porcelain crab loosing more limbs with each molt

[small alien]

Greetings friends. Got a nice chunky little porcelain crab. Such a cool animal with the filtering appendages and beautiful patterning. It also eats some algae and I have reason to believe it even ate a small three-ball blob of bubble algae down to below the coraline algae!

But that's not the point of my post. After I'd had the crab for about 3 weeks, it molted. Fine. Except it was now missing one claw and one of its six legs. I know they're soft after molting and it could have had the appendages eaten. I have also read that porcelain crabs shed claws very easily when threatened or attacked.

Today, about 3 weeks later, I find the crab now missing two more legs, one on each side! And there's a molt in the bottom of the tank. Now it only has one leg on one side and two on the other and one claw.

It can't take much more of this, Captain! I have a peppermint shrimp and 3 sexy shrimp and all seem fine for a good long while. I've seen a pep molt, so I know a successful one is possible.

I have no known shrimp/crab eating fish in the tank. Closest thing could be a possum wrasse, but it's hard to imagine.

Anyone have any ideas or similar experiences?

Thanks, small

[Elysia]

I don't really have a similar experience. I do know that porcelains do drop claws... I recently purchased one and the girl at the LFS was sort of poking one w/ her finger to try to get it to drop off a piece of live rock, and I knew it was going to happen... and sure enough, it dropped a claw. I don't know if they do it w/ a leg, though.

In general, make sure the water has the elements they need to harden their exoskeltons and that it is feeding well. Although they do filter feed, they will sometimes take larger pieces of meat, which you can give to them on forceps if you move slowly enough. Good luck.

[small alien]

Thanks, Elysia. It does seem to feed well. Last night at lights out, I think I noticed it's other claw had dropped. :( It's rather large, so maybe it's just going down hill due to old age. I guess we'll see.