blue leg losing color

malawi_love · 01-30-2012, 12:46 AM

So I was checking on my salt inhabitants today like I do everyday and I noticed Henry, my blue leg hermit crab, seems to have lost some color. My water peramintors aren't the greatest as I am just starting out. The nitrate is at 80 ppm which has been dropping. What's going on with him? Should I be concerned? Yes I know he's just a hermit crab but I do enjoy watching him and his hitchhikers on his shell

phil_n_fish · 01-30-2012, 12:55 AM

hi and welcome to the forum!

The nitrate is pretty high which is more likely the reason he is losing color. If the tank is new then I would assume it is still cycling. Having inverts like hermit crab and other crustaceans will help cycle your tank(fish can get real stressed)

A fully cycled tank is when the ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate are 0. Its ok if your nitrate is barely above 0 as long as everything is looking good.
I would do a 50 percent water change if you want to make an impact on that nitrate level.
I would test the water using the liquid tests with test tubes which are more accurate than the strips. Test the water and write it down each day to see how fast your tank is cycling.

post some pics

malawi_love · 01-30-2012, 01:18 AM

Thank you! Is he going to be ok you think? I had to lightly scrub his friends the other day because they were getting brown algae on him and around his coralline. I don't wanna stress his friends either.

malawi_love · 01-30-2012, 01:21 AM

His picture is in my gallery

I prob have 100 on my phone of him

I can watch him for hours haha forget the reef I have a hermit crab

phil_n_fish · 01-30-2012, 01:33 AM

that brown algae is diatom. Its completely normal in a cycling tank and will go away in a week or two. You dont have to do anything to it. Its just passing through ;)

He should be alright.

malawi_love · 01-30-2012, 01:39 AM

Aww what? Lol some guy at a salt specialty store scared me saying it would kill my feather dusters and the coralline couldn't grow because of the brown algae. I scrubbed most of my tank but leaving some behind for him and some new snails. Henry's feather sdusters have been much happier though since I cleaned them up a little bit.

phil_n_fish · 01-30-2012, 08:26 AM

yea it wouldn't hurt to clean it up. I usually just let my hermit crabs eat it up after it dies off. It usually dies in a week or two. If you want your rocks real clean, An emerald crab would be a great addition. I have one as part of my reef cleaner crew.

Reefing Madness · 01-30-2012, 08:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by phil_n_fish

that brown algae is diatom. Its completely normal in a cycling tank and will go away in a week or two. You dont have to do anything to it. Its just passing through ;)

He should be alright.

He's completely correct. No need to knock yourself out trying to clean it up.
Brown Diatom Algae Control | Aquariums Life

malawi_love · 02-01-2012, 02:36 PM

He molted! I should've known that's what he was doing! My land hermit crabs do this all the time! He's very happy now and is moving around more! :D

phil_n_fish · 02-01-2012, 09:37 PM

congrats. now make sure he has plenty of shells that are different sizes for him to move into when he gets too big

01-30-2012, 12:46 AM	#1 (permalink)
malawi_love malawi_love's Photo Gallery Join Date: Dec 2011 Posts: 23 Location: Nor Cal Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Welcome to Aquarium Forum" 0 Times Said "Thanks" 11 Times Was Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	blue leg losing color So I was checking on my salt inhabitants today like I do everyday and I noticed Henry, my blue leg hermit crab, seems to have lost some color. My water peramintors aren't the greatest as I am just starting out. The nitrate is at 80 ppm which has been dropping. What's going on with him? Should I be concerned? Yes I know he's just a hermit crab but I do enjoy watching him and his hitchhikers on his shell

01-30-2012, 12:55 AM	#2 (permalink)
phil_n_fish phil_n_fish's Photo Gallery Join Date: Nov 2011 Posts: 169 Name: Nash Location: Bella vista, AR Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Welcome to Aquarium Forum" 13 Times Said "Thanks" 5 Times Was Thanked 31 Times in 31 Posts	Re: blue leg losing color hi and welcome to the forum! The nitrate is pretty high which is more likely the reason he is losing color. If the tank is new then I would assume it is still cycling. Having inverts like hermit crab and other crustaceans will help cycle your tank(fish can get real stressed) A fully cycled tank is when the ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate are 0. Its ok if your nitrate is barely above 0 as long as everything is looking good. I would do a 50 percent water change if you want to make an impact on that nitrate level. I would test the water using the liquid tests with test tubes which are more accurate than the strips. Test the water and write it down each day to see how fast your tank is cycling. post some pics __________________ 36 Gallon Saltwater reef tank Ocellaris Clown, Scooter Dragonet, sandsifter star, Decorator crab, emerald crab, coralline snails, blue leg hermit crab, and horseshoe crab. Zooad's and shrooms 40 pounds of Live sand, 20 pounds of LR

