Dead Crab MURDER

[dinotrex]

I got a crab a few weeks ago and he was fine and dandy. I didn't know if I expected him to live long due to the conditions of my water. But after a while I knew he was fine, but last night, I saw that his insides were eaten from the back, he was just an empty shell, he's not a hermit crab so I know these crabs don't crawl out of their shells. I can only assume he was murdered, the question is by who?? My damsels? or my hermit crabs? RIP Crabby

 

[rossmort]

He could have molted...?

 

[quarryshark]

I agree, probably a molt. Scared me the first time I saw it. My daughter started to cry.

 

[dralarms]

he's not a hermit crab so I know these crabs don't crawl out of their shells

Actually they do, If there is No signs of debries then chances are he molted, give him a couple or 3 days to show up again. I molted shell looks just like something came in from behind and sucked it right out of it's shell. 8O

 

[dinotrex]

but i saw the fishes and hermit crabs eating his body and legs!! His insides are just all gone!! I'll keep an eye out and hope he'll show up in three days. When I looked at his eyes, they just looked so lifeless. If indeed he's dead, RIP little buddy. We are talking about the same crab right? similliar to an emerald Mithrax Crab, but mine was orange and his eyes came up and down from left to right. He was a cool crab, unfortunetely I didn't know what kind of crab he was.

 

[quarryshark]

My sea urchins clean up the molts , for some reason they love them. I know it looks freaky, but just wait. I'll bet he shows up, maybe in a different shell.

 

[TomV]

When Crabs molt, their new exoskeleton (shell) is soft and they are vulnerable. Instinctively, they hide out. I had that happen a couple times in my tanks and, at the beginning, I thought I lost my crab. But then the crab showed up TWICE the size it was before. Keep an eye out for your crab and let us know.