…and Comedy September 29, 2008

I have never been so happy to be wrong. Ulysses is alive and well!

I realize that yes, I am a dork, but I cried my way through the workday today.  After work I made a trip to a mom-and-pop pet store I passed last week in an attempt to get some more life in the Disco.  I wasn’t trying to replace Ulysses –that would be impossible– but instead to make the tank seem not so empty without him.  I spent about half an hour getting to know the hermit crabs there, and after suffering a nice pinch on my middle finger, I left with two new crabs (yet to be named).

As I was moving things around to grab Hector for a bath (I wanted to bathe H and the new guys together to reduce the chance of further cannibalism) I found Ulysses’ shell in the rock hidey right next to where Hector was encamped.  At first I was even more upset, because not only did Hector EAT Ulysses, now he had to go and drag his shell around too…

…until I went to move U’s shell out of the way and thought I felt a vibration. I put the shell to my ear and I thought I heard a chirp. My husband confirmed that he thought he heard something too, so I put the shell down on a paper plate, and after a few minutes, Ulysses came out completely whole, healthy, and freshly molted with his teeny black toenails.  Apparently I had unearthed the remains of Ulysses’ exoskeleton, and he is able to retreat so far into his shell that I didn’t even see him this morning.  But now he’s been out and about, and has been making friends with the two new guys, and I think the worst of the worry may be over.  I’m going to watch him for a few days to make sure he’s energetic enough, but I think I can count this as the day Ulysses came back from the dead.

Yay, zombie crab!

Now if Ajax would only come up from his molt I will be perfectly happy . . . .

Tragedy September 29, 2008

I came downstairs this morning and checked the Disco, only to find that I’m harboring a cannibal. Hector killed and ate the freshly molted Ulysses.

At first I was all excited, I checked the tank and there was Ulysses’ shell, just outside his molting tunnel! And then I noticed that the water dish had been drained, the substrate around the tunnel was in disarray, and there was Hector . . .

. . . and Ulysses’ shell was empty.

I was already running late for work, but I grabbed Hector and plopped him outside the tank and started looking through the shell patch. Nothing. I started digging, in case Ulysses had changed shells and reburied himself. Still nothing. And then, I found a pretty pastel purple big pincher. I knew that wasn’t a good sign, but I kept digging just in case I’d uncovered U’s exoskeleton BP. Then I found the leg. It was obviously a new-molt leg, all covered with wee little dark hairs. That was definitely NOT exo. That’s all there was to it, Ulysses was gone.

I can imagine only two scenarios. Based on the absence of exoskeleton during my digging, it seems Ulysses was just about ready to emerge from his successful molt. Either he came up on his own and Hector the bully killed him in a fit of whatever crabs have fits about, or drawn by the scent of newly-molted crab, Hector the bully dug down into U’s molting tunnel, dragged him out, and ate him.

Either way, I have one less crab (and if I have to be honest, Ulysses was my favorite). U and Desi –the cat– got along famously and Desi would watch him walk around on the floor and pat at him oh so delicately, and in turn, he’d just keep going wherever it was he was headed, and wasn’t intimidated by the giant furry behemoth who insisted on keeping him company.

It’s stupid to be distressed about losing a tiny little crustacean smaller than a golf ball, but I’m sad and upset and I miss him.

Rundown September 24, 2008

Lets see, yesterday:

• I left work early
• I napped on the couch
• Old neighbors dropped by to visit
• A margarita was consumed with dinner
• Hector cleared the barricade in the Disco and is looking surly

I took 4 hours of sick time today as well and didn’t come in until 12:30.  Sadly, I forgot my Flaming Orange Sweatshirt of “Your Cooling System Bites and I’ll Look Professional When I’m Warm, Dammit” and now I’m a little chilly.  Thankfully, only 3 hours to go!

Waiting Game September 22, 2008

The Clan has gone ninja.

Ajax is still buried in ISO, but has thoughtfully left me a window at the bottom of the tank so I can peek at him and make sure he isn’t dead.  I’m having a hard time not picking up the ISO tank several times daily to check on him, as I know it stresses him out.  Or at least, I think it’s bothering him, based on the twitching and chirping.  I’ve put the tank on a towel to try and train myself not to check on him so frequently.  He’s made a pretty sizable air pocket in the substrate, so I’m not really worried anymore about suffocating him.

Ulysses is still under in the main tank, but he’s been noisy the last few days.  He’s buried himself somewhere in the left side of the tank, and if I listen at night I can hear him scraping and squeaking.  It’s an oddly comforting sound, and I can spend hours just sitting there, listening for noises.  The main tank is too heavy for me to lift and peek under, so I’m only hoping he’s molting and everything is going well.

Hector has once again barricaded himself inside the opening to the log.  That only happened Friday night, so I’m not making any bets as to whether he’s molting or just playing.  He’s been the most visible and active, so now that he’s walled in the Disco is very still. . . it makes the urge to pick up another crabbie from a pet shop somewhere that much harder to resist.  I’m dying to see some activity in there again.

Once everyone is above ground, I’ll see if I can find out if all three of my guys are actually guys.