Emerald crab

[jam5971]

Probably just wishful thinking on my part but if a crab, in this instance an Emerald Crab, sheds his skin could it be mistaken for the crab?

My Emerald Crab has been in my tank for 18 days and whilst he's never been overly active he has seemed fine. Now however he's just sitting on the sand, rather than clinging to the rock work like he normally is. I also can't see any part of him moving, so my suspicion is is he's no longer with us.

I know crabs shed their skin to allow them to grow, so could it be what I'm seeing is his old skin and he's actually ok? As I stated in my first paragraph it's probably just wishful thinking on my part, but one can always hope.

[tangs27]

It's possible to confuse them. The best way to tell is to use a net and scoop it out. A molt will be hollow so once you can look at it closely you will know.

[jam5971]

Yeah thanks I thought about that but as my tank temps been up and down didn't want stress my fish anymore by playing around in it! Having said that I bit the bullet and fished him out. Unless I'm going blind unfortunately it wasn't a molt. My first fatality since rejoining the hobby.

[tangs27]

Sorry to hear that

[jam5971]

Thanks one of those things I suppose. Nothing visibly wrong apart from he only had 7 legs but I'm sure he was like that from the start. All my reading seem ok, ammonia and nitrite 0 with nitrate 15 - 20. PH at 8.1 and salinity at 1.025. The only thing that's been playing up us the temperature, with the weather we've been having it got up as far as 28. Added a temp controller and some fans and it's now down to 25.8.

Can only think the temperature fluctuation didn't agree with him or he wasn't getting enough food maybe.

Only other thing that's changed is I added a Bicolor Angel at the weekend but I can't imagine he had a go at him!

[tangs27]

Yea unfortunately it does happen. It's possible that it was the temp but it could also be the nitrates. Inverts can be really sensitive to nitrates or it ran into an issue trying to molt. Do you check iodide levels?

[jam5971]

No not as yet anyway