Fiddler/mini Crabs
- Thread starter Cal116
- Start date
three-fingers
Fish Connoisseur
What kind of "community tank" is this?
Most crabs have very poor lifespans in such tanks, as they are mainly terrestrial (so should have a larger land area) and require at least mildly brackish water long term (with marine sea salt).
Not to mention they sometimes take out small fish.
If this is a freshwater tank, I really feel sorry for the female, who will be trying to seek out marine or strongly brackish water water to release the babies.
But yes, crabs produce quite a bit of waste.
Most crabs have very poor lifespans in such tanks, as they are mainly terrestrial (so should have a larger land area) and require at least mildly brackish water long term (with marine sea salt).
Not to mention they sometimes take out small fish.
If this is a freshwater tank, I really feel sorry for the female, who will be trying to seek out marine or strongly brackish water water to release the babies.
But yes, crabs produce quite a bit of waste.
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Cal116
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I use API Aquarium Salt in the aquarium for them to create those conditions. I have a huge piece of driftwood setup that gives them a big open area at the top of the aquarium out of water. They spend a vast majority of their time there.
three-fingers
Fish Connoisseur
Nope, API aquarium salt is not useful in the slightest here.
It's just plain old over-priced aquarium branded sodium chloride, and doesnt come close to replicating the conditions these crabs need.
In fact, I would never use it in any of my aquariums, just a waste of money which is potentially harmful to the fish long-term, read here: http
/www.fishforums.net/index.php?s=&...t&p=1877744
You need marine aquarium salt (the kind used with marine fish and reef tanks), as it contains all the trace elements and buffers that actually recreate sea water, or brackish water. Most community fish wont tolerate the salinity these crabs need. You are going to need a separate set-up for the crabs.
Start here
: http/lmgtfy.com/?q=fiddler+crab+aquarium
The first 3 results all give good info straight away, and theres much more info out there (beware some websites are rubbish though).
If you feel comfortable just giving them a piece of wood to live on, then thats up to you, but IMO they should be provided with a large land area as these guys like to forage, dig and run at times. In nature they are very active and have loads of space. With a small land area, they are forced to sit around and essentially do nothing all day.
I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news, LFS are notorious for giving bad advice on these crabs (and many, many other things).
Though it's mainly the LFS that's at fault, please remember to research any animals needs before purchase, never rely on retailers advice, it's usually from uninterested workers with low wages and motivation, or even if they know their stuff - it's their job to sell you stuff.
Good luck with the fiddlers
(was going to say "crabs" but it sounded even weirder).
It's just plain old over-priced aquarium branded sodium chloride, and doesnt come close to replicating the conditions these crabs need.
In fact, I would never use it in any of my aquariums, just a waste of money which is potentially harmful to the fish long-term, read here: http
/www.fishforums.net/index.php?s=&...t&p=1877744You need marine aquarium salt (the kind used with marine fish and reef tanks), as it contains all the trace elements and buffers that actually recreate sea water, or brackish water. Most community fish wont tolerate the salinity these crabs need. You are going to need a separate set-up for the crabs.
Start here
: http/lmgtfy.com/?q=fiddler+crab+aquariumThe first 3 results all give good info straight away, and theres much more info out there (beware some websites are rubbish though).
If you feel comfortable just giving them a piece of wood to live on, then thats up to you, but IMO they should be provided with a large land area as these guys like to forage, dig and run at times. In nature they are very active and have loads of space. With a small land area, they are forced to sit around and essentially do nothing all day.
I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news, LFS are notorious for giving bad advice on these crabs (and many, many other things).
Though it's mainly the LFS that's at fault, please remember to research any animals needs before purchase, never rely on retailers advice, it's usually from uninterested workers with low wages and motivation, or even if they know their stuff - it's their job to sell you stuff.
Good luck with the fiddlers
(was going to say "crabs" but it sounded even weirder).Similar threads
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