Final Update: PLEASE READ!

  Hello my beloved followers and viewers, its great to be on here again.
I have been keeping up on comments via phone and am still so warmed to see how many people out there love these little guys and seek help on care, from me!

  It breaks my heart to tell you all a few pieces of news involving my crabbies and this blog.

Firstly, I will not be posting anymore for reasons listed below. Unless I discover some news on care, on availability/popularity/anything at all on them I will no longer be putting up new posts. I WILL HOWEVER KEEP THIS UP and keep answering any and all questions. I did keep and love these guys for years. I am so happy to give anyone the help and correspondence they need. PLEASE DONT FORGET everything you need to know is here! I have posts about housing, care, everything I could think of!

Secondly, In October I woke in the middle of the night to many strange noises going on in my room, I got up to check everyone (I also have other noturnal creatures in my room) to find that Bubbles was dragging Jack into a hide. THIS IS NOT A GOOD SIGN. I quickly grabbed him away from her and shooed her into the burrow and away. Jack was limp. I put him into a bin for examination and he was sadly dead. Beyond any sort of help, Bubbles had attacked him and crushed much of the front left of his carapace along with im assuming eating some of his legs, as they were completely missing.
  It is my educated guess that he had been mid molt, and Bubbles (being the nasty aggressive meany she always was) took advantage to get him. Normally id attribute this to hunger, but they were always very WELL fed. *sigh*

The Last part of this news is that I then rehomed Bubbles. As much as I love these creatures I am too emotional. It made me so mad at her, Jack had been the sweet one. Still timid but he at least came out, showed himself and observed me. She made me SO MAD. I decided it would be best to rehome her, put her with someone who would give her the care and attention she deserved. I know they cant understand when were yelling and angry at them, they arent dogs. But i was literally calling her foul names every time i misted/fed/changed water.... It was best to give her a loving home.

In conclusion the quick facts are that no, I no longer own these animals. But I did nothing wrong in their care to cause this. And I am still keeping this blog up and tuned so that anyone who needs help and info can get it!! its linked to my email, I will see you commented, I will answer when I can. 

Thank you to my few followers and the many people i have connected with because of this blog. I hope it continues to help people!

UPDATE: Photos, size comparisons, tips on handling, and more photos.

The moment you have all been waiting for, my photo update! I have officially had them for about a year and 6 months. and they have gotten so big! The first set is indoors with sunlight streaming in, and the comparison of them to the first molt of their fallen mate (so the size they were when I got them) Please click photos to see full size! I went macro so there are a lot of details to see when they stayed still enough :P

JACK:

Aww Hes missing 2 legs right now, not sure why exactly. Mad molt or fight.

Look at that face <3

Comparison to Size from Feb 2011

 BUBBLES:

Such a sweet face, and that lovely purple carapace!

Comparison from Feb 2011

Photos Taken outside are next. You will see me handling them some. I told you tips on how to get them from the tank to a carrier in this post. To get them to crawl on me while in the carrier i lay my hand in away from them and stay still. They soon come to explore, just dont move! or they will run or pinch.

BUBBLES:

Wow she looks huge here

aww

Semi Irrelevant sharp claw shot, but shows her carapace width as approx. 2 inches

Looking at my hand funny

 JACK:

SO Bright and Beautiful!

Great shot showing the texture and his one missing limb nub

Other missing limb nub, and the proper place if you choose to lift your crabs with your fingers. But beware at this size they can still reach and pinch underneath.

Last one of his cute mug, his carapace is smaller than Bubbles, under 2 inches but not much.

Well thats all for now!! Ill probably do another update like this in 6 months to see how much they have grown until then.

Any suggestions on what else you would like to see on the blog!?

Cleaning Day Process: The way I work

So I cleaned out the tank today and decided to walk you guys through what I do for my dynamic duo.

