Allowing the crustaceans into the house

[bnorthup]

After a month and a half at water temps in the 50 degree range, my captive crabs are showing no signs of becoming peelers. They ARE eating but they don't seem to want to molt at these temperatures. I am taking the unprecedented step of allowing these guys to come into my home......   I will now be forced to setup a 30 gallon aquarium and see if they will eat catfish food inside my heated house. Right now I have 3 4" males...  One is a multiple amputee. I would like to see him regenerate claws. Wouldn't it be cool to have a sequence of photos to show this regeneration?...  I think I shall name him:   "Basket Case".  He has a delightful attitude!
    For a while the water temperature in my back yard got up to 59 degrees and the crabs started getting into my traps again.   I had a crab boil last weekend and cut down the captive population to just 3.

[jeff l]

Good luck!

[tattoo]

GOOD luck , let us know how you make out.

[Black Irish]

One is a multiple amputee. I would like to see him regenerate claws. Wouldn't it be cool to have a sequence of photos to show this regeneration?... 

He's already growing new soft claws inside his shell. When he molts, his new claws will get a hard shell too.

[bnorthup]

I wonder how big the new claws will be. I am just guessing that they will be about 1/2 size.  HHAANNGHH???   Is that right?

[Black Irish]

Depends on how big he can pump it up when he molts. Have you ever cracked open a claw that looked normal but was only about half full of watery meat? That's a new claw.

[bnorthup]

I was able to sell this plan to my wife by convincing her that my daughter can use this pictorial regeneration episode as a college project. (You can sell ANYTHING if you say "It's for our daughter's college.")
So I am setting up this 30 gallon tank and I have some sinking catfish food that hopefully will not stink. I hope I can get Mr. Basket Case to molt in short order......  I also hope he is growing some new claws under that shell. It will be very disappointing if he comes out armless again.

[R D]

If that crab is clawless now then he wont have claws when he sheds,on a clawless crab or one that is missing legs the regenerated linb will form on the outside of his old shell first.

[jeff l]

I wonder how big the new claws will be. I am just guessing that they will be about 1/2 size.  HHAANNGHH???   Is that right?

I think it takes a few molts to become normal size. Rd corect me if I am wrong; when he starts to show a new claw or nub, thats one sign that he is getting close to molting.

[R D]

I think it takes a few molts to become normal size. Rd corect me if I am wrong; when he starts to show a new claw or nub, thats one sign that he is getting close to molting.

That is a good sign to look for,the more well formed and defined the limb is the closer to the molt

[bnorthup]

Good news!
     I have the aquarium set up now and I have examined Mr. Basket Case and he has little nubs that are forming up (about 1/8"). They actually have the shape of what they will become.....   Also I have discovered a good food for captive crabs......   Worms.  I raise them myself anyway for my captive catfish pen. I tried to feed the crabs the sinking catfish food pellets and they would eat it but not with much gusto...  But when I dropped several large worms in the tank, the place lit up with action...   It was surely a joy to see Mr. Basket Case running down a worm and actually doing quite well. The other crabs have the advantage with their claws but Basket can do what it takes.

[R D]

It's amazing how well a crab can eat without any claws

[bnorthup]

Now that they have eaten the worms, they really snub the dried catfish food. They aren't interested at all. They want the juicy wrigglers......  I took another look at the progress of "Basket Case's" nub growth. I need to get a picture of this. It actually has a color definition and it is TINY.  The armor plating that surrounds the mouth area is what he now uses for a limb. This is how Mr. Basket Case stuffs his face. He can capture a worm by rushing forward and "chopping" at it with these fast sharp blade-like things....  If he sees another crab eating, he watches very closely so that if anything gets left behind, he might scavenge it. I have noticed that the other crabs do not seem to want to harm Mr. Basket unless there is some undue stress, like when I have to transfer them to another container or something that. They seem to  hate being assaulted like that...  When that happens, they seem to take their anger out on Mr. Basket. They then will grab hold of Basket's remaining legs and try to rip them off too... They think Basket is the cause of them being transfered to another bucket and they hate him for this.

[jeff l]

You have no filter?

How often are you changing the water?

[bnorthup]

It has a standard $20 aquarium type filter with a little bag of activated carbon. I have only had the aquarium set up for 3 days now. The water clouds up after they have a feast on the worms.I hate the thought of changing the water. I would hope that I could get away with changing the water once a month...  I am sure that there will be plenty of crab shedding going on in my house this winter....  I wouldn't be able to deal with any bad smells at all....  If they create unhappiness they will quickly find themselves back in the canal.

[jeff l]

Sorry, I thought you didn't have one.


You could also just change out a pitcher full once in a while too.

[tattoo]

You might need a bigger filter that filters more gal's per hour . I have a 35 gal aquarium. and the water stays Crystal clear all the time i just clean the filter once a month.

[bnorthup]

Here is a picture of Mr. Basket Case and his cohorts.

[jeff l]

looks good!

[bnorthup]

Here is a close up of lovable Mr. Case. (notice the slowly dissolving dried catfish food under him..... he is too good to eat such.)

[jeff l]

RD, do you think this guy will have a hard time backing out since he has no claws to hold on to something. I haven't shed one w/ both claws missing.

[R D]

I have had them shed out with no legs or claws with out any problem but sometimes if they have a new claw forming it will hang up while they are shedding and cause them to die,we watch those very closely and have to pinch off the new claw or if they get out far enough break the shell around it,he needs to change his water and get all the left over food out

[tattoo]

Nice pictures , thanks.

[bnorthup]

I have a plan for tonight. I will try to lift Mr. Case gently out of the water and thus take a close-up picture of his developing claws....  I'm sure he won't mind.

[tattoo]

GOOD luck , handle him gentley.