Help! Marbled Cray Question

Hello,
I have a marbled cray & was looking for info on their behavior when they are first going to have eggs? Mine is usually out & about in the evening especially, but tonite she has been hiding in her cave & it looks like her tail is tucked under her. Sometimes she looks like shes almost laying on her side, then she'll straighten up, but I can't see anything other than her tail tucking!! I don't want to bother her, so I'm not going to try to get her to move, but I am worried about her. Can anyone help??
I hope I'm posting correctly! If not, I apologize--it's 4:30am here.... been trying to find info on this subject!! I will post my introduction later today after I get some sleep!
Thanks for any help you can give!!

Inverts (crayfish, shrimp) molt (shed their exoskeleton) and likely this is what you are noticing. Molting is also a process of reproducing as in the berried shrimp (carrying eggs will molt when it is time for the eggs to hatch or right after they hatch.

Hi Dave,
Thank you for your response! She just started doing this behavior early yesterday evening. The day before she didn't have any eggs. She's still hanging out in her cave, but she's not leaning anymore, which is good, I guess. I've had her for approx 8 mos or so, & she's never had babies before, so I'm not sure what behavior is normal. Her last molt was approx a month ago, if even that long. I read somewhere last night (don't remember where, I've been trying to find "normal behavior" & was all over the internet.) that they do lean to the side when molting, & that its very quick when they do molt. I've never actually seen her molt, just her exoskeleton in the tank. I have her tank in the living room, so I can keep an eye on her easily without bothering her.
Deb

Also if you don't have a male in the tank you may not ever get babies.

Crustaceans (crayfish, shrimp, etc...) have different levels of tolerances even within the same specie. For example I have cherry shrimp which are very robust and can tollerate me making some mistakes or parameters that aren't perfect, and I have Sulawesi Cardinal Shrimp which won't tollerate mistakes. Also some shrimp/crayfish will eat food offered to them in the form of fish/shrimp food or boiled veggies and other shrimp specie like the Cardinal Shrimp won't eat offered food as they come from a nutrient poor environment.

Double dose the water you use for water changes with dechlorinator as crustaceans can't tollerate chlorine or chloramine.

Dave

if its a marbled cray no male is necessary, as the species is entirely female. they reproduce parthogenically. ive separated new born fry crays into single tanks and within 8 months or so they reach a mature size and begin to reproduce. so that way i know no hanky pankying has occured >:P