Yabby is acting weird 9/30/09
I purchased a blue yabby (Luca) about a month ago and he is doing well.
However, the paradise fish (Sydney) I bought is MIA. I am assuming that Luca has eaten Sydney,
<Well, yes. Crayfish are herbivores in the wild, which is why you feed them mostly greens with just the odd bit of white fish fillet or unshelled prawn. But they can, and will, eat almost anything they can catch.>
but he almost seems lonely now.
<He's not. These are territorial and aggressive animals.>
He used to be very active and greet me when I walked up to the tank (now he just stays in his "cave"). Also, he has begun "trimming"/eating the plastic plant that I have in the tank.
<He's telling you this: feed me some plant material! These are largely vegetarian animals, and would eat a lot of decaying plant material. In captivity they often chew on plastic and sponges if they can't get anything
else.>
Lastly, I have Malaysian driftwood and he seems to be eating that as well.
<Indeed!>
I feed him every day (alternate between shrimp pellets and algae wafers).
Why do you suppose he is acting strangely?
<He's hungry. Stick some Sushi Nori in, or perhaps some cheap aquarium plants, such as Elodea. Lettuce and cucumber usually go down well, too. Let him graze away.>
One last thing... I noticed his antenna things are getting shorter and the tips look a bit discolored what can cause this?
<Does happen. Possibly physical damage, possibly a water quality or water chemistry issue. Review conditions in the tank, and review diet, in particular how calcium-rich his diet is. Do read these articles:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ca/volume_1/cav1i4/crayfish/crayfish.htm
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ca/volume_5/volume_5_3/crayfish_basics.htm
Should give you some ideas on diet.>
Thanks,
Karen
<Cheers, Neale.>

Lobster hasn't molted for months... Child, English, reading 9/1/2009
Hello,
My name is Michael, I've got a lobster (about 3.5-4 inches probably, its a pail red, almost pink), I've owned the little critter for a good 3 or 4 months, at least now and it's only molted once.. I find this to be odd because I had owned a blue lobster a while back with an ex and it molted several times before reaching the size mine is now. Hasn't molted but seems to keep growing,
<Mmm... Michael, maybe it is molting and you're just not noticing. Crustaceans can't grow w/o such>
also seems perfectly healthy mind you and Im not complaining because his tank mates are 3 red belly piranhas(roughly the same length maybe a bit shorter).
<Yikes! Might well consume the "bug" when it is soft-bodied>>
They seem to be a good tank mates thus far as well- only ever tried to attack the lobster once and he put the fear of the claw in'em by pinching one between the mouth and eyes, i like to give my piranhas pellet food, and frozen and veg. when i got stuff they'll eat and of course live feeders (people say they are super unhealthy, ect, ect,
<No such word... etc. is the contraction for the Latin "et cetera res" (= and other things)>
i don't really care about that cuz i
<...>
balance the diet and they are what looks to be good exercise in my opinion), - my lobster and 2 trap door snails clean up after them. The snails i didn't really expect to last long so im not overly concerned as they were bought as a 'treat' but became cleaners.. Im really just curious why my lobster seems healthy, and growing.. yet not molting? any ideas? i don't know pH or nitrates, i keep good filtration, and keep up on top of the overall tank maintenance. Oh and the last time he molted, which was also the first time (in his life in my aquarium at least), was months ago shortly after i first got it.
But mind you I've just noticed my piranha seem to be breathing slightly more rapid then before, could that just be from a lack of bubbler combined with body growth (larger body needs more oxygen, right?)?
<Yes... dangerous>
Thanks for you're time, hope to hear from you soon - i got nothing dying though so take care of those with sick fish first..
<Most often this situation is a matter of nutrition and/or low alkalinity and/or biomineral content. Read here:
http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/crayfishdisfaq.htm
and the linked files above. Bob Fenner>

