arrow crab

[redbellyman]

I purchased an arrow crab for my 55 reef and it is in a tank with about 50 lbs of 4 year old live rock. I just recently switched from a 30 long to a 55. I tested my waters and I came up with
I use ro/di water thats heated and mixed and ready to go as well
salinity a lil low at 1.020
ph 8.3
po4- 0.1
no2 - 00
no3- 0.2
amonia 0.0
temp 78degrees f
calcium is alittle low at 375 ppm

n e way i drip acclimated like I do everything for 2-3 hours. I had to empty the bucket twice (5 gallon) and he was all healthy until time for placement. So I grabbed my little glass container to gather him without a net or removing from water, put him in and he was playing dead or motionless till I placed the container near a rock where he climbed out and onto rock. Now this tank has 2 hydora 3's and makes a healthy current but not insane... I have little blue leg hermits that can sustain sand walking in the heat of the current on the lower sand bed so a arrow crab out of current should be fine. He stood there and gathered himself for Id say 5minutes and than started walking, mid walk he froze and let go of rock and died... I dunno what the heck is going on..
The tank consists of 20 or so tiny blue legs, 2 maroon clowns, chromis, and a mandarin. There is a fire shrimp but I rarely see him come out during the day. But what did I do wrong? I want to get another one, but before I possibly kill another one what could have happened? I mean he was acclimated, the salinity and temp was exact at point of transfer. The only thing I could thing of was the current was too storng for him, but I did put him in the slower areas and was ready to move or pull a powerhead out if needed...

any help or input is appreciated

 

[mouserusker]

I really doubt it's from excessive flow. How would that even kill an arrow crab so fast.
Sometimes, when I buy stuff from the LFS, it just dies within usually a matter of days. My arrow crab, however, has been thriving in a 20 gallon tall reef. (S)he's molted at least twice. Now she appears to be "in berry" (I think that's the term for crabs sarrying eggs under their tail) Not to hijack your thread, but does anyone know if it is normal for a lone arrow crab to produce eggs?
Anyway, I'd try again with another arrow crab. They are so cool. Perhaps, since he was in a bucket for acclimation, you weren't able to observe him as closely as if he were in an aquarium, and he was showing signs of stress even during acclimation.
My arrow crab has NEVER been skittish or slow or shy. Anytime I put my hands or tongs in the tank, the arrow crab practically pounces on me to see if I'm bringing food. If I go near the outside of the tank, my arrow crab will stretch out a couple of legs towards me. Plus, he eats hella bristle worms.

 

[redbellyman]

Thanx for the input. I will be taking my water to be tested at the lfs just to be safe
Nd buy another if available.

 

[mouserusker]

You're welcome. The clue to me was when you said he was "playing dead" in the transfer cup. While I suppose different individual crabs can be different in temperament, I've never seen mine play dead or anything even close.

 

[redbellyman]

well i called it playing dead since when I rescued my emerald crab from the 30 g tank that I transfered into the new 55 reef. it was rescued because he was in the sand and I missed him and he was in a tank with no filtration just heat for one night, I was like noo my emerald but long story short he was playing dead or being motionless, even after acclimated and when he hit the rock, he started moving and he is still alive but did the same thign as the arrow crab did!