Sloughing Crabs

[Capt. Dale]

Hay guys,
I tried sloughing crabs this year for the first time .
Started in the shed with( Closed System) 2 Rubbermaid under the bed type cloths holders.
2 air stones and 2 filters, anti-ammonia crystals and chlorine remover (used city water WSSC)
Began the season 4-4 100% but it went down hill from there. Lost the next 12 in a row.
Dying as the bust across the back.
Then tried hauling water from the South River. Stopped using the commercials.
Same result dying as they bust. I guy at work told me he uses city water (Arundel Co)
But he uses sea salt 38-40- PPT with a kids pool in a gurage with 75 gallons of water with about 98% success.
Sooo I purchased a kiddy pool about 4’ dia, added a water pump for more oxidation went back to the city water no commercials. Don't know the water temp about 80* most likely.
Added sea salt 22 ppt with about 25-30 gallons of water, one large bubbler one bubbler stone, now its on my back deck also added ply wood around the top for shade. Two weeks and 23 peelers later: 2 bust ok,:)) raccoon visits one night takes 6 :eek:, 4 die outright, 8 die busting 3 remain alive. 2 watermen friends tell me my bacteria levels are out of whack. Using too much salt, and my filter system is wrong.
I’m thinking I’ll just go back to selling my peelers.. :confused:

[stingray]

Hey Dale. It's pretty tricky getting it exactly right. I've been giving mine to a friend and we now have up to about a 50% success rate. Not good, but we're still learnig. i think we need stronger water circulation. Same thing, we get them to the busting stage and then they don't make it. At least they're not going to waste as they make great bait. see ya

[redbeard]

capt. dale , we meet coming home from the watermans show this winterwhen we both stopped for oysters at cool ice, anyhow i think you need a larger tank and a bio filter. my system is a 4x8x12 in high, i have a pipe in the centerof the tank that lets the water drop into a 55 gallon drum laid on it's side. the drom is about 1/2 full of oyster shells and i pump the water back into the top thru a spray bar which is pcv pipe the length of the top tank 8 ft. the pvc pipe just has a bunch of holes drilled pointing into the tank. the reason for the oyster shells is it give bacteria some place to grow and in return the bacteria eats the waste and protien given off by the crabs. ive had good sucsess in the past sloughing as many as 6 dozen in 1 week with this system. after about 1 month or 2 if the crabs start dying you have to change at least 1/2 the water because some chemicals build up that you can't eliminate. what ever you do more water the better,pumpc can be had at a reasonable price at harbor frieght and try going to the blue crab forum and do a search on sheddig systems there's alot of info there. good luck PS my system holds about 120 to 150 gallons and i haul it from stoney creek.

[Ida Mae]

kiddie pool is the way to go....need enough oxygen.....thats the key...i went 82 for 88 in 3 days...cant wait for the Sept 5th....do it all over again:yes:

[Capt. Dale]

Herb, Happy to hear you're getting there. keep it up. Yea,I now have a freezer full of peelers. Any one need some 3 for a $1.:D
Wish I could find the time to go fishing. that would be a nice break.
I'm getting a "Hook & Line Lic and another Charter Lic next week. "Cheap"
Red:Good to hear from you, I drove down to Va Northern Neck this spring and looked at those Shedding tanks that were in the Watermens Gazatte. To big for me to mess with I like the kiddie Pool system. Yes I've read alot on BlueCrab.org about shedding
Charlie: First off, Congrats on the Sail Fish, Can't beat "Blue Water" I'm 0-3 on Sails, Need to go to Can-Cun in May June, 40 a day they say.
I have a water pump I got from Pepco $35 that bugger cost me.
I'm good at raising "Green Crabs" its the Rank ones I'm having a problem with.
One would think they all would die if there was not enough oxygen,or circulation.
I tend to think its the filter system. But looking at your pics you don't even have a filter do you? Maybe I'll get another pump!!

Any one have any idea's about the Sea Salt. I'm thinking 22PPT is to high should be 1/2 that maybe. I think I read some where it should be within 5 PPT of the water they came from. In that case it would be 0.0 (South River).

[stingray]

"I think I read some where it should be within 5 PPT of the water they came from. In that case it would be 0.0 (South River)."
__________________
Dale, now ya got me thinking. We're pulling crabs from the PAx but using water from the GP. I wonder if that has anything to do w/ our lack of complete success. Some make it just fine, so i don't know.:confused:

[Butthead]

Dale,

I have done the enclosed system, using under the bed storage containers for years. Probably 10 or more....and I never have a failure rate...oh sure I lose one or two here and there, but never more than 3. The only thing I ever do is bring home water from where the crabs were caught. I just fill my 20 gallon livewell before I put the boat on the trailer, and that is more than enough water.