Sluggish crawfish 4/14/2009
My son inherited a crawfish from school, He calls it an Australian Crawfish (my husband is from Louisiana and thinks he has it all figured out) We have had him for almost three weeks, and he has been doing great so far. We have him in a 5 gallon tank almost full of water with a filter (not sure if we have too much water in there) he has a log to hide in and a couple of fake plants that he likes to chew on. We have had him/her on a diet of mostly algae discs, and so far he has been enjoying them. Tonight we noticed that he hadn't touched his algae disc from this morning, and didn't seem to interested in the one he got tonight. Water temp is the same as last week, and ph levels all seem to be on target. Is it possible he is getting ready to molt?
<Mmm, maybe... lethargy is common in these cases>
Or do we have a sick crawfish on our hands?
<Perhaps>
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Sincerely,
Brenda Collins
<Oh! One of my sis' names... Could be that you have a "cycling issue" going on here... and/or a lack of alkaline reserve. These possible chemistry issues and more are detailed in our archives. Please read here: http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/crayfishdisfaq.htm
and the linked files at top. Bob Fenner>

Odd crayfish behavior – 02/12/09
I was recently (about 4 weeks ago) given a crayfish, Ruckus, from a pet store manager and I am really enjoying keeping and caring for it. It can be quite humorous to watch. I do have a problem though. Tonight my crayfish started exhibiting a strange new behavior; I have Googled and Googled and can't find much of anything dealing with it and I am hoping that you could shed some light on this matter for me. Ruckus has started to sit with it's tail curled under and while it is doing this, it pushes up with one claw while all of the other legs move in a walking like manner.
Sometimes it almost looks like Ruckus is obsessively cleaning his legs and claws; sometimes he/she just rhythmically waves one side of the body's legs.
It almost looks like obsessive compulsive behavior. Ruckus has molted four times now but every time it has happened I was asleep so I am not sure if this is an indicator of a molt about to happen or if it is the beginning of a problem. I currently have Ruckus housed in a ten gallon tank with a power filter and an air pump supplying air (I tried plants but Ruckus earned his name by eating them all and creating a huge ruckus in the process). I have three hatchet fish in the tank with him/her for company and because they are top dwellers I don't need to worry to much about them meeting untimely ends, or at least I hope so, and I had snails but Ruckus really liked them and I don't want to keep them stocked anymore except for the occasional treat. I do 50% water change every week on all my tanks and have never
found any ammonia in any of my tanks. Any ideas or insight that could help me understand this behavior would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
Shawn
<Hello Shawn, while I doubt crayfish can get OCD, it's not uncommon for animals to develop quirks of various kinds, just like people. Genetic abnormalities, damage to the nerves, malnutrition (particularly vitamin/mineral deficiencies) can all cause problems. So review basic care, in particular double checking your crayfish is getting lots of green foods
(they're mostly herbivores in the wild) and that you're adding Iodine to the water periodically (use a marine aquarium Iodine supplement, but at a half dose). As for the Hatchetfish, they shouldn't be at any great risk assuming the tank is reasonably deep, but generally I don't recommend mixing fish and crayfish. Do review this article on Crayfish in
Conscientious Aquarist, here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ca/volume_5/volume_5_3/crayfish_basics.htm
Cheers, Neale.>