I am going to trow this out there, and some people might not like it, but I only do a full sand replacement about every 3 months now.
It seems like its too far and few between but for me its not. These guys in the wild leave their food hoardes to rot in the ground so having tiny bits of shredded food here and there doesnt seem to bother them. February will be 2 years that I have had these guys and its the longest I have seen anywhere that anyones been able to keep them going. So I would like to think that what im doing is okay for mine. 
Every week I scoop out what poo I see (looks like tiny black cylindrical tubes) Every month-month and 1/2 I scoop out the yucky looking sand and mix in some fresh, and every 2-3 I full replace like I did today. Usually around then it starts to smell a bit strange.

ALWAYS MAKE SURE YOU KNOW whether or not your crab is molting before doing this type of thing. you never want to dig up a molting crab. I make sure I see both my crabs out 3 nights in a row.

I grab multiple hole-less grocery bags, two carries that the kiddos cant escape from (taller than their legs and body outstretched sideways), 2+ gallons of spring water or treated water, a 50 bag of natural unbleached play sand (I use quickcrete brand from lowes $3.57), my sprayer, two old socks, and a scoop I got at the dollar store that looks like it would be for flour or coffee beans or something. 

First I pull the tank a bit from the edge for easier access and pull all decor and bowls out that I can see (things get buried). I then begin scraping and scooping bits at a time into the bags to toss. Do this very carefully so you dont accidentally find a tunneled crab and break legs. I scrape and scoop from low water side up because it gives you 6+ inches before possibly finding one. 

Scoop as shown

I dont have pictures of all of the steps that follow, but when you do find a crab and have them up and running around now is the time to pull them out. I put old socks on my hands to make a sort of cloth web hand. It saves you from being pinched and helps scoop them up. I get a container ready and try and grab them, sometimes i put the container on its side and scoot them into it. Other times I get them to pinch a handing part of the sock to swing them in. Either way I get them both out and secured, I usually spritz them down and give them some leaves while I work the rest of the tank.

Next I get as much sand out as possible, hose it down with some soap and water, rinse thoroughly and replace. I then add an inch of water to the bottom and begin pouring my sand. This helps keep the dust down as you pour.

Putting in water first keeps dust down

 I keep pouring sand and adding water as needed, stirring occasionally to evenly moisten, you want it to be sand castle building moist. I then position water dishes, hidden hides and small rocks and create a slope. You want it high on the non water side and sloping low to the dishes. This naturally lets them find water. I then add the fake leaves, including the bunches you see me adding below.

Add decor! Leaves rocks and branches give them climbing and hiding spots

 I also then reclean any sand from the dishes, make one fresh and one salt. I also create a fake burrow here and there to get them started and give them a place to go when I put them back in.

See, Nice slope. Leaves hides and rocks

I then usually photograph them which is a hard job and will be shown off in the next post, and return them! Secure lid and turn on their heat lamp =]

Look, Jack is at the freshwater! Bubbles already hid herself in that rock hide.

This is my WHOLE shelf that they are the bottom of. I convinced my boyfriend to build it for me haha. It houses the crabs, my Grandma Leopard Gecko, Kali. And all (currently) 13 hatchling Crested geckos. The adults are on another unit. 

Most of my other critters, and some artwork and decorations ;)

Hope this helped! Onward to the photospam of babies!!!!!

Information on the Blackback Land Crab (Grecarcinus Lateralis) NOT HALLOWEEN MOON CRAB

A reader had emailed me about getting the wrong crab, what was it? They had received the Black back land crab instead, under the name "halloween crab". (Please see "Is your crab a Halloweener?)
This got us chatting for a while as I tried to do some research and help a fellow crabby lover out. He brought to my attention a german site that translated some information that I found quite useful, even if it was not 100% accurate.
I have shared this with you and would like to add a few alterations, such as the temperature range they list is 68-82 F. Id probably keep it 74-80 range since this is in a tank and not the wild, they cant dig as deep to escape heat. They also list that they do not need a water dish.
hm.
I highly disagree with this here. I think any living creature will benefit from a water source (even crickets and feeder bugs need water access such as crystals so they dont drown)
G. Lateralis may avoid bodies of water in the wild but I can bet they dig deep to find the water table. They use the substrates internal moisture to wet gills, but in captivity we can not always guaruntee there is enough internal moisture. I think you should always include a dish just in case. these creatures are not stupid, if the substrates dry they will seek water.

