and they've been doing fine.

I don't see a problem with adding a few more, as long as you don't have to much of a bioload as it is.

Just remember, if the male you have is a male and has a relitivly large claw, he's established the tank as his home, so any other males you buy should have a much smaller claw.

 

[notmuffy]

Hi William,
The fish store told me my crab was a "King Crab" (his body gets about 4" across). I set up my tank intentionally as a semi-aquatic tank, so that way my polypterus and crab would have somewhere to bask in the air. So far neither has bothered! They share their 29 gallon tank with a pair of dwarf gouramis and an apple snail.

 

[William]

Hi William,
The fish store told me my crab was a "King Crab" (his body gets about 4" across). I set up my tank intentionally as a semi-aquatic tank, so that way my polypterus and crab would have somewhere to bask in the air. So far neither has bothered! They share their 29 gallon tank with a pair of dwarf gouramis and an apple snail.

I know, my fiddler crabs don't do it much either.

but they do have to from time to time, and that is the reason I have a toy ladder from a childhood toy in there