Difficulty molting 11/09/08 Hello, I have a crayfish, Marilyn, for 1 year now. She was brown as a baby Cray, but has since turned blue. She has molted regularly throughout her life.  This morning I had the privilege of witnessing her molt. She has shaken her way out of most of the exoskeleton, except for the part on her back, that goes down her sides and over her head and face. It has been 7 hours now. Fuzzy white stuff is coming out and she looks uncomfortable. I have attached a picture of where you could see the separation. It looks like it should just pop off. Is there anything I should do to help her, or should I just leave her alone? Sincere thanks, Lisa <Hi Lisa. Crayfish experience molting problems for a number of reasons. The two most common are iodine deficiency and poor diet. The iodine issue is very common easily fixed, at least preemptively: buy some marine aquarium iodine drops, and add to the tank at 50% the dose for a marine aquarium. As for diet, you must always remember crayfish are herbivores.  Some people make the mistake of feeding them just meaty foods! At least 75% of their diet should be green things: algae wafers, tinned peas, blanched lettuce, etc. As for the rest, try to make this sort of thing calcium rich: unshelled prawns, whole lancefish (bones!) and so on. There's really not much you can do right now. Adding iodine to the water could help, but that's about all. If you're lucky, she'll pull through and without too many deformities, and subsequent molts will put them right. Don't try and "help" her out -- you're more likely to damage her in the process. Cheers, Neale. PS: Next time send small images, around 500 kb; three different 2-point-something megabyte images pretty well fills up our 10 MB e-mail space, meaning some other folks might get their stuff bounced back!>

Red claw crayfish, sel., beh.   6/4/08
Hi!
I was just wondering about keeping red claw crayfish, Cherax quadricarinatus, and have been reading on WWM about keeping them. I was just wondering though, how interesting are they compared to other crayfish? I have a Louisiana red P. clarkii and I find her active and always walking about.
<Yes... I've kept this species off and on for years... very interesting IMO/E>
Are red claws a lethargic type of crayfish spending most of their time hidden?
<Much more than Procambarus>
Plus some places I have read says they are not very aggressive towards their own kind, while other places say they are always on the lookout to murder each other.
<The genus is more like the latter in my experience>
Have any of you had any first hand experience with keeping these critters?
<If hungry, crowded...>
Thanks!
Don Smith
<Welcome. Bob Fenner>

Crayfish lost both claws 5/16/08
Hello
I started out by Googling my question and that brought me to your site. I looked around there, but still haven't quite found the answer. In any case, my daughter brought home a crayfish from school yesterday. The only information I received with the crayfish was it needed a tank with
a filter.
<All else being equal, this is correct. But do add some sort of "cave" to the set-up; a ceramic flowerpot will be ideal. Crayfish are retiring, nocturnal animals and need hiding places.>
I bought a new aquarium set up with a filter and got it all ready for the crayfish (with fake plants, a cave made out of flat rocks, gravel, etc.) The crayfish seemed okay, as far as we could tell (active, checking things out). We tried feeding it lettuce, carrot shreds, and fish flakes, but it didn't seem interested.
<Do try a mix of plant and animal foods. A raw peeled shrimp or small piece of white fish would be an ideal food to tempt the crayfish into feeding.>
This evening my daughter looked in the tank and noticed that both of its claws had fallen off!
<Does happen when stressed or alarmed.>
We were both shocked as it doesn't seem to otherwise be molting. Have we done something terribly wrong? I used water from our well, which we used without any difficulty with other water-pets in the past. It does have a significant sulphur content, but I didn't see anywhere in a Google search that this would be a problem.
<Should be fine.>
What should we do? I feel terrible if the poor thing is being poisoned somehow! Also, could the tank be too small? The pet store said 5 gallons was okay, but now I keep reading that 10 gallons is the right size.
<The size of the tank is not in itself the issue, though I would agree that a 10-gallon tank is much preferable for all sorts of reasons, the prime one being water quality management. In brief, small tanks tend to have poor water quality, and that will stress any pet, including crayfish. Filtration and water changes mitigate this somewhat, but not completely. This is why we routinely tell people starting in the hobby to use 20-gallon tanks. Maintaining a 20-gallon tank is ten, twenty times easier than a 10-gallon tank, and probably a hundred times easier than a 5-gallon tank! In any case, use a nitrite test kit to make sure the water is clean, and if not, do water changes and improve filtration as required.>
It seems to be "healthy" aside from the claws, but I don't know how to judge, really.
<With crayfish, the antennae and the mouthparts should be constantly in action; the eyes should be alert and the animal responsive to movement outside the tank. Whilst they can feed without their claws, and will regrow them slightly at each molt, this may take many months and the claws will always be a bit undersized relative to the rest of the animal.>
Thanks in advance for your help!
<Cheers, Neale.>

