When to get nervous about a molt?

[helipilot]

My "rescue" G. chiragra has been sealed up in molt now for 11 days. He was in good shape prior to molt, ate well, very active and meaner than a snake. Water parameters are all excellent. I know the G. chiragra take longer to complete molt, but I'm wondering when to get nervous about this. He was 3 1/2 inches long.

 

[Gonodactylus]

A couple of weeks is not unusual.

Roy

 

[helipilot]

Thank you Dr. Roy

 

[helipilot]

Whew....after 18 days of seclusion, "Grumpy" came out of his molt meaner than ever.

 

[Saiyan]

Glad he is ok.

 

[helipilot]

Thanks!

 

[Feclar]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11469159#post11469159 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by helipilot
Whew....after 18 days of seclusion, "Grumpy" came out of his molt meaner than ever.

Any Pic's?

 

[helipilot]

I'm working on that.

 

[Feclar]

What is his personality like?

 

[helipilot]

"Grumpy" is semi-reclusive, but not as reclusive as most chiragra I've read about. He opens up early in the am, stays put until mid-afternoon and then is fairly active for a couple of hours in the afternoon, searching for his Astrea snail. He got the name Grumpy because if he can't find his snail, he will spend his day making little rocks out of big rocks. He goes to bed about sun down. I've really been trying to get pic's of him but he freaks at the light on my camera.

 

[Gonodactylus]

Most gonodactylids are diurnal and generally follow a similar activity pattern, active in the early morning and mid to late afternoon. The difference with G. chiragra is that it is an intertidal species and excursions away from the cavity generally occur at low tide or as the tide is going out and coming in providing only a few inches of water on the reef flat. The low water drives the predators off the reef giving them a few minutes to find a snail and return it to the cavity where it is processed when it isn't safe to be out and about.

Roy

 

[helipilot]

Thank you once again, Dr. Roy