Hi, so I am a brand new Rainbow Crab owner. I got my first crab almost a year ago in January, and about a month ago, he lost a leg and was starting to submerge himself in his bowls of saltwater and freshwater frequently. I didn't think much of the missing leg, I just thought he must of gotten into a fight or something with his other crabmate (although there was no evidence, I just assumed and watched carefully to see if there was any signs of them fighting, which seems like they never have).
Anyways, this week, I noticed he was becoming increasingly lethargic and losing more legs, and I, of course, got concerned, but I passed it off as molting because I have heard crabs sometimes lose legs before they molt.
And then yesterday came, and his legs were so weak to walk or climb or do anything, and they just kept falling off. Now he only has one, and he is immobile, and extremely inactive. His eyes move about every 30 minutes, so I can't tell if he is alive or if he is molting or whatever.
I'm not sure the cause of this because the other crab is perfectly healthy, has a healthy color, has all his limbs, extremely active, eats his food, bathes and drinks normally, etc. so I don't think it's an environmental issue, and I've had this other guy for about less than 3 months than my ill? crab.
This is also the first time I've ever dealt with an animal that molts, so I'm not sure what molting looks like firsthand, I only know the "symptoms" to look out for. I've read many guides about these crabs, however, cause I wanted to be as informed as possible to care for these little guys.
Please help, I don't want to accidentally bury him if he's actually just molting and alive, and I also don't wanna stress him out if he actually is molting.
Anyways, this week, I noticed he was becoming increasingly lethargic and losing more legs, and I, of course, got concerned, but I passed it off as molting because I have heard crabs sometimes lose legs before they molt.
And then yesterday came, and his legs were so weak to walk or climb or do anything, and they just kept falling off. Now he only has one, and he is immobile, and extremely inactive. His eyes move about every 30 minutes, so I can't tell if he is alive or if he is molting or whatever.
I'm not sure the cause of this because the other crab is perfectly healthy, has a healthy color, has all his limbs, extremely active, eats his food, bathes and drinks normally, etc. so I don't think it's an environmental issue, and I've had this other guy for about less than 3 months than my ill? crab.
This is also the first time I've ever dealt with an animal that molts, so I'm not sure what molting looks like firsthand, I only know the "symptoms" to look out for. I've read many guides about these crabs, however, cause I wanted to be as informed as possible to care for these little guys.
Please help, I don't want to accidentally bury him if he's actually just molting and alive, and I also don't wanna stress him out if he actually is molting.