Yabby shedding problem, using WWM  – 04/21/08
Please help us! We have a pet Yabby called Pinchie who has recently shed and seems to be having some serious problems. We have had him for almost 4 years and have never encountered a problem.
It is like he has shed his claws and broken the joint in his new ones. they bend under him at an odd angle. Should we remove them?
<Mmm, no... they'll be shed in turn when conditions and nutrition allow...>
He is upside down at all times and his head is a turning a brownish/red colour. He is usually a whitish blue. He is still moving but intermittently.
As far as his tank goes nothing has been done any different.
We are at a loss at how to help him.
Looking forward to hopefully ending his obvious discomfort.
Thank you for your time.
Rach & Jess.
<Something very amiss here. Try using the search tool (as requested before writing us) here: http://wetwebmedia.com/WWMAdminSubWebIndex/question_page.htm
with the terms "crayfish shedding problems" and read the cached views... Something awry here with water quality and/or feeding... as detailed on WWM. Bob Fenner>

Blue lobster beh., hlth.   01/08/2008
Our behavior of our lobster is weird, he is in a tank (55 gallon) with a red devil. The red devil is not bothering him and we have had him approx. one month. We have been feeding him wafers, and cichlid food. He is currently lying on his back or side, been alive for five days like that, we have been turning him over and he will start crawling to where ever as if he is ok ? He is not hiding anywhere any more? We don't know what is going on, Can you help?
<Hello Sally. Usually when crustaceans aren't able to stand up properly, they're dying, or at least stressed. Start by checking water quality, and in particular consider if any copper could have got into the tank, e.g., from medication that was recently used. Do also check your dechlorinator neutralises copper that gets in via the pipes. Copper is very poisonous to crustaceans. Otherwise make sure water quality is good in all the usual regards: zero ammonia/nitrite, low nitrate, and in the case of crustaceans (and indeed Red Devils) that the hardness is nice and high and the pH well above 7.0. Crustaceans need additional iodine in the water, and the lack of it causes gradual, long term health problems. Iodine can be purchased as a simple supplement you add to the water, a bit like a medicine. It's sold primarily for marine tanks, so the place to buy it is from stores catering to reef keepers. Cheers, Neale.>

Crayfish comments, beh.    1/1/08
Every once in a while I review http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/crayfishbehfaq.htm and find it very interesting, although the answers don't always reflect my experience.
<Oh...?>
I've had crayfish in a 50 gallon tank along with a community of tropical fish. Yes, they're territorial, but a good sized tank can be configured with all sorts of rocks and decorations that provide ample "territory" for a dozen or more crayfish.
<Indeed. The problem is that many people who buy them stick them into 10 or 20 gallon tanks, and this approach doesn't work so well!>
And they love to reproduce! The territorial neighborhoods only get over crowded when the number of large crayfish gets to me more than a couple. I also separate the female carrying a tail full of embryos into a smaller tank and raise the babies for a month or so until they're big enough to go back in the large tank without being eaten by the fish. Fifty tiny crayfish have no trouble finding or creating hiding places. As the population grows, you'll need to be releasing some of them back into your local creek or lake where they came from.
<Ah, this may or not be legal depending on where you live. In the UK for example, releasing captive-bred crayfish into the wild is VERY DEFINITELY illegal. There is a major problem there because of fungal infections from American crayfish varieties having decimated native crayfish populations. Even releasing captive-bred offspring of locally-caught wild crayfish may be illegal in the US and elsewhere. While the crayfish themselves might not cause problems, they can carry ornamental fish diseases on their bodies, and these can spread to wild fish populations. Without exception, the responsible thing to do here is destroy unwanted offspring painlessly. In the meantime, do check your local Fish & Wildlife agency to see if what you are doing is safe, ethical, and legal.>
Regarding their color, there are lots of variations within a new batch of babies: red, brown, blue.
<Agreed.>
A vegetable diet seems to shift colors reddish. A protein diet seems to shift towards a blue tint.
<Interesting.>
Of course, across the country there are hundreds of geographic variations that are beautiful. Almost black crayfish with furry claws are in Wyoming in the Teton National Park. Pale brown crayfish with bright orange claw tips are in the Rogue River in Oregon.
Brown crayfish with a blue tint under their tail and white "elbow" bands on their claws are in the Sacramento river area of California, yet a few hundred feet away from the river you'll find the common all- red variety. I've not mated differing varieties to see what combinations are produced.
<Are these "varieties" actually species?>
I DO appreciate the website's comments about adding iodine! I was experiencing my largest (oldest) crayfish dying as they tried to molt without having a new shell.
<Something new to me, too, but does seem to help!>
Crayfish have personalities and provide hours upon hours of entertainment while observing them.
<Agreed, these are wonderful pets. Do also look out for the giant Macrobrachium varieties like Macrobrachium rosenbergii occasionally sold as pets. These colossal shrimps are very impressive and I think you'd get a kick out of them. Cheers, Neale.>

