chocolate chip starfish kills a spider decorator crab...just by sitting on him?

[dethsight]

yea...i had this happen today. came down to turn the lights on this morning and the CCSF was sitting his butt/stomach on the SDC. i didn't think much of it, since he has partially done it before, but i noticed he sat there for a long time. then, he moved off and i went to drop a treat in for the SDC. i placed it right at his face, but he didn't do anything. i bumped him with the grabber, nothing. i picked him up with the grabber, nothing. so, i pulled him out and looked him over. he looked fine, but wasn't moving at all.
so, was it really my CCSF that killed him or maybe he wasn't finding enough food in the newish tank? he used to spend most of his day digging holes under the rocks and eating w/e he happened to find.

 

[1guydude]

i couldnt imagine a choclate chip would kill it....maybe cleaning up the leftovers. CCSF are not reef safe but i dont think they could kill ur crab! The crab should would have moved i would think. My guess is doin his CUC duties. Sry for the loss of the crab! =(

 

[dethsight]

thanks for the sentiment. i do know that when my Porcupine Puffer passes on, im going coral. so the CCSF will go then as well if hes still around. why do all the really cool fish HAVE to be non-reef safe!!??

 

[1guydude]

LOL i know i know
my gf wanted a CCSF when i 1st started...i found out they wernt reef safe and said ya NO...

 

[jerth6932]

I don't know much about decorator crabs, but are you positive that it wasn't a molt (if decorators do this.... I know most crabs do)? I'm trying to have wishful thinking for you, because I thought my emerald crab was dead, but it was just his molt.... I didn't see him for like 3 weeks after the molt appeared, so I thought it was him... but he was great at hiding.

 

[dethsight]

wasn't a molt. im 99% sure. i dont think they can molt. since they pick up alot of stuff and attach it to their "shell", they would have to remove all of that and start over every time. and i never saw his empty shell anywhere and i had him since last september.

 

[reefkprz]

Quote:
Originally Posted by dethsight http:///forum/thread/386274/chocolate-chip-starfish-kills-a-spider-decorator-crab-just-by-sitting-on-him#post_3391926
wasn't a molt. im 99% sure. i dont think they can molt. since they pick up alot of stuff and attach it to their "shell", they would have to remove all of that and start over every time. and i never saw his empty shell anywhere and i had him since last september.
of course they molt. any crab/crustacean has to. other wise as they grew their growth would squish them to death inside their shell. and they do start over after a molt. they often hide untill their new shell hardens after a molt. chocolate chip starts I don't believe are normally fast enough to catch a healthy decorator crab though any thing is possible if it snagged it unaware (sleeping)

 

[1guydude]

it is indeed possible it was just a molt! Maybe he will turn up soon enough. Do u feed ur CCSF every now and again? He could have been munching on the molt.
+1 all crustaceans molt, shrimps and crabs alike

 

[dethsight]

i figured they all did, but i just never saw him do it and never saw the shell floating around. now, my Cleaner Shrimp molts pretty frequently. just did on saturday. and yea, he usually hides for a little bit until his shell hardens. i used to have a massive hermit crab...like, the size of a softball, in my 55gallon. it has amazing to see him molt. picking up the discarded shell was a bit...gross. but i gave him back to the LFS. he was getting too big for his shell and i couldn't find a bigger one to get him. plus, he fought my porcupine puffer over bits of shrimp and made him puff up. meanie.

 

[jerth6932]

Quote:
Originally Posted by dethsight http:///forum/thread/386274/chocolate-chip-starfish-kills-a-spider-decorator-crab-just-by-sitting-on-him#post_3392032
i figured they all did, but i just never saw him do it and never saw the shell floating around. now, my Cleaner Shrimp molts pretty frequently. just did on saturday. and yea, he usually hides for a little bit until his shell hardens. i used to have a massive hermit crab...like, the size of a softball, in my 55gallon. it has amazing to see him molt. picking up the discarded shell was a bit...gross. but i gave him back to the LFS. he was getting too big for his shell and i couldn't find a bigger one to get him. plus, he fought my porcupine puffer over bits of shrimp and made him puff up. meanie.

 

[dethsight]

yea. very aggressive hermit crab. had pincers as big as a spoon. i miss him now that i have a 150 with lots of room. he would have a hay day in there...and wouldn't be banging up against the glass every time he went from one end of the tank to another. lol. scared my parents. they always thought he was gonna break the glass.