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Size of fiddlers?

SueAndHerZoo

Wonderpus
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Feb 3, 2011
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I ordered some fiddlers from Paul for my hatchlings and they arrived today but they are SO MUCH BIGGER than I expected! I can't imagine these little hatchlings could catch/kill/eat one of these but I was going to put one in each container to see how they react. However, the more I look at these crabs, I'm thinking they may eat the octopus.... does that happen?

If the crabs are, in fact, too big, what should I do with them? I don't think I can smash them/kill them for their meat.... can I just put them in the freezer and have them peacefully "pass away"?

Sue
 
I freeze them when they die but I find them before there is any odor and they are well excepted that way. I think I have also mentioned freezing hermits and then going through interesting gyrations to extract them for the hatchlings. Size does seem to matter even to an extent as they get older but try freezing and presenting them dead. If they don't eat them, you might freeze the rest in a WELL sealed (to minimize drying out during the defrost cycles) bag for later.
 
DWhatley;174176 said:
I freeze them when they die but I find them before there is any odor and they are well excepted that way. I think I have also mentioned freezing hermits and then going through interesting gyrations to extract them for the hatchlings. Size does seem to matter even to an extent as they get older but try freezing and presenting them dead. If they don't eat them, you might freeze the rest in a WELL sealed (to minimize drying out during the defrost cycles) bag for later.

K. How about I freeze and hammer? I can do it once they're dead but I can't bring myself to mallet them while they're looking at me and waving. :frown:
Sue
 
LOL, you DON'T need to hammer the fiddlers, just offer them well thawed, the octo will figure out how to get the meat out. It is the hermits that I use the hammer for and only after they have been euthenized in the freezer. Oddly, I don't have much problem feeding live fiddlers or clams but I would feel I was torturing the hermit if I tried to take it out of the shell alive and then offer it. This makes no logical sense but ... maybe it is because I eat crabs and clams but not fiddlers :roll:
 
LOL Now you've got me hysterical. I'm picturing myself with a crazed look on my face sledge-hammering a poor dead, frozen, fiddler crab and watching shell fragments fly all over the kitchen! So you NEVER smashed fiddlers????? Geez - I'm so relieved. :smile:

I tried putting a newly dead fiddler in with one of the hatchlings last night and left it there about an hour -- I think the poor hatchling was afraid of it so I removed it and put it in the freezer. (the fiddler, not the octo)

I can understand you not wanting to yank a hermit out of it's shell - I feel the same way. Euthanize it first, THEN tear it out of it's home. LOL Any way we have to justify this that works for us, right?

OK, putting away the safety glasses and hammer. I never get to have any fun. :smile:
Sue
 
:biggrin2: Sometimes a pair of pliers works with the hermits but I had better luck with the hammer (lost some altogether though). At this age, likely frozen mysis, freshly killed shore shrimp and deshelled hermits are probably the best bet. Joe-Ceph has mentioned bits of scallop and I have some ready for the older one when he gets here.

so I removed it and put it in the freezer. (the fiddler, not the octo)
reminds me of an old joke about a dyslexic nurse:sly:
 

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