Other than those points i find this entry quite helpful and am glad the reader took the time to show me!
Before I leave this post id like to make a point of reminding you all how to research for your buddy.
Google search not just caresheets, but scientific blogs and articles, REAL RESEARCH papers. Look at 10, 15, 30 pages. There is no such thing as too much. Look up where these crabs live in the wild, then research those countries. These things give great insight as to how they live in the wild and what you should give them in return to replicate things like temperature and substrate.

I am currently working on two new posts after this, one of how i go about digging out the critters and cleaning, and just another photo update on the lovies. Hope you enjoy!!!

No News

Is good news! =P
both my crabbies are doing wonderful. were back to full sand full depth. but otherwise no news! I want to try and get good pics in a few weeks at next sand change so you can see how HUGE they have gotten!

There was another purpose to this post, I just wanted to let you all know no matter how old a post is, if you comment I WILL ANSWER to the best of my knowledge and ability. Even if I havent posted in years, this is still linked to my email and i have other blogs on blogger so I will get the notification and answer! Please dont hesitate to ask any questions guys.

That is all for now, toodle ooh!

Long time, No post!

Its been a while crabbie people! My laptops fan took a poo, so I am currently typing on it from atop an old box fan. Ghetto/redneck fix, but it works! Anyways that's why I haven't been on.

I DO have update pics and info though!
My crabs have tripled in size since February when I got them, and I couldn't be happier. They kind of scare me now with how big their claws are. I'm still doing a false bottom enclosure, but with a good 6 inches of sand to dig in, I have come to terms with that my crabs are super diggers and need it. They also are terrible tank re decorators.
I'm still feeding them a mix of fresh fruit and greens, dried red shrimp, crab pellets, millet, and occasional mealies. They are still provided with a bowl each of fresh (bottled spring) water and salt (bottled spring with a measure of hermie salt) water. Their substrate is mainly sand, with a bit of soil mix in the bottom, kept moist at all times with a false rainfall every evening. I scoop their droppings as i see them and change sand about once a month.
I keep a 50watt red bulb on at all times, in a room that's between 76-79 so that their tank temp is approx 86 surface. I DO NOT keep a under tank heater or heat pad, they need a place to escape the heat.
I do not really handle them. They can cause injury to themselves if they pinch, do not let go, and walk away. or in the struggle to get away can damage their legs or eyes. I would like to some day... but I don't see it happening any time soon.

Both of mine have molted at least 5 times now! and I see them out just about every night. (see photos, compared Boo's first and only preserved molt to them now)

