Red Claw Crab Question

[Loo]

Hey everyone,

I've been lurking for a while gathering information and advice from these forums but its finally come for me to ask a question!

I have had my red claw crab for over 2 months now and everything has been going fine, as time goes by i've been expecting her to molt (as she still hasn't!). 2 weeks ago after a water change I noticed the little 'trap door' was open about 2mm and I could see what looked like a fresh layer of flesh underneath (lively red/pinkish colour) I was excited and left her be hoping to find she'd molted. Now two weeks on she still hasn't molted, the door is open about 5-6mm (around 40-50% of her body size) and is bursting with this brown fibreous material similar to this:
http://natural-japan.net/photos/Chiromantes_haematocheir_02.jpg

During this time she has acted quite happily, a little less active than usual (but still moves everyday and explores the tank) she is still eating (but again less than before). I'm just wondering if anyone has had experience with this knows what it could be, and what I should do?

Only thing I can think of is that maybe its a clutch of eggs?

Thanks for any help you can provide :ssmile:

[smaug]

yes that is eggs.

[Dave66]

crustaceans molt when food and environs are sufficient for them to grow enough to molt. Sounds like your crab is preparing to. Dose it have places to hide? A crustacean will never molt out in the open since they are highly vulnerable to predators, so they hide until their shell hardens.

Just be patient. Your crab will molt when it's time to.

Dave

[Summerlovin15]

Hi! Today i was looking in my tank and i saw one of my red-clawed crabs with pinkish/redish stuff under her like yours and i think they're eggs but they look like the same texture as her skin unlike yours.. Are those eggs or like a tumor or something? A week ago i searched the whole tank up & down for an hour and a half and couldnt find her at all. I thought my other crab ate her because it's impossible to escape the tank. Then today i found her with this stuff! If it is eggs how many did yours lay and what did you do with them? Please help! (:

[Spidyman]

It looks like eggs but i know they will not succesfully hatch in an aquarium

[SLeen]

yep, they are eggs. Just go about your daily business. They'll hatch into larvae and then nothing will happen. Except your crab might look a little relieved...;)

[SmokeyCFH]

yeah dude those are eggs, congrats! I wish my chili crab came like that haha!