freshwater crabs

[scuba_jez]

Hey

i was at the LFS and i saw some freshwater crabs!

they were so cool! i really want one - or two... but i think they eat eachother lol.

has anyone kept them? the ones i saw were about 2cm (less than an inch) wide. My tank is only small 28L with medium white gravel and an UGF with no fish in it as of yet since its in its last days of fishless cycling.

If this is in the wrong section plz move it - i appologise in advance.

 

[xander_chookeypud]

I dont know anything about them however I know someone that had crabs of a similar size... they ended up eating his betta... Even though he was told by lfs that it wouldnt harm any other fish So i guess you've just got to be careful what fish you put them with.

 

[Ava_Banana]

Hi,

I had a number of red crabs in a very small tank.........the larger of them killed the other two .....

But he is still going strong and has been in there for about four months.

He has red claws and I believe is called a Red Crab. He is around 1.5 cm across the body in size.

I was told that they will "take" slower fish, and I wouldn't necessarily trust him with anything that "slept" on the bottom of the tank, however I have him in a small tank on his own.

With these you also need to leave a place where they can get out of the water........if you don't they continually try to escape (they will keep trying anyway so make sure the top is well sealed).

If you are waiting to put fish into a nearly cycled tank, I would wait a little longer until you have the fish in there and have done a little more research on the crabs and compatibility........crabs can be fish food as well as fish being crab food.....

 

[scuba_jez]

I was told that they will "take" slower fish, and I wouldn't necessarily trust him with anything that "slept" on the bottom of the tank, however I have him in a small tank on his own.

With these you also need to leave a place where they can get out of the water........if you don't they continually try to escape (they will keep trying anyway so make sure the top is well sealed).

If you are waiting to put fish into a nearly cycled tank, I would wait a little longer until you have the fish in there and have done a little more research on the crabs and compatibility........crabs can be fish food as well as fish being crab food.....

[snapback]874512[/snapback]​

thanks, i think it must be up to the specific type of crab. i fond this web site that says that the crabs dont need to get out of the water.
http/www.aquariumfish.net/catalog_pages/...rs/crabs_p2.htm

i think it would be rather cool to have a crab. best bet i guess will be to ask my LFS - as much as i dont trust them *shakes fist*. thanks for your posts

EDIT: i just read on that page that some bloke said his crabs liked getting out of the water but keeping their eyes wet. anyway he had the smartest idea ever - a bubble cave!! i go scuba diving and theres one near where i live - so much fun (you can talk to your buddy under water) - so why not do it for the crab?? now i really want a crab - cept my tank isnt big enough for a bubble cave and building a ramp would be way hard since my tank is quite deep.

 

[smooth_bourbon]

I have had fiddler crabs which need to be able to get out of the water some, and red claw crabs which are supposed to be fine fully submerged. THEY BOTH LIKE TO ESCAPE soe get a really good lid for your tank no openings on the top especially near anything they can use (such as a filter intake tube) to climb up. Make sure they have plenty of room and lots of things to hide under and they are super fun pets.

Oh and make sure you are getting fresh water crabs Fiddler crabs( males have one red claw larger then the other) I believe are actually a brackish creature.

 

[scuba_jez]

I have had fiddler crabs which need to be able to get out of the water some, and red claw crabs which are supposed to be fine fully submerged. THEY BOTH LIKE TO ESCAPE soe get a really good lid for your tank no openings on the top especially near anything they can use (such as a filter intake tube) to climb up. Make sure they have plenty of room and lots of things to hide under and they are super fun pets.

Oh and make sure you are getting fresh water crabs Fiddler crabs( males have one red claw larger then the other) I believe are actually a brackish creature.

[snapback]874527[/snapback]​

hey I can actually see a potential bubble cave... i might make it myself. I'll post a picture of my aquarium, but this is the same model as the one i have. http/www.aquaone.com.au/curvedglass_aqtanks(cr320).htm i'm kicking myself in retrospect for buying such a small one but it looks really nice on my bedside table.

do you think the bubble cave will work? i'd only get a single crab and by the sounds of things they are happy alone.