Weird Crab Problem!!!

[Vee787]

I have a hermit-crab thing (I don't know exactly what it is) and it's been in my tank for 2 or 3 weeks. He is perfectly healthy, as far as I know. I found what looks like a "clone" (that's just what I call it) of his head and legs laying next to my hut. He's in his shell eating, so it isn't him.  What is it???
(You'll have to zoom in on the picture to see it)

 

[Salty Cracker]

I think the psychedelic colours of the 'gravel' scared him out of his skin.

 

[Fraggle Rock]

Most Inverts of this kind Shed their "Skin". Most times its just a sign of growth, but it can sometimes be stress that causes this.
Keep an eye on your water parameters, But I wouldn't worry too much its normal for crabs to shed relatively often (once a month or so).
HAHA Salty could be right too...

 

[Duke]

yup that's called a Molt, crabs molt because their skin or body doesn't grow.. so when the crab is growing it will shed its old body when it gets too small.

 

[Vee787]

If it is shedding, that's really weird...  I did have an emerald crab that died two days ago if that might have anything to do with stress. (no idea on why the emerald died)

 

[TORX]

Have you checked the shell to see if he is still in there?

No idea why the emerald died? What were you feeding it? Your tank is too new and small to have an ample supply of food for an emerald crab. It requires a well-established aquarium with plenty of rockwork, hiding places and algea.

Much like the last issue you were having with your clown fish...please provide more information. When asking for help, please also provide your 'levels'. Test kit used, pH, ammonia, nitrite and nitrate, salinity, temp, salt type?

Hope the Cardinal Fish is doing well at least.

 

[unibob]

I would return whatever you can to a Lfs and just take a step back. Saltwater isn't just about adding salt to water. It looks like a freshwater tank that has saltwater critters in it. What is your salinity of the water?

 

[Vee787]

When I got the emerald crab, about a week ago, she was clinging to the fake plant and eating fish food off of it. Then she went onto the live rock, that I got from the Petco that had the Ich, and never left it until the night before she died.
And yes, the other crab is in it's shell moving around and eating.
(The Cardinal fish is doing good, no signs of sickness)
The salinity is pretty good, 0.023-4  I don't know the temperature but it isn't cold, I have a light over the tank. I don't know the pH or anything...
(The clone-thingy is solid, not just the outside)

This doesn't have much to do with the crab, maybe the emerald, but my live rock is getting smaller, eaten away kinda, and looks like it's turning whiteish. Would that have anything to do with the Emerald crab leaving and dying.
(The emerald looked "bloated")

 

[Neopimp]

Ich doesnt affect inverts as far as I know. So I woudl bet it was somethign else that killed it.

 

[Vee787]

Ich doesnt affect inverts as far as I know. So I woudl bet it was somethign else that killed it.

Yeah, that's what my dad said. I might have got rid of the Ich, since my Cardinalfish isn't breathing fast (but it when I still had the clownfish it breathed faster but has slowed down since)
Anyone know if the live rock turning white could be a sign of something else that killed the emerald?

 

[Salty Cracker]

I'm Canadian, so obviously I'm a very nice polite person.  That said, I think you need to do a lot more reading and stop buying things from the LFS (local fish store) until you have a better idea what you are doing.  Plastic plants?  goldfish bowl gravel?

Saltwater has a specific gravity of 1.026. if you're really at 0.023 then you're way off.  Do you have a sump or did petco set you up with an awesome foam or undergravel firlter??

What I'm saying is... you are in for a very unplesant time in this wonderful hobby if you just plow ahead as if you were buying a beta fish in a cup.  Saltwater tanks take several WEEKS to set up an ecosystem, and even then most fish and inverts will be stressed in it.  You need real, reliable test kits.  You need a good salt mix, you need a steady water change schedule.  Most ich comes You can't use tap water.  etc etc etc etc.

I genuinely hope you stick with it.  I think you have been given some very bad advice from petco or wherever you were told that emerald crabs, plastic plants and a cup of salt was all you needed to have a saltwater tank.  What you are doing, quite honestly, is torturing small aquatic creatures. 

There is a TON of info here, and on Reef Central.  Read read read.  We'll all give you advice, as long as you don't argue what we're telling you.  Lastly, this is an extremely addictive, rewarding but foremost EXPENSIVE hobby.  For example, you have no idea what temp the water is, and you have probably a desk lamp over the tank, or a little $3bulb?  Well that alone could be killing anything that may have been on your liverock. 

Hopefully you stick around and someday we can (and will) mock you mercilessly over how bad a start you had.  You're lucky you're on a canukistan board, the american reefers would be a whole lot nastier

Best of luck, and smooth sailing.

 

[Vee787]

The 0 in salinity was a typo it should be 1.  (I didn't use tablesalt if that's what your saying, it's some instant ocean thing) The PetCo I got this stuff from stinks.
I don't know much about the filter I'm using, it is at the top, it isn't very fancy/expensive.

 

[TORX]

Rock does not shrink...it is rock...enough said. As for the color, if it was purple before and is now going white...it is because your tank set up is killing the coraline algea or bleaching it but there is no way for us to know because you do not know anything about your tank. There are too many variables for what is wrong with your tank for any of us to help.