Re: Crayfish comments   1/1/08
Thank you for the admonition/reminder about releasing "domestic" crayfish into the "wild." Since mine came from a nearby natural source, it didn't occur to me that they could become carriers of infection despite what appears to be their thriving. For the record, I've not released any.
<Good. Do check with your local Fish & Wildlife Bureau. They may be fine about it, but it's best to check.>
Regarding distinctive markings and colorations geographic variations, I picked up the "species" term from a government fish and wildlife employee who referred to them as different species when I talked to him about the variations.
<Very good.>
I've algae grow on the sunlight side of my small holding tank, the new fry seem to love it.
<Yes they do! Most crayfish, and indeed most crustaceans, are at least in part omnivorous and appreciate plant matter and algae in their diet. When I kept land crabs, they went wild over ripe bananas!>
Happy Gnu Ear!
<And likewise, Neale.>

Lobster... FW Crayfish beh.  12/26/07
All right Bob Sorry to bother you, I have a couple of questions if you could please find time to answer I would be over the moon. I have a lobster/crayfish not sure what he is, anyway he seams to be a red colour but goes very blue when he is going to molt. is this in fact a sign that he is about to molt going bright blue?
<Certainly sounds possible. Different crayfish change colours in different ways, so difficult to say for sure. Do watch diet issues; iodine is apparently one nutrient often lacking under aquarium conditions. Without the right diet, skeleton abnormalities are certainly possible.>
Can I add other ones to the tank without them killing each other ?
<No. Crayfish tend to be territorial. Even the ones that aren't will eat other specimens that are smaller/just moulted.>
If you require pics let me know and I will provide. Thanks and I look forward to your reply happy new year S+F Scott
<Cheers, Neale.>

Clawless Yabby; beh., fdg.  12/20/07
I am looking after an Australian Freshwater Yabby for a friend who is overseas. Two days ago, he escaped from his tank & fell off the kitchen bench onto the floor, & was found about 4 metres away from his tank. During this trauma he lost both of his claws. Once returned to the tank, he has been floating upside down, but still alive. My question is- if he stays alive, how do I feed him without his claws to grab the food? Or will he die?
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Kind Regards,
Jodi O'Connell
<This crustacean can, will consume foods of use still... really only uses the large claws for defense and seizing prey items... Maceration and manipulation are done via other smaller elements closer to the mouth. If this animal can be recovered, kept nourished, well-maintained, it will regenerate the larger claws with time, successive molts. Bob Fenner>

