Sally Lightfoot Molting

[johnvic]

I believe that my sally lightfoot is molting. Sunday night he was hiding out and was not moving, I checked 2 hours later and he moved an inch. Monday morning 3 of his legs were outside his hiding spot and his shell was laying outside the spot too. So I assume he is molting.

How long does it take before he is back?

Will he eventually turn evil and attack my fish and coral ( only 1 of each for now )?

Thanks!

 

[chanman]

natural process. never heard of crabs/shrimps changing its mindset after a molt haha. It'll come back out whenever it feels comfortable cause molting requires some stamina.

 

[Chiefmcfuz]

Get rid of it while you can. It will eventually mature and hunt and kill your fish one by one.

 

[johnvic]

Get rid of it while you can. It will eventually mature and hunt and kill your fish one by one.

This was the answer I feared.

 

[alrha]

mine was in my tank for years before he started attacking fish/snails. now he's in charge of the sump...

 

[johnvic]

Sally Lightfoot update. I think I pulled the shell prematurely. It has been a full week and no sight of the crab. I think that when I threw away the shell he was still molting. I assumed he would move if I picked him up and he did not. But after a week I was told he would have a new shell, unless I tossed him.

 

[Pinkheine]

Get rid of it while you can. It will eventually mature and hunt and kill your fish one by one.

How long? How large? Curious about this as I've heard it before. We have two for the past year, they aren't exactly "small" and love flakes and just pulling whatever they can find off of the rocks. I enjoy the variation of inverts we have and honestly would have no clue how to attempt to get these to SOBs out of my tank...



As for molting typically they will hide, very well, during and after molting. It may be likely that you simply don't see him and he'll come out again after all is done. Was the shell empty? hee hee, maybe you're better off if you tossed him.

 

[Killerdrgn]

I assumed he would move if I picked him up and he did not. But after a week I was told he would have a new shell, unless I tossed him.

That was either a molt or the sally died. As when inverts molt they tend to move A LOT when they are trying to get off their old shell. A good way to check if it's a molt or a dead crab would be to lightly squeeze the suspected molt, and if it crumbles it's a molt, if not it's a dead crab.