Learning tips:
Tip #1- DONT FREAK OUT. Calm the eff down, Its taken me a long time to learn this. However its a great tip when dealing with these, especially ones like mine that are fresh caught youngins. Its imperative you and your crabs that you (excuse my french) keep your shit together. I cant even begin to explain how many times I up and lost it before during and after Boo's death, though her dying did help me to chill a bit. You stressing doesn't help you or your crabs one bit. The more you stress; the more you bother them to make sure they're okay, the more they stress, and the quicker they may die or get sick! Take it from me and leave them be, let them do their thing. Jack is finally starting to get used to me passing by the tank everyday, occasionally he still runs, but something he does stay out and notices I DON'T HURT HIM. I'm not a bird, i'm not going to eat him. Bubbles is still kind of a spaz... but I think thats just her personality.
Tip #2- Provide them with both fresh and salt water no matter what. Though scientific research on the animal shows that they mainly go to sea only to reproduce, they do wander to the sea on occasion. And my crabs seem to enjoy "tasting" the salt water and taking a quick dip in it. I always keep their sand moist with fresh though as thats what they wet their gills with daily. You will not be able to breed your crabs, so it may not seem like you should have salt water, but trust me they like it and it doesnt hurt.
Tip #3- If they havent been seen in a week or so, let them go! Do not dig them out! They are probably preparing to molt. Care sheets and websites on them estimate it may only take a week or so but the process can be so much longer. Recently a crab owner emailed me asking for advice and it reminded me how long its been since I updated and rewrote my learnings. Your crab may only be "pretty" for a week or two at a time and look ugly and ready to molt the rest. Your crab may take 3 weeks to molt. or they could only be ugly for a few days and molt and be done within a week, It varies by crab depending on their care and the crab itself'... it also varies per molt. Bubbles will disappear for weeks and not even molt.
Now if its been more than 4 weeks and you are really worried they dug away and died, DONT DIG THEM OUT just yet, take a thin reed, a chopstick, or something long and thin and not metal, poke it around in the substrate gently. if you hear scuttling, they are fine leave them be! Keep in mind not to handle them after they resurface, sometimes they stay under to harden and other times they dont. Jack molted above ground in plain view before!

Well thats it for now, this got lengthy... PIC TIME!

Jack (Left) and Bubbles (Right) fighting for the best spot to hide during tank day.

Jackie Boy <3 Look at those claws!

Bubbles =] Please ignore the sand on her one eye, she wouldn't let me rinse her well.

Jack posing all cute

Last one, you can really see his mouth well here. 

I guess thats all for now! Ill try to think of anything new I should post about. FYI I post a lot of Jack and not a lot of Bubbles because shes a spaz and he stays still very well.

Fresh Molts and False Bottoms: How Im trying to get them to bury less and come out more.

  For those of you who have followed my blog, You know my crabs by name. Female, Bubbles: Male, Jack.
For those of you who haven't, there you go! Haha, also for those who have yet to read any of this, I am not an expert. I do not claim to be an expert. What you will read here is what I know from my now 4 or so months experience with these animals and with what research I've done. I also dont claim what I do is right regardless, it just has worked for me. What will be posted here in this post and in others has included my experiments to try different things, my trial and error if you will.

On to this post.
  Jack has molted for a second time, and is BEAUTIFUL. Bubbles still has yet to molt at all. Supposedly they will stop eating a few days to a week before molting, well shes still eating steadily. But she looks so awful! Just wait until you see the photos I will post at the bottom. I would think I am doing something wrong, but Jack looks lovely. I'm still chalking it up to she needs to molt bad.
  I also am starting to devise a plan to get the to come out more, bury less, and hopefully not run ina nd hide the second I come in the room. Id like to actually see them more. and eventually tame them. From what weve deduced, they are wild caught (greeeeaaaat), and will probably take a long time to adjust period.
  What Ive done (shown sort of in photos) is turned over the container I used to try running water previously, and put some large heavy rocks to make a graduating side. The crabs naturally will go down slopes to find water so I would like to keep a gradient of land. The rocks are large and heavy enough that they cannot move them or get under them. 

First Attempt at False Base (as of Sept 2012 or so I put a later of Plexiglass down too)

  

I then put down my soil layer (already shown above), and layered in a sand/soil mixture as my substrate, I think its not as pretty or clean looking as plain sand, but it makes stronger burrows and holds moisture better than just sand. I bury in small terracotta pots for hides and give them a little leeway on sand so they can close themselves in as they molt since there are two of them, and add decoration.

  I make sure to bury the water dishes for ease of access. It makes it harder on me, but easier for them haha. We will see how this works and I will post an update in a few weeks. I generally do a deep clean once a month, but have done it more often recently bc of changing tanks and all those running water problems *sigh*

Now on to the pictures of the crabs!

 Jack, about to take a dip in some fresh water.

Freshly Molted!

So cute.

Bubbles, being defensive.

She just needs to molt already... so little.

Thats all for now. Hope you liked the photos!