My freshwater blue crayfish seems to be eating its own antenna? Deficiency syndrome, reading  12/10/07
Dear WWM Crew:
<Vilma>
Thank you for your research suggestions, I followed them but I still did not find the answer to my question. I have a freshwater blue crayfish in a 10 gallon tank, my brother in law gave it to me for he could no longer house it with his fish species. I've had it for a little over 3 months and it seemed to be doing well until about 3 weeks ago when I started noticing that the long pair of antennas seem to have been shortened.
<Good observation>
The blue crayfish molted a few days after moving her into her new tank but has not molted ever since.
<Also a good clue>
Two weeks ago I did research online about crayfish eating their own antenna and all I found was that she might me iodine deficient
<This and possibly biomineral, and/or alkalinity>
so I added iodized table salt
<Mmm, not a good manner to remedy>
into the tank but I noticed that her antennas after the iodized salt treatment keep getting shorter. I don't think it's her diet, or water quality.
<These are the most likely categories...>
I have noticed a gray hue at the end of one of her antenna. Can you please tell me why her antennas keep getting shorter and what I can do about it?
Thank you,
Vilma Molina
<Please go back and read on WWM re Crayfish husbandry, disease, nutrition, systems... Your pet lacks calcium, possibly magnesium... maybe in too high/low a pH/alkaline reserve situation... Some of this/these can be supplied through feeding... all posted. Bob Fenner>

Crayfish, beh.  – 10/9/07
I have a red 3 inch crayfish in a 75 gallon with a couple of other fish. He has just shed very recently. He has only been in the tank for two weeks now.
Problem is when he shed he lost both his claws. I was wondering if this is normal. I was also wondering how long it will take for him to grow back his claws. There is no physical damage to him.
<Greetings. Yes, this happens, and yes, the claws will grow back. With each successive moult, the replacement claws will get a little bigger. Within a year he should be back to normal (assuming a moult once every 4-6 weeks). Crayfish are easily damaged during the moulting phase, and being territorial and rather aggressive, they do fight and can pull one another's claws off. Ensuring all the crayfish have hiding places is important. Fish can also damage them. Finally, there's some anecdotal evidence that adding iodine to the water improves crayfish health. Be sure and read this FAQ, where Sabrina explains doses and uses: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwcrustfaq2.htm . Cheers, Neale>

My blue lobster/crayfish, fdg., beh.   – 9/29/07
Hi. I have a blue lobster/crayfish, which i brought some time in march. my lobster/crayfish was eating fine, until he/she shelled on Monday (24th September), now he/she just doesn't seemed interested in anything food what so ever. is there something wrong with my lobster/crayfish? any suggestions please. thanks.
<Greetings. Crayfish tend to be extra-shy immediately after moulting. This is natural. For a couple of days their exoskeleton isn't strong enough to provide useful defence, so they stay hidden in their burrows. So give it a couple of days, and then see what happens. Do remember to vary the diet. Crayfish are primarily herbivores in the wild, and a lot of their diet is algae, soft plant matter, and decaying organic detritus. So you could try tempting your pet with something different. Sushi Nori would be ideal and especially rich in iodine, which crayfish apparently need for good health. You can pick this stuff up at any Asian food market or decent grocery store, and it's very cheap (over here in the UK, around £1 for 10 large sheets). Algae pellets (of the type sold for catfish) make a good alternative. Top this off with the other major part of the crayfish diet -- carrion. A nice bit of frozen whitebait or lancefish would be just the thing. The bones in these little fish would be a handy source of calcium. One last thing: crayfish, like most freshwater invertebrates, are sensitive to water quality. Check the nitrites are at zero and the nitrates fairly low. There must be no copper in the water (e.g., from fish medications) or salt. Not all species are tropical animals, so check which species you have, and if required adjust the temperature accordingly. Do also read this and its related articles: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/crayfishfaqs.htm . Cheers, Neale>

