What the *@#$%? My blue cray molted again!

[MikeInOrlando]

It hasn't been two weeks since my Blue Cray molted.

This morning, I looked in the tank and saw a shell in the there and assumed that my cray had died. It looked whole. Then I noticed her, in her cave again. She had molted.

Why would a blue cray molt after less than two weeks in her brand new shell?

Does this mean something bad?

Even funnier, I thought, was that she apparently molted in open tank. The last time she did it, she was in the cave. SHE was in the cave this time, but her shell is out in the open. Should I move her shell into the cave for her so she can replenish?

[RoseFishWatcher]

AFAIK, there are two reasons she might molt so often.

1) good food, warm water, fast growth. This is good, as long as she doesn't deplete her calcium by molting often.

2) I've heard many inverts molt when under stress.

So as long as she looks healthy and happy I wouldn't worry too much.

[MikeInOrlando]

AFAIK, there are two reasons she might molt so often.

1) good food, warm water, fast growth. This is good, as long as she doesn't deplete her calcium by molting often.

2) I've heard many inverts molt when under stress.

So as long as she looks healthy and happy I wouldn't worry too much.

I went heaterless a couple months back....all fish have been wonderful because of it. Temp stays at a routine 78 degrees, even a tad warmer in the afternoons. I don't really know how to tell if my cray has been under any stress, but if she has, it's recent. I bought her and had her for nearly two months before she molted the first time....now this one just a couple weeks later.

I do tend to keep her fat and sassy, though. If there is one fish that I "overfeed", it's her. I give her sinking pellets and I think she goes around and scrapes the bottom of the tank for the uneaten flake and tubifex worms that might make their way to the bottom.

[Max]

Sometimes crustaceans will molt if they've been hurt etc. Is she showing any signs of distress?

[pixl8r]

As stated, crustaceans molt as they grow, or are under stress. They also molt to get rid of built up toxins such as metals.

It is unusual (not normal) for a normal healthy crayfish to molt frequently. If it molts again in the next few weeks, you may want to make some aggressive changes (move the crayfish to another tank).

[MikeInOrlando]

As stated, crustaceans molt as they grow, or are under stress. They also molt to get rid of built up toxins such as metals.

It is unusual (not normal) for a normal healthy crayfish to molt frequently. If it molts again in the next few weeks, you may want to make some aggressive changes (move the crayfish to another tank).

As I stated earlier, I'm not really sure how to tell if a crayfish is under stress. She pretty much rules the roost. I've never seen another fish go after her. I know she's well fed and I watch her eat most of the time.

A crayfish doesn't really look different at stressful times, so far as I can tell.

So, how DO I tell?

[MikeInOrlando]

She came out of hiding a bit this morning and has revealed herself in all her glory.

Her body grew a little bit, but noticeably is bigger....but I think I might have pinpointed what happened here.

Her PINCHERS grew a LOT. Her pinchers got so big that I don't know how she carries them around! She purt near resembles a lobster!

And, by the way. I don't have to worry about whether or not I should put her shell in her cave with her. She drug it in there by herself at some point last night.

[Squawkbert]

If this is the CF that lost a claw or other leg, that may be the reason - frequent molting to regenerate a lost limb.

I was going to suggest that it would grab the molt after having time to harden up, if it wanted it...

Now that the claws are huge, your fish are in that much more danger...

[MikeInOrlando]

If this is the CF that lost a claw or other leg, that may be the reason - frequent molting to regenerate a lost limb.

I was going to suggest that it would grab the molt after having time to harden up, if it wanted it...

Now that the claws are huge, your fish are in that much more danger...


Yeah, I thought the same thing the minute I saw her claws.

Unfortunately, I have no other option but to keep them all together, and hope that the fact that they have all co-existed peacefully to this point means that they can all continue to do so.

I do know (now) that these guys are very predatory, so I'm keeping a watchful eye out. I'm probably going to have to make sure she stays very fed to avoid her desires for any midnight snacking. That's about all I can do.