Post by Deleted on Jan 22, 2013 23:06:18 GMT -4
Suppose I'll start with the most recent occurance to kick off this thread about my hermit crab crew.
Before you read this (copied and pasted from my Tumblr), Ishmael was another one of my guys I had this same problem with just about over a month ago. He's doing fantastic now and is strong and healthy.
Well there's the happening. I'm a little distraught over it at the moment, but I can only do my best for him right now.
As for the general information on my lovable and very loved little critters, I have exactly five small/medium sized crabs in a 20 gallon long right now.
Ishmael
Ahab
Sumar
Valentine
Delilah
As I'm typing this, I'm wondering if anyone actually cares about my invertebrate pets. But out of pure boredness I'll keep going anyway.
Ish is the big guy, beating out Val for that race since his last molt. He thinks he is big and tuff now apparently, too.
Ahab was pretty shy, and I'm sure he's pretty scared and stressed now too. I got him and Ish at the same time.
Val is the "crabby" one. He will and does pinch and isn't trusting, and he's the biggest bully. He will chase after anyone. But he's very active, more so than he used to be when I first got him.
Sumar is, my gawd I hate it when other people say this but I can't help it, MY BABY. He's the most active and the least shy. He loves to climb, and he'll have a ball if you're wearing a knitted sweater. He enjoys being taken out and isn't scared or jittery when handled.
Delilah is the biggest shybaby next to Ahab. She doesn't really like to be handled and as I barely see her out in the light I assume she's more of a night crawler than the other four (They are mostly nocturnal anyway).
tl;dr - I have crabs.
Before you read this (copied and pasted from my Tumblr), Ishmael was another one of my guys I had this same problem with just about over a month ago. He's doing fantastic now and is strong and healthy.
Well I had quite an unexpected and CRABTASTIC emergency to deal with tonight. I found another one of my boys in the nude under the log just now. Ahab. (Last time it was Ishmael….funny). Unfortunately, it looked like his exoskeleton was only JUST starting to come back, so I had to skip the salt-water bath I did with Ish. When I put him in ISO with a bunch of rinsed shells, he got in one immediately, but he was too weak to roll it over. I knew he wasn’t going to come out of it and get a new one. I waited hoping there’d be the slightest chance of it at least, but he eventually just hid inside the one he chose. So flipped him over myself, and dug up his old exo and put some softer, lighter pieces of it underneath him. He will hopefully snack on that, strengthening his new exo as it grows back.
I also found Ishmael snakcing on Ahab’s big claw. His ACTUAL claw. Not the exoskeleton. Sigh. So he’s missing a claw too.
I always keep the downside in mind when stuff like this happens, especially to a molter, because the TINIEST amount of stress can be the max for them. Ahab could end up dying. Ishmael made it, to my great surprise and relief. In fact I was shocked. But Ahab’s incedent occured at a pretty bad time in his molt stage. His exo still looks like a pale fleshy color and isn’t very hard at all. He’s also very weak.
Here’s to hoping the little guy pulls through.
I also found Ishmael snakcing on Ahab’s big claw. His ACTUAL claw. Not the exoskeleton. Sigh. So he’s missing a claw too.
I always keep the downside in mind when stuff like this happens, especially to a molter, because the TINIEST amount of stress can be the max for them. Ahab could end up dying. Ishmael made it, to my great surprise and relief. In fact I was shocked. But Ahab’s incedent occured at a pretty bad time in his molt stage. His exo still looks like a pale fleshy color and isn’t very hard at all. He’s also very weak.
Here’s to hoping the little guy pulls through.
Well there's the happening. I'm a little distraught over it at the moment, but I can only do my best for him right now.
As for the general information on my lovable and very loved little critters, I have exactly five small/medium sized crabs in a 20 gallon long right now.
Ishmael
Ahab
Sumar
Valentine
Delilah
As I'm typing this, I'm wondering if anyone actually cares about my invertebrate pets. But out of pure boredness I'll keep going anyway.
Ish is the big guy, beating out Val for that race since his last molt. He thinks he is big and tuff now apparently, too.
Ahab was pretty shy, and I'm sure he's pretty scared and stressed now too. I got him and Ish at the same time.
Val is the "crabby" one. He will and does pinch and isn't trusting, and he's the biggest bully. He will chase after anyone. But he's very active, more so than he used to be when I first got him.
Sumar is, my gawd I hate it when other people say this but I can't help it, MY BABY. He's the most active and the least shy. He loves to climb, and he'll have a ball if you're wearing a knitted sweater. He enjoys being taken out and isn't scared or jittery when handled.
Delilah is the biggest shybaby next to Ahab. She doesn't really like to be handled and as I barely see her out in the light I assume she's more of a night crawler than the other four (They are mostly nocturnal anyway).
tl;dr - I have crabs.