Crayfish molting-wow!  9/15/07
I don't have a question this time, more of an experience in awe.
I got a 2" blue crayfish a month ago (discussed with Neale) and instead of putting him with fish as originally intended, his home became a 20 gal aquarium. The LFS said all their crayfish had been the same size for the few months they'd had them. I thought that odd they hadn't grown as they're supposed to get to at least 5" minimum. 2 wks after I got him I found his old shell where he'd molted. He'd been hiding in his log whereas he's normally very active but was eating very well. Thanks to Sabrina's insight I've added iodine since I've had him.
The past 2 days he's been hiding again but still eating well. I just now looked into his tank and he's right smack in the middle of molting again! He's in his log but the log faces front and I have a perfect view with his fluorescent hood light. He's pulling off his shell as I type and his claws have doubled in size. This is the absolute coolest thing I've ever seen! He's super bright blue with pink tints and it's so pretty. He looks like he's doubled in size in just a month and I'm so happy to see my efforts have actually showed real results. Even though he seems to be molting a lot, I'm hoping that's only because he's 'catching up' and is healthy now.
Just wanted to let you all know how excited I am-ha!
Mitzi
(& Master Slurp B)
<Thank you for this endearing report! Bob Fenner>

Crayfish from Louisiana, beh.  8/10/07
Hi
Nemo II, a crayfish acquired from a school project in Ottawa but originally from Louisiana, has claws that are turning fire engine red. Is it a sign of sickness or of molting?
Thanks
Lyndsay ( and her stepmom who really doesn't know what she is doing with this little creature!)
<Hello Lyndsay. Nope, what you're observing is completely normal. Several species of crayfish develop coloured claws (technically: chelipeds) at maturity, presumably for social interactions. You likely have the species Procambarus clarkii though without a photo, I can't say for sure. Cheers, Neale>

Crawfish dragging claw    5/15/07
Greetings
My daughter brought home a crawfish from school last September. He's been a happy healthy guy and a really good eater. Last week, he moulted and lost a claw  at the same time. Problem now is his other claw is just dangling.
<Something "missing" either nutritionally or water quality wise... for the "replacement" to be complete>
He's dragging  it along side of him. What, if anything, can I do to help him.
<Improve both of the above... for "next time" it molts>
It's breaking our  hearts to see him like this. I find lots of information about claw loss, but  nothing about a claw that wont drop off.  Any suggestions please???  
Thank you. Carol
<Please read here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ca/cav1i4/crayfish/crayfish.htm
and the linked files at bottom... on Systems, Health, Feeding. Bob Fenner>

Lethargic Red Claw Crab - 04/12/2007
Hi,
<Hello.>
I have a red claw crab, I keep him in a tank with land, fresh and salt water.
<Excellent!>
For the past two days he hasn't been moving a lot. (not that he does usually, but he seems like he has gotten somewhat stiff!)
<Hmm....  Like he's.... moving more slowly when he moves?  Or....?>
I have been checking the heat if he is cold, but it hasn't changed a lot.
<Do you have a thermometer to check the temperature?  What is the temperature in the tank, and is it constant?>
I have even been warming him up in my hand, but I don't think it's helping him.
<That may actually be stressful to him, if he isn't accustomed to being handled.>
I have had him for almost four months already, and I don't want to lose him. Please
help!!!
<If he hasn't molted yet, I would wager that that's what's happening (or about to happen).  If he doesn't have a place to dig underground, try to give him a lot of nooks and crannies to hide in really well.  Molting is a dangerous time in a crab's life, and they need to feel very safe and not be handled or messed around with.  Try to make sure the temperature in the tank is warm (75-78F or thereabouts) and try to give him foods rich in iodine (shrimp tails, krill....).  He may not eat for a few or several days, so remove any uneaten food.  I should also say that he may not be molting; he might be sick.  Unfortunately, there just isn't a lot we know, and really nothing we can do, about sick crabs.  Mostly, the best things to do is provide them a perfect environment (you're doing great to give him fresh and saltwater, and land space), good nutrition, and help them to stay in good health.  I hope he's just molting and growing though; that will be a sure sign that you're doing a great job for him.  All the best to you and your crab,  -Sabrina>