Grrr

[emmac350]

Well, I took Nibs out today to show my friends (they've known about my crabs for a while but had never been over when one was out and about that I could show them) and realized that she'd dropped her first walking leg on the right side (the first one after the claw). Now, I'm trying to figure out what exactly would have caused this.

For one thing, the crabs (all but one) got moved over to the new tank this week. Their old 10g was in my fiancee's room (although before it was there it was in my room in my apartment - all six have survived a move from one apartment to another already) and the new 30g high is in our kitchen/dining room/living room area. I'd be afraid that all of the movement/action would be stressing them except for the fact that I've seen all of my crabs more now that they're in their new spot than I had the entire time I owned them prior. Especially my first two crabs, Rack and Benny - I never saw them on the surface before and I can always see them now, even during the day.

The new tank has the CaribSea Aragonite sand, select grain size (I think - it's either that or the sugar grain). I have three upper levels with coconut fiber in them. I have a piece of cholla they've never been around and two hemp things (one mat against the back wall and one ladder) that I made for them, soaked in salt water, and put in there. I have new water dishes - Pyrex custard bowls with air stones in them that I bought at the store, connected with air tubing from the store. I have not significantly changed their diet, although it has changed somewhat as I have given them more fresh/frozen food lately and have been changing their food more often because of it. I also have new foods from the addiction store that have been introduced into their regular diet. I use Oceanic salt to make my salt water, and all water in water bowls and the sprayer (used only very occasionally) is reverse osmosis water with no minerals added extra.

I reused quite a few decorations from their old tank - the ivy, an aquarium plant, and a cocohut, plus they're still using one of their old food shells for dinner every night. I change their water every one or two days. The tank is heated by an infrared light bulb. Nibs hangs out directly under the bulb a lot (on the ivy leaf on the upper level over there), but the bulb actually is a spotlight that goes to the opposite side of the tank. The temperature is controlled by at 1000W ESU (or was it Zilla? the one with three outlets and a dial) and I'm not completely impressed with it. I have the probe at the very top of the sand, pushed into it just a little bit. My thermometer is measuring the air temperature, and it routinely gets up to 85 or so on the side with the probe before the thermostat shuts it off. However, the tank's air temperature can get down to 72 or 73 before the thermostat kicks on. While I'd normally be afraid of the air temperature being so high, both of my PPs come out and sit on the cholla that's directly in the beam of light from the lamp every time it comes on (one sleeps in the cholla right by there in case it comes on), and my Es hang out directly underneath the bulb (even though it's a spotlight, the warmth does radiate down from it as well). The air stones come on for 9 hours in the middle of the day - I'm still playing around with how often they need to come on to keep the humidity where it should be. If the humidity is too high and the temp is fine, I open the top of the tank a bit and it usually stays evened out around 80%.

Right before the tank switch, Nibs and Slightly did a shell change. Slightly is in Nibs' old shell and Nibs is now in a green turbo. However, Curly earlier appeared to be wanting Slightly's shell (the old Nibs one). I didn't notice that Nibs had lost a leg back then, but she's getting around pretty well without it right now. I would iso her because of it, but my iso is currently occupied by Toodles, who may or may not be molting. I am not sure if he is because there have been some holes opened up, but I haven't actually seen him on the surface, nor is there any sand in the water bowls. I don't want to put her in on the off chance that those two end up hurting each other.

What should I do? What do you all think is stressing Nibs out? Is my tank too warm? Is the tank switch in general stressing her? Should I iso her or leave her where she is to avoid more stress? Advice from more experienced crabbers would be greatly appreciated!

EDIT: I've owned Nibs since the beginning of January, so I doubt if it's PPS at this point. She's been with all 5 of her 'siblings' since the middle of January (incident with EE molding) so I know they're all okay together, except for the one incident already mentioned today.

[Hermie's rule]

Leave her in her main tank. I think that further fooling would stress her out more. And don't take her out to play with her either. Other than that I don't know what else to tell you.