is my crab DOA?

[mrbranden]

I went to a respected local fish dealer. He's been here for over thirty years and has a good reputation, so I trust his judgment.

That being said...

I bought a crab there today. Unfortunately I do not know what kind of crab it is. He told me but, being the spacy person that I am, I do not remember what it is.

Anyway, I bring it to its new home.

His shell looks pretty on the bottom of the tank. Unfortunately that's all I ever see. He has not once come out. It has been nine hours and he hasn't come out yet.

Is this normal? Maybe he's dead? He looked alive and well when I picked him out...

I have a domino damsel, a small trigger, gobi, clown, and a tang. But I've had a close eye on the crab since he got here. That shell hasn't moved a centimeter, so I don't think he's been attacked.

Is it normal for him to stay in his shell this long? How can I tell if he died?

I'm going to visit the store and get their take on it as well.

Any suggestions?

Thanks!

---Branden

[VoodooChild]

Most inverts need a good long acclimation process. You really want to float the bag for a while and then let a little bit of water in every 20 minutes or so. I let water in at least 3 times, so a total acclimation time of around an hour and a half. The salinity shift can really be hard on them. If he never came out that's what I guess it'd be. So yeah, DOA. And for future reference, I wouldn't keep one with a trigger. I don't own one, but from what I've heard a trigger with inverts is just a time bomb. It's only a matter of time until the trigger takes a bite. Good luck in the future though!

[mrbranden]

Weird.... nearly half a day later the crab suddenly sprang to life. He's quite active and going about his thing.

Didn't expect him to take so long, but at least he's okay. :-)

Thanks for the feedback!
Oh and you're right about the Triggerfish. He sees the crab moving and goes after it. Fortunately the crab is quick enough to get into his shell. I don't know how much longer his luck will hold though. :-(

That Triggerfish is so annoying. :-P

---Branden

[MonoSebaelover]

I have 3 Hermit Crabs in my 209G tank that houses 5 Triggers. All the crabs have outsmarted the triggers by being nocturnal so when the triggers go to bed the crabs come out. One morning when I turned the lights on the 3 were still out and charging over comes the Queen Trigger. She just grabbed it by the point of the shell and dragged it a couple of inches, dropped it and repeated the process. The crab is still alive since Queen didn't actually attack it but did have fun playing with it! Anyway, what kind of Trigger do you have? I have the Queen, Clown, 2 Nigers, and a Rectangular Huma.