This year however, I have about a 10% success rate, if that:eek:

Last week, I brought home 14 peelers from a little morning trip, and every one of them died on the way out. they will get 1/2 way, and then hang up and die. Its been the same thing all year, and I cant for the life of me figure out why.

I am going to try one more thing this weekend, and if that fails, then I am giving up for this year. Found a guy on the shore selling them for $20 a dozen anyway...who needs the headaches at that price :D

PS...Charlie, you are really beginning to piss me off..everything you have is cool...:D;-)

[DuckButler]

I use one side of the double sink in our basement 8 galons of h2o from the Magothy, stone bubbler and $10 fish filter from WMT. DO ~6-10 at a time only had one die. Takes as long as a week for the red sign ones to go.. Here is a weird part. Caught them in the heat out of the water for 6 hrs, in the tank for ~ a day. a couple slough. take the rest put them in a plactic tray cover them in wet newspsper put in a cooler for ~8 hrs. Use a couple to fish catch rock under the bridge. Great. Take them back home put them back in and they continue to slough! To me, wow how durable! out, in out, in out, in on ice...

[Capt. Dale]

Sucess, Went home for lunch another had sloughed LIVE :clap::clapping2:
only 2 left in the pool they will go by Sunday. Will hope to resupply tomorrow.
Rod, $20 a doz thats great is that mix sizes: Whales Jumbos Primes

[Butthead]

I'm sure it is Dale...my brother lives in Henderson, and he's the one that told me about it. He's gonna pick me up a dozen this weekend, so I'll be sure to let you know if they are any good.

[POLECAT]

Dale,

Bite the bullet and get some containers to haul ~40 gallons of water home with the peelers. That's what I have done for years with success.

Forget well water, forget city water. That's not what they lived in.

Forget adding salt! Place 2" to 2.5" of water in the pool and change it when it begins to look dirty. That'll depend on how many crabs are in the pool. All you'll need is an areator & stone. Keep them in the shade and where the coons can get to them.

When they begin to shed, place them in a separte container in the pool where the other crabs can't harass them. Stress from fear of being eaten may be what's killing them in addition to too much salt and chlorine & other chemicals.

It's not rocket science!

Red's filter system is a great idea, but it's not needed if your crab quantity is low and you change the water as it is needed.

My dumb neighbor did exactly like I mentioned above for years with excellent success and he's no smarter than an Oyster. You can do it!

[bayhead]

Boy Jerry...I'm glad I'm not your neighbor! An OYSTER is just a hair smarter than a stone - but...much better to eat!:yes:

[Capt. Dale]

Jer, are you still in Oregon?

[POLECAT]

Dale,
We're spending the night in Brookings, OR..... just an Oyster's throw from the CA border. Heading south tomorrow to see Yosemite Nat'l. Park then East.

See ya at CF!!!

P.S. Just sitting down with a few Dungeness Crabs.:yes::thumbup:

[Burchbeer]

I wont even pretend to know what I am doing but once many years ago I was told that water motion, from areator,pump, natural at pier side in a slough box, assists the peelers to back out.
For what its worth.

Good luck with the sloughing Captn Dale!

DB

[Capt. Dale]

UPDATE:
Caught 12 rank crabs Saturday, Turned the airrator on its side to increase circulation,took out some water added South River water Sunday morning had a nice Jumbo Softy, Sunday evening got a nice Whale. Monday morning another Jumbo.
Went to the pet shop got another Airator for the surface circulation,removed some more water added more SR water.Monday evening another Whale. Tuesday morning a Whale & and Jumbo. I think the problem has been solved. :clapping2::clap:
Thanks guys for your help.
Even us Oysters can get it right with some help:D

[POLECAT]

Told ya so!!!!:thumbup:

P.S. Almost in AZ.

[Fat Jimmy]

I only brought home 7 really good peelers from my trip last Friday and had a "mass exodus" overnight. 5 of the 7 shed from sometime between last night at 10 and this morning at 5:45. 5 beautiful whales, soft and silky smooth this morning- soft crab BLTs for dinner tonight! :chef::yes:

[Capt. Dale]

That a Boy Jammie.
I were home for lunch and had another Whale waiting for me to put her in the frig!

[Capt. Dale]

Told ya so!!!!:thumbup:

P.S. Almost in AZ.

Forest,
you need to stop by Bowie and get the net I'm charging you rent on.

