Subj : red claw crab
To   : All
From : S.Leggetter
Date : Tue Jun 03 2003 08:41 am

My partner has just gone away and left me in sole charge of his very newly
set up aquarium. We have 2 red clawed crabs(the female for two weeks & the
male for only a week). I was very sad yesterday to find that the male had
died. We removed its remains and my daughter ceremoniously buried it in the
garden (it's a girlie thing!!). What a shock I got tonight when I found 2
crabs sitting on the log staring at me! It would appear that one he had not
died at all but moulted!! I have done a quick net search and gather that
crabs will often eat their moulted shells as they are a good source of
calcium. It was also recommended that crabs be given calcium supplements at
this time. This leads me to ask if anyone knows a) how do you know that a
crab is going to moult (he didn't seem to hide away at all), b) in what form
do you give the calcium? c) will the other one do the same and d) will we
have done any damage by removing the shell.
Ta muchness Sandra
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* RgateImp.MoonDog.BBS at 6/3/03 7:41:47 AM
* Origin: MoonDog BBS, Brooklyn,NY, 718 692-2498, 1:278/230 (1:278/230)