I'm Back With A Question...

[ctendoh]

Hey guys, sorry about the radio silence for so long... I've just graduated from high school and the summer has been hectic beyond all belief getting ready for college and spending as much time as humanly possible with family and friends.

Right now, I'm taking a 5 gallon tank to my dorm room, with the possibility of upgrading to a 10 gallon before or after I go, depending on what my roommate thinks and how long I can control myself ;D.

Right now, the 5 gallon has 2 corydoras (a peppered and an albino), 7 zebra danios, and an ailing new addition - a freshwater fiddler crab. Before you ask, yes, i did add salt to create a brackish environment, and I am overfiltering because of the bioload.

I got the crab 3 days ago, and when I looked a few hours ago, he was still going great, relaxing just above the water's surface. But when I came up to go to bed, I saw that he had not only lost 3 or 4 legs, but his large claw as well! There isn't much information about raising fiddler crabs on the internet, and seeing as he was a Wal-Mart rescue, I didn't get ANY information from the seller (thank God for wifi on my iTouch). So what I'm wondering is, is he dying, or could this possibly be a part of the molting process? He's still active and aware, he's just dropping limbs like flies.

Anyone know enough about these guys to help me out?

[ctendoh]

Just an update, he now only has 3 limbs left this morning: his small claw and a leg on each side of his body... I'm not thinking he's gonna make if it isn't a molt... This sucks.

[goldenpuon]

I don't know all that much on crabs but I will try to help the best I can. Maybe the fish are picking of him? Also, did you find any of his missing limbs in the tank? It doesn't sound like a molt but let's hope it is.

Those are my educated guesses to what's going on. Best of luck with your fiddler crab.

[Carl]

I do not see any fish listed that would generally harm a fiddler crab.

Have you used any chemicals that have copper in them?
Or products with Quinine Sulfate, Trichlorfon, Piperazine, Levamisol, or Praziquantel; these can harm or kill crabs.

Carl

[ctendoh]

nope, I haven't put anything in my tank but salt and conditioner as far as chemicals go.

[ctendoh]

well I don't know what happened, but poor Southpaw didn't make it. I'm setting up a 10 gallon for college today and tomorrow which will be the new home for my danios and cories, and possibly a new crab or two as well, I haven't decided about that yet. If no go on the crab, I might go with a Paradise Fish... any suggestions?

[Carl]

Mu guess is your crab was exposed to chemicals such as I mentioned previously before you even purchased him. Many stores add such chemicals to their multi tank systems (or even single tanks) unwittingly.
The symptoms are very common to just such an exposure.

I think paradise fish are cool (& quite hardy in my experience), but keep in mind that they can be quite territorial, often more so than their male betta cousins

Carl

[babygeige]

I kind of think that 7 danios and 2 cories might be enough for a 10 gallon tank. Paradise fish can grow to be 4 inches, which is pushing it for a 10.
Just my 2 cents...

[sammiesam]

I agree with Babygeige about having enough fish, paradise fish aren't small fish really. Maybe someone smaller like some neons or something?