Destroyed crawdad

[Bully405Customz]

I had a blue crawdad in my 55 gal and woke up this morning to a murder scene. What could have done something like this? The tank has 4 angels, 2 peacock eels, a featherfin cat, dinosaur birchir, leaf fish, and a fairly small brown knife that I'm just holding until my friends tank cycles.

 

[Sparky74]

Are you saying the cray was dead?

Stupid question...Did it possibly just molt and you are seeing old shell?

Mine will go into hiding after molting. I once thought he got out of the tank until I finally found him buried in the plants.

Edit: I think the birchir may eat inverts...How big is he?

 

[Bully405Customz]

He's dead. Lol the dinosaur is just a juvie and only about 4 inches long, the cray was about 2 or 3 inches long give or take.

 

[alLexX]

He's dead. Lol the dinosaur is just a juvie and only about 4 inches long, the cray was about 2 or 3 inches long give or take.

that looks a lot like my crayfishes moults do,take it out and check if theres flesh in it. but if it is the moult put it back in,they eat it

 

[Sparky74]

that looks a lot like my crayfishes moults do,take it out and check if theres flesh in it. but if it is the moult put it back in,they eat it

I agree. Mine leaves the same carcass behind. I bet he is just hidden. Mine tends to stay hidden for a day or two after molting.

How long have you had the cray? Has he ever molted? If he has never molted, I am willing to bet he is in there somewhere hidden.

 

[GoneFishing]

I read that inverts tend to hide after a molt because their new exoskeleton is still soft. They will eat their old molts to get some of the neutrients back into their system.

 

[Bully405Customz]

You guys are right! We found him hiding! I'm glad he's not dead, we were gonna miss him. We've had him for a few months and he hadnt ever done that. We've never had one before either

 

[alLexX]

I agree. Mine leaves the same carcass behind. I bet he is just hidden. Mine tends to stay hidden for a day or two after molting.

mine stays hidden for a while to,great pic btw,mine never turn out clear

 

[GoneFishing]

I agree. Mine leaves the same carcass behind. I bet he is just hidden. Mine tends to stay hidden for a day or two after molting.

How long have you had the cray? Has he ever molted? If he has never molted, I am willing to bet he is in there somewhere hidden.

Truely a unique shed, devistating if you don't know it's a molt.

 

[alLexX]

I read that inverts tend to hide after a molt because their new exoskeleton is still soft. They will eat their old molts to get some of the neutrients back into their system.

you read the truth

 

[Sparky74]

Truely a unique shed, devistating if you don't know it's a molt.

First one scared me for a sec before I remembered molting

Glad to see he is alright

 

[Bully405Customz]

Thanks for the help!