Two different species?

[Kristina]

I'm way new to this, help!! Haha!

So, long story short, my sister got two "flea market" crabs. She lost interest quickly and one died. I adopted them and started taking real care of them. My one leftover crab seemed depressed - rarely came out of his coconut hut and when he did, it was once a day, for food/water, straight there and straight back.

So I figured maybe I would get him a friend... so I did... I got the smallest one in the pet store... problem being, the smallest one was still HUGE compared to my tiny guy!

I might be having a problem with big guy attacking little guy for some reason, I've witnessed him jumping on little guy once before, but I separated them quickly. For the most part, it seems like the little one is absolutely terrified of big guy, and big guy seems to ignore the little one.

I'm in Canada.

Here's my "flea market" crab. His name is Zachary, and he's TINY compared to the other one. He's a pinky orange colour.



And here's my new big crab from Petsmart. I named him Scoops. He's a really dark brown, huge claw on him, much different looking in general...



Help from the experts?

Do different species have trouble getting along? Different sizes?

[erikleeson]

The first one is a PP (purple pincer)
I can tell but the purple claw and round eye stalks.

The second one is hard to tell. My guess would be an E (Ecuadorian), but it could also very well be a ruggie. E's can be shades of black and the elongated eye stalks are there but it might be a ruggie...so I'm not sure about the second one. The first one is definitely a PP. ladybug15057 will easily be able to identify the second one. She's an expert at this sort of thing

Hope this helps.

[Kristina]

Awesome, thanks!! After fumbling around and doing a bit of research, I had figured that Zachary was a smaller Purple Pincher.

Scoops confused me too - I got him from Petsmart... and he's very very VERY active compared to Zachary the PP.

Now you said in your other reply (thanks for that too by the way) that I would need to get more crabs if they aren't the same species... so now I need to find another PP and go back to Petsmart and get another of whatever Scoops is? I don't know if my enclosure is big enough...

[erikleeson]

How big is your tank? You need at least a ten gallon tank to house any number of crabs regardless of size.

[krabby_katie]

I love love love love LOVE Scoops! He is so pretty and dark. He looks a like an E to me, but don't quote me on it. And E's are known for being so active. There may be some shells fits for a little while, but it will pass. You should check out your local Wal-mart. If they carry hermies, they'll probably have small ones, because that's all I ever find. Don't worry about size though, because you can house micros and giants in the same tank. Also make sure you have D shaped opening shells for Scoops around his size and round opening shells for Zachary.

[krabby_katie]

Oh, by the way, I saw that you have some painted shells in your tank. Painted shells are a no no because they will chip, the crabs will eat it and the crabs could die. I recommend keeping them outside of the tank for decor or boiling them and peeling the paint off and reusing the shells.

[ladybug15057]

Zachary is a PP as already mentioned, but he is also a PP who is displaying some pretty good pms (premolt symptoms) as well, so I do hope you have a way to divide these hermies? (I did a reply to your other post too about these 2 hermies, please do read it)
As for Scoops, it is hard to say. I have been reading where rugs are becoming more popular in Canada too. Is there any way you can get a clear picture of the 'outside' part of his large pincher and his rear left walking leg? This will certainly help in determining his exact species.
And where as it is not known whether hermies thrive with or without another species of their own kind, most do have at least 2 of the same species just in case.
I agree with the painted shells, no good. With Zachary being a PP, you may also wish to invest in some 'turbo' style shells with the round opening. If Scoops is a rug, you may also wish to purchase the same styled shell (turbo) for him as well. Where as some E's do prefer the shells with the D (slit) type opening, some will also move into turbo style shells themselves. (majority... well all but 2 of our E's here are in turbo shells)

[Kristina]

Thanks everyone, you are all so helpful!!

I'll continue on from the other thread as well here, so we're not jumping back and forth between the two

I will get a side picture of Scoops to post up here. He's sleeping right now so I'm going to wait until he's up and about to get the photo.

May I ask how you can see the pre-molt symptoms? I have actually been suspicious - over the last two days, he has switched shells FOUR times (he usually only stays in the new shell for 10 minutes at a time before going back to the original) but as I write this he's been in a new shell that I just put in there for over an hour, and he's going back to his normal activities with it, so maybe he's made the move.... as well, he's been digging like crazy, and he normally doesn't dig at all! Early this morning at 3am he dug a big hole in the mulch that's in there and completely buried himself and didn't come out until like 9pm... and now he's in his new shell and sort of digging half holes everywhere.

I do have a way to seperate them, a clear plastic divider came with the aquarium I have now, so I can use that... how will I know when to separate them??

As for the conflict issues, they seem to completely ignore each other now, they essentially stay at either end of the aquarium and if they encounter each other, Zachary backtracks/sidesteps does whatever to yield to Scoops... Zachary was even trying shells on the other day, and Scoops was nearby, not asleep, he was watching, but didn't move the whole time, just sat there watching Zachary try on all the shells...

For feeding them, I give them a bit of the powdered food (Crab Island Fruit & Flower Crab Food?) and then also a tiny pelleted one (Jurassi Diet Hermit Crab Food). I also give them a little shell that I put fresh veggies and non citrus fruits in... I think today they got a bit of carrot, pear, cucumber, etc... I never see them eating it though.

[Kristina]

Oh, and thanks for letting me know about the painted shells, the original two PPs came in them and with an additional two painted shells of course. Zachary only JUST switched out of his.

[ladybug15057]

First, I would suggest to put the divider up as soon as you can to separate them.
As for Zachary's picture and pms's I seen... his eye stalks for one. As opposed to being |_| they are \_/ shaped.. as in a V shape. His coloring... the inner part of his legs are a much lighter beige in coloring with the darker centers to them. And on his front left walking leg, if you look closely above the last joint you can see where the old exo has pulled away from the new exo... as well as above the middle section of that leg, which is exposing the new exo underneath. (Matter of fact the last joints old exo looks as though it is already in the process of coming off...)
The top of his large pincher, as well as his feeder pincher and his front right walking leg at the joints appear as though they too are starting to become loose.
Now you mention a behavior change, another pms sign as well.
I have done an article on several pms signs I have noted on our hermies here:

PMS

If you read through them you may also see a couple others he has been displaying as well?

For the foods you're offering I would like to highly suggest a better variety of foods so they get all the vitamins and minerals they need. Seems your hermies are lacking a chitin, protein and a high calcium source in their diets?

Sues_post

(you will need to scroll down at the below link)
Guide

http://www.hermitcrabcuisine.com/