What going on Lost 2 Emerald crabs.

[da5speed]

Sometime yesturday I lost 2 of my 3 emerald crabs both were doing fine for 6 months. They didnt look as if they were picked on by anyone, they were one there backs when i found them. The third is a tiny guy and when looking close at him I see that he is missing 2 legs on one side. OTHER Live stock includes Flame Angel, fire golby, clown, and royal gramma, sea slug, cleaner shrimp, coral bandit, por??? crab(the one that filters the water) and the normal blue hermits, zebra hermits, and snails. No other sign of anyone else dying in the tank. I did have bubble algee when i first got them and they cleaned the whole tank of it could they have used up there main sourse of food?

 

[KathyC]

They like bubble algae the best but will eat other types of algae as well as meaty food.
Have they totally cleaned your tank of ALL algaes?
If so and you aren't feeding any meaty food, it is possible they starved.
You'd want to make sure you have seaweed in the tank for the third fellow if that is the case. No idea why he'd be missing 2 legs though, but it doesn't seem that your current fish/inverts would be a problem with them.

 

[mckostya]

when they had no more food, they picked on each other until two larger died. it will also explain missing legs on third crab, from fighting...if you have sump, put third one in there and check on him/feed him, some nori or meaty food.
also high nitrates will kill inverts, but you say all hermit crabs doing ok?

 

[da5speed]

all the hermits look fine and the little guy is a 1/3 the size of the two that died. What luck im having this week the other day i found mice in my ro water now this. The mice water never made it in the tank.

 

[rookie07]

maybe they molted? and are now hiding?

 

[Dre]

maybe they molted? and are now hiding?

Molting could be a possibility check the sheels carefully to see if thats the case.Inadequate amounts of iodine can also prevent crustacean for molting and will cause death in some cases.

 

[da5speed]

I never saw them molt for the 6 months i had them, but these guys were full intact.

 

[Dre]

I never saw them molt for the 6 months i had them, but these guys were full intact.

Well believe it or not the shell is fully intact when they molt .You have to examine the shell carefully .If they have a very bad smell they are dead.
I hope they are not .