Please take the advice we have already tried to provide quite politely and go from there. I know it is not what you want to hear, but if you do not know what the pH, ammonia, nitrite and nitrate, salinity, temp or salt type that you are using and do not know the filter or that you have to feed your pets or even know the proper lighting, then you are not ready to have a salt water aquarium.

There are no answers to your questions here that you want to hear. Well unless you want us to build you a tank with the proper set up to care for fish, but that will cost you a few hundred dollars at the absolute least IF everything is used.

 

[Neopimp]

Iff all you want are  a couple fish and no corals then get this stuff.


Ditch the gravel -- Go buy some argonite sand
Get some live rock if you have not got some already - about 1lb a gallon.  Check your local area for stuff craiglist and such
set up your rock work and sand.
Fill the tank with Saltwater  salinity 1.025 or 26
Get a thermometer  - Set your heater to keep a 78-80 temp
Sounds like the tank is somewhat cycled already but really should be testing your ammonia and nitrite which is toxic to fish.
Test for nitrate when they are present and the other two arnt your tank is cycled and ready to go.
The tank being somewhat cycled you coudl prob get away with adding the fish you have currently.
Lighting doesnt matter with fish only
Filters are fine if you keep them clean -  Protein skimmers are better.
Waterchanges are a mandatory tihng ESPECIALLY if you are not running any other means to remove the nitrates form the water.
Fish only go with 10-20% a month.
Use tap water if you want but itneeds to be dechlorinated and expect algae problems in the future.
RODI water is best... RO will work... Tap if you want.
Get a Powerhead to move water around the tank and provide some surface agitation.
Then let it sit.. for weeks.

I only tell you this order of things because you have already blasted ahead through the process anyways. and this is dead wrogn if you are planning on keepiong corals.

 

[TORX]

API Saltwater Master Liquid Test Kit - $35.99 to test your levels

Tetra Submersible Aquarium Heaters - $16.19 - $19.79

Thermometer with Suction Cup - $3.39

Ocean Bio-Activ Live Aragonite Reef Sand - $16.99 - $25.49

NutraFin Aqua Plus Tap Water Conditioner - $4.49 - $10.99

Oceanic BioCube Protein Skimmer - $42.49

or

Aqua Euro USA Nano Tank Skimmer 2 - $49.99

Plus maybe a filter upgrade and other upgrades. RO/DI units to make your own water cost hundreds of dollars, so if you want good water, then you will need to purchase that. And this is just the start of what we know you need to keep things alive.

All pricing, links and information is from Petco  and based on what we know about your tank and just beginner equipment at minimum.

 

[Vee787]

I can't afford much, I'M JUST A KID!!!

 

[TORX]

You asked what you needed, we told you. Would you buy a dog if you can not buy the right food/collar/tags/shots? WOuld you let it starve until it died or gets sick and dies? Would you get a bird if you can not afford to buy the right food/cage/bedding/medications? So why buy fish without being able to afford to buy what it needs to live?

As another member has told you. I would return whatever you can to a LFS aka Petco and just take a step back. Learn about these pets. Read, go to the library and read read read. Use google and read read read. Talk to actual owners for help to learn, not Petco. Save up some money... a lot of money, then save some more. Then get someone to come over and look at what you want and get help purchasing the correct equipment to keep what you want. Saltwater isn't just about adding salt to water.

 

[Poseidon]

We understand your kid, but this hobby is expensive... I've spent thousands, just like everyone on here.  Listen to the advice people are giving you, do some more research and start over.

 

[Reef Hero]

Reading is free....... And you will need to do lots of it!!!! Don't listen to anything the Lfs tells you....... Read on here or Reef Central (highly suggest you create an account there) and then buy what you need. Things will only get more expensive with guessing, uninformed choices, and doing what the Lfs says to do.....
I can't believe you did not get sold a heater and thermometer......go get the proper test equipment (ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, ph) as well as a heater and thermometer.....I am assuming you have a hydrometer or refractometer to test salinity.....
As mentioned, a filter is ok but a skimmer is much more useful and easier to clean when dealing with a saltwater system.....
You will need to have approx. 1lb of LiveRock per gallon of water......
You need to test and monitor your tank for the parameters listed above because your tank is going to cycle......this needs to happen!
Bottom line is that guessing or asking people what is happening simply does not work....you need to test water in order to obtain actual readings.....you and us need these readings to figure out what is happening within the tank.....this will also give you a better understanding of how each element in your tank can affect it, how it affects it, and why it is affecting it..... Once tank gets going the testing procedures can be done less frequently because for one it will become much more stable, two, you will already know what has to be done in order to keep these parameters inline, and three if you notice something kind of out of whack then you may already know what is causing it from previous testing and knowledge......you see where I am going with this.....
READ, READ, READ, TEST, TEST, TEST, POST, POST, POST

Good luck and don't get discouraged......nobody dove into this head first and had amazing results and beautiful tanks right away......it takes years.....
I always tell people who seem kinda interested in the whole saltwater thing that the tank is not a picture you hang on the wall....it is a hobby and you will make it what you want.....

Please continue to post!!!! We love helping!!!!


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

 

[pulpfiction1]

while your reading,pick up a couple of small freshwater fish to entertain you in the meantime,there is nothing wrong about not knowing,only in proceeding blindly,ask questions before you do anything,never assume until you know for sure,there are no dumb questions,only dumb mistakes done with lack of knowledge,we only want to help and see that you get the best knowledge for the investment your proposing to make.

good luck