Three emerald crabs down

[Lukeluke]

OK. One I would accept as bad luck. Two, may still be a fluke. But I've lost 3 of the poor things. Just found the last one limp on the rocks. What should I look at? What could be killing my emerald crabs?

The hermits I've added all seem fine. I don't think any have died. I would assume they would need similar conditions to live.

 

[Sharkbait19]

Are you sure they aren’t just molts?

 

[Lukeluke]

Are you sure they aren’t just molts?

As in just the shed shell? I guess not 100% sure. But they looked like whole crabs to me. Not just the shell. I would expect it to be duller in color and kindof translucent. Like a snake skin. And once I remove them I never see them again. I haven't pulled the latest one out yet. Tried but dropped him in an awkward spot. I'll fish him out tonight and take a closer look. If the rest of the cleanup crew doesn't get to him first.

Actually, I've only pulled one dead one out. The first one got eaten by my urchin. I actually hoped it was just the skin, but I never saw it again. The second one I removed didn't look like a shed skin to me. It would be cool if there were still 3 live ones in there though.

 

[Sharkbait19]

But they looked like whole crabs to me. Not just the shell. I would expect it to be duller in color and kindof translucent. Like a snake skin.

That's the weird thing about emerald crab molts. In my experience, they look identical to the full crab, not even cracked open a bit. I've been convinced many times that mine had perished only to find him sitting right next to his "clone".

 

[Uzidaisies]

That's the weird thing about emerald crab molts. In my experience, they look identical to the full crab, not even cracked open a bit. I've been convinced many times that mine had perished only to find him sitting right next to his "clone".

lol I think the same thing happened to me with a hermit. I thought one died for like three weeks until I counted them all the other day.

 

[HeyLookItsCaps]

2nded on it could be a molt. Get your flashlight out in the evenings and see if you can spot em! We all practiced this as children with where’s Waldo!

 

[Pistondog]

1. Have you dosed any iodine, that can cause a molt in shrimps.
2. I had 2 emeralds die after they ate all the algae, no food left I guess

 

[Lukeluke]

1. Have you dosed any iodine, that can cause a molt in shrimps.
2. I had 2 emeralds die after they ate all the algae, no food left I guess

No iodine. And plenty of natively growing algae. Much to my shame.

I guess I'll have to go crab hunting tonight and see if I can spot them. Fingers crossed, maybe I still have three in there.

 

[bnord]

Have had good success with Emerald, and indeed the molts are convincing - and pistondog! you are lucky to have had them complete their algae snarfing job.

Have had less success with the red coral crab relative, which are attractive but don't seem to last more than a month or two for me.

 

[DrZoidburg]

I forget the name of it. There is such a pathogen that effects emeralds. If it is not something else that is.

 

[Pistondog]

Have had good success with Emerald, and indeed the molts are convincing - and pistondog! you are lucky to have had them complete their algae snarfing job.

Have had less success with the red coral crab relative, which are attractive but don't seem to last more than a month or two for me.

Have had good success with Emerald, and indeed the molts are convincing - and pistondog! you are lucky to have had them complete their algae snarfing job.

Have had less success with the red coral crab relative, which are attractive but don't seem to last more than a month or two for me.

 

[BadSquishy]

Hey so did you end up finding the crabs? I’ve been having a similar problem over the past couple of months with emerald crabs and shrimp. Hermits are unaffected. Was it a molt? Do you have any shrimp?

 

[Lukeluke]

Looked for them after the lights went out last night, and this morning. No dice. They could be really good hiders, but I would see them waving their claws around during the day before I found the bodies. At least poking out from between the rocks.

Hey so did you end up finding the crabs? I’ve been having a similar problem over the past couple of months with emerald crabs and shrimp. Hermits are unaffected. Was it a molt? Do you have any shrimp?

Unfortunately no. Haven't found any live crabs. I do have a pistol shrimp that's been doing fine for a couple months so far.

 

[ReefinginOntario]

Are you sure there’s enough for them to eat in the tank? I had a similar issue and then turned to supplemental feeding with nori every evening and this one seems to be doing well so far.

 

[Lukeluke]

Are you sure there’s enough for them to eat in the tank? I had a similar issue and then turned to supplemental feeding with nori every evening and this one seems to be doing well so far.

There is plenty of hair algae. I thought eating that was kindof their job.

 

[moz71]

I swore mine died as well and chalked up the loss when seen what I thought were dead crabs! Found them a month later! lol. But I have a lot of rock work to hide in. I also found out if get though acclimation ok meaning alive after a couple days then all good. Otherwise die within first couple days. However I got mine though mail so could have been stressed already.

 

[kingjames_dc5]

I’m with these guys. I think it’s maybe a molt. Sounds like you may have 3 now… I would look around the tank more. They tent to hide after shedding. Hermit crabs will do the same thing. Their molts will carry the same bright colors can be very misleading.

 

[adsf430]

Their molts are incredibly convincing. Do you have a pistol shrimp? I have one and my hermits and emeralds go missing all the time and I blame it although not 100% sure.

 

[Lukeluke]

I swore mine died as well and chalked up the loss when seen what I thought were dead crabs! Found them a month later! lol. But I have a lot of rock work to hide in. I also found out if get though acclimation ok meaning alive after a couple days then all good. Otherwise die within first couple days. However I got mine though mail so could have been stressed already.

These all made it through at least the first couple of weeks. Aside from one DOA from reefcleaners. Two from there, one from the LFS.

I’m with these guys. I think it’s maybe a molt. Sounds like you may have 3 now… I would look around the tank more. They tent to hide after shedding. Hermit crabs will do the same thing. Their molts will carry the same bright colors can be very misleading.

Their molts are incredibly convincing. Do you have a pistol shrimp? I have one and my hermits and emeralds go missing all the time and I blame it although not 100% sure.

I do have a pistol shrimp. I guess I'll keep an eye out for a week or two and see if they pop back up before trying again.

 

[Lukeluke]

Oh SNAP! Found one! Sneaky little devil. So at least one was just a molt after all.