[stingray]

Hey Dale. I think the key is moving water. The more turbulent, the better. glad it's workin out for ya!:thumbup:

[Capt. Dale]

Herb,
Get yourself a $25 airrator, that was the ticket. I had one blowing vertical in the air, when I laid it horizonal that was what made the differance. Then I got another different kind now the crabs move non-stop in the pool. You can almost see the smile on their faces :))

[longtail]

Capt. Dale,
If your running a closed system, sorry Polecat its worse then rocket science. Its a tough system to develop and run successfully. If your interested in running a closed system full tilt, get rid of the shells and use the bio-balls. The work much better.

They dont use oysters at the aquarium, the use bio-balls.

Also, invest in a test kit for Ammonia, nitrates and nitrites.

Here's a neat link from Wiki, telling you a little more about it. This is why your losing your crabs, and your always gonna lose them mid-slough.
Nitrate - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nitrate)

If you find, by using your test kit, your levels are toxic, RID-X (septic systems) will bring it down.

Every good closed system slougher has a box of ridX close by.

Good Luck, its tough, but when you get it, you'll have the cleanest softies around.:thumbup:

[POLECAT]

Everyone has their preferred method of doing things. I'm no different except I like to keep it as simple as it can be. The fewer things one has to deal with, generally, the easier the task at hand becomes. Nothing about sloughing peelers is as simple as chaning their water (that I know about). It's free!! It's easy to do and it's effective. Besides, I heard somewhere that it works too!! Imagine that!!!

I'm for whatever makes you, me, everyone comfortable. I keep reminding myself that not everyone likes Vanilla.

Dale, 107* in Lake Havasu, AZ this afternoon! Think you can haul that net to CF? Did I hear you mention Halibut?:D

[Capt. Dale]

Longtail, Thanks for the additional information,I'll check it out.
After a couple adjustments i'm 7-7 !00%.
Jer, 107* hope the ac in the camper kept you cool, can't wait to hear about the trip.
Net to CF will do.
I'll trade some Softies for some Flat Fish :D

[longtail]

Polecat,
At 8 pounds per gallon, (40 pounds per 5 gallon bucket, 100 gallons per tank, 20 buckets per tank, 2 tanks, 40 buckets total) changing water isn't as simple for an old man.

Being able to create and maintaining a self-sustaining closed system is as much a prize as the goodies that come out of it.

If your truely interested in it, I have alot of experience and can help you out if needed.

It's always good to "prime" the system for a week or so with some catfish or minnows.

Or you can speed prime it with a cup full of RidX in your bio-filter.

[longtail]

ALSO!!!

Keep in mind, water evaportates. SALT doesnt!!!

[Capt. Dale]

Prime the tank? You mean use the minnows in lue of losing the crabs ? What would the minnows be doing, acting as mice. If they die something is wrong?

[POLECAT]

Longtail,

I have no doubt your method and system are successful for you. I am not challenging that. We do not achieve the same results with the same techniques, and that's just fine with me. It doesn't make my method any better than yours, nor your method any better than mine as long as we both have satisfactory results.

Keep in mind, however, that my system does not need 100 gallons of water. The most I have ever had to tote home is 20 gallons. Never more in the entire time I have been playing this game. Usually all of the peelers are successfully sloughed before all of the water is used.

Maybe I'm doing something wrong??? but it works for me and for several others that use this method. That's all that really matters to me in the long run. It's the least complicated and easiest method to make adjustments to if needed. That's what I like about it. Life is complicated enough! No need to add additional steps if the amount of peelers isn't the equivalent of a commercial operation. Mine isn't. Just enough to satisfy me and the family.

Of course, if I were buying peelers on the wholesale level for sloughing and resale, I would have a system similar to yours. The quantity would have to warrant it.

I wish you continued success and thank you for your input.

[port fisher]

Interesting thread! Been doing it for years on advice from Smith Island crabbers. No problems thus far and it is not rocket science as Polecat says. Aeration is the key along with a lot of time spent watching!

[longtail]

Dale,
Fish are far more resilent than crabs. They bring to a new tank, good bacteria and enzemyes that condition it, and jump start the bio-filter. The bio-filter is just a side tank you fill with oystershells or bio balls and circulate, that trap, harbor and provide perfect habitat for the bacteria to thrive and it's the bacteria that removes the harmful by-products (poo) that would normally decompose and produce harmful ammonia, nitrates and nitrite, killing your crabs.

Your crabs will go belly up, long before any fish in the tank will.

A proper ran closed system, is rocket science. And if you dont think so, its because you have never ran one.

Of course, if your just sloughing a few for yourself as Polecat suggested. A kiddy pool and some fresh river water will do.

[longtail]

Let me also add, with running a closed system, no matter where you are. A raccoon will find it, and help themselves while you sleeping.

lol!

[Capt. Dale]

Thanks, That great info.
I use 2 (carbon) bio-filters. I clean (rinse) or change as needed.