01-30-2012, 01:18 AM	#3 (permalink)
malawi_love malawi_love's Photo Gallery Join Date: Dec 2011 Posts: 23 Location: Nor Cal Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Welcome to Aquarium Forum" 0 Times Said "Thanks" 11 Times Was Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: blue leg losing color Thank you! Is he going to be ok you think? I had to lightly scrub his friends the other day because they were getting brown algae on him and around his coralline. I don't wanna stress his friends either.

01-30-2012, 01:21 AM	#4 (permalink)
malawi_love malawi_love's Photo Gallery Join Date: Dec 2011 Posts: 23 Location: Nor Cal Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Welcome to Aquarium Forum" 0 Times Said "Thanks" 11 Times Was Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: blue leg losing color His picture is in my gallery I prob have 100 on my phone of him I can watch him for hours haha forget the reef I have a hermit crab

01-30-2012, 01:33 AM	#5 (permalink)
phil_n_fish phil_n_fish's Photo Gallery Join Date: Nov 2011 Posts: 169 Name: Nash Location: Bella vista, AR Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Welcome to Aquarium Forum" 13 Times Said "Thanks" 5 Times Was Thanked 31 Times in 31 Posts	Re: blue leg losing color that brown algae is diatom. Its completely normal in a cycling tank and will go away in a week or two. You dont have to do anything to it. Its just passing through ;) He should be alright. __________________ 36 Gallon Saltwater reef tank Ocellaris Clown, Scooter Dragonet, sandsifter star, Decorator crab, emerald crab, coralline snails, blue leg hermit crab, and horseshoe crab. Zooad's and shrooms 40 pounds of Live sand, 20 pounds of LR

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01-30-2012, 01:39 AM	#6 (permalink)
malawi_love malawi_love's Photo Gallery Join Date: Dec 2011 Posts: 23 Location: Nor Cal Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Welcome to Aquarium Forum" 0 Times Said "Thanks" 11 Times Was Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: blue leg losing color Aww what? Lol some guy at a salt specialty store scared me saying it would kill my feather dusters and the coralline couldn't grow because of the brown algae. I scrubbed most of my tank but leaving some behind for him and some new snails. Henry's feather sdusters have been much happier though since I cleaned them up a little bit.

01-30-2012, 08:26 AM	#7 (permalink)
phil_n_fish phil_n_fish's Photo Gallery Join Date: Nov 2011 Posts: 169 Name: Nash Location: Bella vista, AR Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Welcome to Aquarium Forum" 13 Times Said "Thanks" 5 Times Was Thanked 31 Times in 31 Posts	Re: blue leg losing color yea it wouldn't hurt to clean it up. I usually just let my hermit crabs eat it up after it dies off. It usually dies in a week or two. If you want your rocks real clean, An emerald crab would be a great addition. I have one as part of my reef cleaner crew. __________________ 36 Gallon Saltwater reef tank Ocellaris Clown, Scooter Dragonet, sandsifter star, Decorator crab, emerald crab, coralline snails, blue leg hermit crab, and horseshoe crab. Zooad's and shrooms 40 pounds of Live sand, 20 pounds of LR

02-01-2012, 02:36 PM	#9 (permalink)
malawi_love malawi_love's Photo Gallery Join Date: Dec 2011 Posts: 23 Location: Nor Cal Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Welcome to Aquarium Forum" 0 Times Said "Thanks" 11 Times Was Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: blue leg losing color He molted! I should've known that's what he was doing! My land hermit crabs do this all the time! He's very happy now and is moving around more! :D

02-01-2012, 09:37 PM	#10 (permalink)
phil_n_fish phil_n_fish's Photo Gallery Join Date: Nov 2011 Posts: 169 Name: Nash Location: Bella vista, AR Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Welcome to Aquarium Forum" 13 Times Said "Thanks" 5 Times Was Thanked 31 Times in 31 Posts	Re: blue leg losing color congrats. now make sure he has plenty of shells that are different sizes for him to move into when he gets too big __________________ 36 Gallon Saltwater reef tank Ocellaris Clown, Scooter Dragonet, sandsifter star, Decorator crab, emerald crab, coralline snails, blue leg hermit crab, and horseshoe crab. Zooad's and shrooms 40 pounds of Live sand, 20 pounds of LR

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