Is My freshwater crab dead?

[Curtissimo]

I bought a female crab about two months ago and it she seemed pretty active up till a few days ago, when I had bought a male for her(I don't know if this is relevant). Today she stopped moving around and stayed fixed to a plant. I tried to budge her this morning and she "woke up" and moved around slightly. I just now found her upside down!
Is it possible she is molting, because she has increased about a third in size? I'd hate to flush it if it was only molting. I'm sick of having an aquarium--Whenever I get attached to things they die!!! Please help!

 

[Guest]

She is probably molting. This is also when most crabs will breed, so if the male is , err, like attached to her, let them be. Also, if she does molt, leave the old shell in for a couple days, sometimes crabs will eat part or all of the old shell to get enough calcium (i think) to harden the new shell.

 

[Curtissimo]

8O Oh s.h.!.t! I flushed her down the toilet because I thought she was dead. There was nothing moving at all when I tried to make her move! No breathing, no nothing. I am feeling very guilty now! She had grown pretty quickly too! She basically looked like she had rigor mortis--all tense. I guess I'll never know unless someone here knows she was dead!

 

[CRaZeeeBiTcHisH]

don't feel bad, if she had rigor mortis, she was prolly dead....