Post by Sach-Crabministrator on Nov 2, 2012 13:05:34 GMT -5
As most of you know, I have been limiting fresh stuff in the tanks off & on to avoid gnats/maggots. I've been doing dry stuff. I haven't added more dry stuff in about 4-5 days. I am lazy to begin with and the crabs like having me outta their faces as much as possible in the exotics' tank. I became too comfy & complacent with thinking I always had enough stuff in there that maybe was hidden or whatever. I will NEVER make that mistake again.[/i][/u]
(approx 11:45 today)
I had just been talking to the kids about how the gray E chirped at me a couple weeks ago. (and thank the crabby gods I got that screen off yesterday!) I hear chirping, fast & panicked, coming from the exotics' tank. I lean down and the gray E is on top of the newly molted straw! The straw was crying. I thought it was because he couldn't get out from under the E. They were on the shelf with the FW pool & that straw has been chilling up there since sometime yesterday. I start getting the left lid off and I see the E is eating the straw!!!! I get the lid off and I have to really handle the E and tell him to let go & push his shell from behind to get him to let go! I get him off the poor straw and he's got a little ragged stump! His leg is laying to one side! So I grab a bowl with holes in it (it was what that E actually came to me in) and I put it over the straw by the pool to keep him safe while I got my act together. I admit, I was upset, anxious and really close to a complete panic attack. So I get out the little tank, start clearing stuff out of it (my oldest put my youngest in his seat, locked down so I could deal with the crabmergency) to make an ISO and take it to the kitchen to set it up. The kids were great with grabbing supplies for me while I worked. I may only leave him in there until he hardens up, but I set it up as if he'll be there awhile just in case he needs to stay through another molt. I had the kids put some surf&turf, crushed oyster & bugs n nuts in the exotics tank while I worked too.
This is all my fault. I just assumed I put enough stuff in there that they could always forage stuff. That straw came up too early though, and he was just too hard to resist with no fresh meat in the tank. I KNEW that straw was up too soon, but I assumed that if he'd been able to get up to that elevated pool, he must be okay. I assumed wrong. I should have put the extra protein in the tank as a precaution. I screwed up & my little straw paid the price. When I measured him yesterday I saw that his shell was way too small, but figured he'd change as soon as he finished hardening. I wonder now if he was disturbed & was seeking refuge at the highest point in the tank that is also dark.
This was him yesterday.
The scene of the crime
The attacker
The straw's wee little leg.
The ISO.
(approx 11:45 today)
I had just been talking to the kids about how the gray E chirped at me a couple weeks ago. (and thank the crabby gods I got that screen off yesterday!) I hear chirping, fast & panicked, coming from the exotics' tank. I lean down and the gray E is on top of the newly molted straw! The straw was crying. I thought it was because he couldn't get out from under the E. They were on the shelf with the FW pool & that straw has been chilling up there since sometime yesterday. I start getting the left lid off and I see the E is eating the straw!!!! I get the lid off and I have to really handle the E and tell him to let go & push his shell from behind to get him to let go! I get him off the poor straw and he's got a little ragged stump! His leg is laying to one side! So I grab a bowl with holes in it (it was what that E actually came to me in) and I put it over the straw by the pool to keep him safe while I got my act together. I admit, I was upset, anxious and really close to a complete panic attack. So I get out the little tank, start clearing stuff out of it (my oldest put my youngest in his seat, locked down so I could deal with the crabmergency) to make an ISO and take it to the kitchen to set it up. The kids were great with grabbing supplies for me while I worked. I may only leave him in there until he hardens up, but I set it up as if he'll be there awhile just in case he needs to stay through another molt. I had the kids put some surf&turf, crushed oyster & bugs n nuts in the exotics tank while I worked too.
This is all my fault. I just assumed I put enough stuff in there that they could always forage stuff. That straw came up too early though, and he was just too hard to resist with no fresh meat in the tank. I KNEW that straw was up too soon, but I assumed that if he'd been able to get up to that elevated pool, he must be okay. I assumed wrong. I should have put the extra protein in the tank as a precaution. I screwed up & my little straw paid the price. When I measured him yesterday I saw that his shell was way too small, but figured he'd change as soon as he finished hardening. I wonder now if he was disturbed & was seeking refuge at the highest point in the tank that is also dark.
This was him yesterday.
The scene of the crime
The attacker
The straw's wee little leg.
The ISO.