Help- Is He Dead?

[Shaydensmom]

I got my Blue in January! since then he's been happy, got a good varried diet, he ate fine the past several days! There was nothing on him or about him visually that would suggest he's sick! When I came home tonite, he was stuck upwards behind an aquariumplant, when I gently nugded him he wouldn't budge! He still has the same color as usual, could he really be just molting? I didn't see any cracks anywhere on him. I carefully transferred him in to his coconutshell house, and pooled some of the aquariumpebbles infront the door, since I have a ghostshrimp and a little sweetwatercrabby in the tank. Waterquality is very good! I know that ghostshrimp tunr pink when dead, and stay see through when just molting. How is it with crayfish, do they change color when they died? when should I suspect that my blue is dead?

 

[BettaMinx]

we had a blue cray like this. when he molted, he was VERY STILL for a long day. i think maybe you shouldn't have moved him, just let him be. i never saw any "cracks" when he molted. just VERY STILL, almost dead, then the next day, empty shell and BIGGER Cray. it seemed like he always grew a bit when he molted.

he did end up dying one day, i have no idea why, but we had him for quite some time.

be patient with him.

 

[saltynay]

If he is molting you might want to add a source of calcium to the tank but be careful as it may also change the ph. Calcium helps there new shells to thicken giving you a healthier cray and they normally only molt to grow if there is a good diet. Some inverts when basically starved will molt and become smaller simply to be able to eat there own shells as sustanence

 

[Shaydensmom]

since in his coconuthut, I have no clue, what of if he's doing anything now! When do you guys think, he should emmerge if he's still alive? I just want to make sure, I give him max chance, if he's still alive, but also if he's dead I wouldn't want to leave him in the Tank too long! I so hope he made it! ;o(



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If he is molting you might want to add a source of calcium to the tank but be careful as it may also change the ph. Calcium helps there new shells to thicken giving you a healthier cray and they normally only molt to grow if there is a good diet. Some inverts when basically starved will molt and become smaller simply to be able to eat there own shells as sustanence

 

[saltynay]

Leave it a day or two both the shrimp and crab are scavengers so if its dead they will try and tear it up and eat it but wouldn't if its still alive

 

[Shaydensmom]

Thank you so much for your answer! I didn't see it until just now! I hope now I really didn't hurt him! I should have thought of the crab and the shrimp giving me hints if he was, I'm so dumb! I gently lifted the hut a bit- sure enough there was a new cray and a ghostcray (just the shell) He still lay very still though, I hope my curiousity, or better the worry aobut something spoiling in the tank dind't give him the rest! I really love my little Blue, I so hope he makes it! Even as a kid I've been fascinated by any type of lobster, crayfish and what not- to watch them and all. And my blue has such a personality, he should be called grumpy, or feisty- anyways. As son as I look into the tank through the frontglas, he'd come out of his hut, and lift his claws as if he was saying "put'em up"- bring it on!

Leave it a day or two both the shrimp and crab are scavengers so if its dead they will try and tear it up and eat it but wouldn't if its still alive