I've been thinking about getting crabs for a while and searching around on here I see a few people have them so I was after some experience and advice if possible. Are they interesting on their own or should I go for a mixed setup?
My LFS keep a good stock of red crabs in and they look pretty cool. I've got a small tank free that I used keep triops in so I was thinking about using that but it might be too small. Its got a basic filter and stuff though.
I found a great information page about the Red Clawed Crab and wanted to share a exerpt:
"Wild RCCs live in large colonies in damp holes. Males are territorial, and they will fight among themselves—often to the death. Due to this, I would only ever keep a maximum of one male crab in a small tank, or maybe two in a large tank.
Fortunately other critters seem pretty safe from RCCs. The RCC may chase away fish that get too close but neither fish nor crab have ever been injured in my experience—though other keepers have told me of small fish being caught and eaten."
You also need to reseach the tank mates bhavior before adding them in.
I used to keep fiddler crabs in a 55 gal. I created an air cave at the bottom by inverting a fish bowl and placing a heavy rock on top, then running an air line inside. The bowl would fill up with air and the crabs would go inside and sit, while being a foot under water. Ive found that crayfish enjoy that too. What would be better would be a shallower container so it wouldnt require such a large rock. You can create an under water land area so your inverts that need air arent always trying to escape. I used to have a photo of the fiddler sitting in the air cave. It was pretty cool. I wish I could share it but it was like 10 years ago.
If anyone tries this, Id like to see a photo. I would do it now, but I dont have a large tank setup currently.
Except that next to nobody gives them the right environment. Most people just throw them into a fish tank without realizing that these guys actually live on beaches and rock outcroppings most of their lives.
Mustafa wrote:
Except that next to nobody gives them the right environment. Most people just throw them into a fish tank without realizing that these guys actually live on beaches and rock outcroppings most of their lives.
Sadly too true, many people see something that catches their eye, and want to add it to their collection with little thought to the requirements of the new addition, or the suitability of tankmates. I learned the hard way with fish, and now spend the necessary time to research, consider, and reconsider any new critter. If it wasn't for Mustafa and this forum, the shrimp/crayfish hobby would be a much darker world. As time goes on, it grows brighter for all of us and for the critters in our care.
Mustafa wrote:
Except that next to nobody gives them the right environment. Most people just throw them into a fish tank without realizing that these guys actually live on beaches and rock outcroppings most of their lives.
Sadly too true, many people see something that catches their eye, and want to add it to their collection with little thought to the requirements of the new addition, or the suitability of tankmates. I learned the hard way with fish, and now spend the necessary time to research, consider, and reconsider any new critter. If it wasn't for Mustafa and this forum, the shrimp/crayfish hobby would be a much darker world. As time goes on, it grows brighter for all of us and for the critters in our care.
That's why i build biotope aquariums, except for the breeding setups(fish) in which i use barebottom on most
