Freshwater Crabs

[jakeroberts]

i was wonderinf i was in a my lfs and i saw these freshwater crabs i was wondering if any one has any information on them like tanks size and food as i am having trouble finding nformation

 

[dizzied]

Do you what the name of these crabs are?

Most advertised as freshwater are actually brackish and mostly terrestrial.

 

[raptorrex]

i was wonderinf i was in a my lfs and i saw these freshwater crabs i was wondering if any one has any information on them like tanks size and food as i am having trouble finding nformation

there are very few true fresh water crabs. and almost all get very big, and none can be kept in anyway except on their own.

the ones you often see at the LFS are brackish, Redclaw crab and Fiddler crabs, most often sold a freshwater are not. not only that but they are all land critters, using the water to feed and mate in.

tank size depends on how you keep them. i would suggest a 36x12x18 inch tank. with about 2/3 land and 1/3 water. as to how to create a "crab lodge", you will need to do some research. there are some good post in the invert section, give them a look see if they are any help.

 

[Kevin_D]

I bought two very colourful Fiddler Crabs a few days ago, I havent got any pics yet, but they are the ones that are pictured on this page (not my picture, so not posting it directly) http/www.fishdeals.com/misc/crabs/ I think they are Uca chlorophthalmus, different to the usual Uca pugnax that ive seen for sale before, Im keeping them with my 2 Mudskippers, and they are getting on fine so far, even stay near each other with no aggression.

Ive kept one species of Crab, Cardisoma armatum, in freshwater for years, I didnt even know about brackish aquariums when I bought them, and they are doing brilliantly, I got them both around 5 years ago, they shed theyre exoskeleton every 6 months or so, the largest is now around 20cm wide, I keep them in a 5.5ft foot glass tank, 1/3 water, 2/3 land with deep soil and sand mixture for them to dig into, the water is heated to 26c, the land is also heated, with a light strip, and a heatbulb. I dont know of any other Crabs that would thrive in freshwater though? Aegla sp would, but they technically arent Crabs.

 

[dizzied]

I've seen a number of freshwater crabs, including fully-aquatic ones, but they're more of a seasonal thing at my LFS.

That's an interesting fiddler btw, don't think I've seen it before. Most on the market are indeed Uca pugnax.

 

[Kevin_D]

That's an interesting fiddler btw, don't think I've seen it before. Most on the market are indeed Uca pugnax.

My lfs ordered them in specifically for me, as I told them to let me know whenever theyre offered any unusual crabs, they got them as Flame Blue, or Blue Flame Fiddlers (or something like that?) they didnt know the latin name, they were only £5 each, I was told that they were a new species, so they may start becomming more common in other shops?, I like them a lot more than the normal red ones, Im not sure what size they get to though? but theyve settled in ok, and have eaten pre-frozen bloodworm and sinking pellets that I crushed for them.

 

[dizzied]

Uca chlorophthalmus looks correct. http/www.fiddlercrab.info/u_chlorophthalmus.html

It's definitely not a new species, though it probably hasn't been traded in the hobby often. From time to time, importers just seem to stock something completely random and unseen on their list.

 

[raptorrex]

I've seen a number of freshwater crabs, including fully-aquatic ones, but they're more of a seasonal thing at my LFS.

That's an interesting fiddler btw, don't think I've seen it before. Most on the market are indeed Uca pugnax.

i'd be interested in links to these crabs, as yet apart from saltwater deep sea crabs, i have not been able to find any truly fully aquatic crab. though it is something i would really like to find! if there is no link perhaps you could supply me with the address of your LFS.

 

[Invader Xan]

I've seen a number of freshwater crabs, including fully-aquatic ones, but they're more of a seasonal thing at my LFS.

That's an interesting fiddler btw, don't think I've seen it before. Most on the market are indeed Uca pugnax.

i'd be interested in links to these crabs, as yet apart from saltwater deep sea crabs, i have not been able to find any truly fully aquatic crab. though it is something i would really like to find! if there is no link perhaps you could supply me with the address of your LFS.

Ditto, if possible. I'd love to keep a crab in my tank, but I don't have any space for dry land.

Unless I'm mistaken, geosesarma sp crabs can thrive in freshwater...

 

[dizzied]

I'm not completely sure which LFS I've seen them, since I visit about twenty-something different ones and they stock rarer things so seasonally/randomly. I do make rounds every month or so, if I see one again, I'll snap a picture and see what information I can get.

I know Frank recently stocked a freshwater/fully-aquatic one:
http/www.franksaquarium.com/freshwater_crabs.htm

There's also the rainbow crab, which I heard is a common find in some areas, though I haven't seen it much. I believe it's freshwater and semi-aquatic.

 

[raptorrex]

I'm not completely sure which LFS I've seen them, since I visit about twenty-something different ones and they stock rarer things so seasonally/randomly. I do make rounds every month or so, if I see one again, I'll snap a picture and see what information I can get.

I know Frank recently stocked a freshwater/fully-aquatic one:
http/www.franksaquarium.com/freshwater_crabs.htm

There's also the rainbow crab, which I heard is a common find in some areas, though I haven't seen it much. I believe it's freshwater and semi-aquatic.

humm both are land crabs, both are brackish, living in the mangrove swamp, however the mosaic crab does range further. the mosaic crab, if that really is what it is, is the most poisonous crab known! though only if you eat them! and i'm far from convinced that is its real name. sadly none is aquatic and none is freshwater.

i have to say that this is a real problem when researching Crabs and Crayfish, much of the information given by retailers, seems to have more to do with selling than it does the truth!

 

[dizzied]

"Mosaic crab" might just be a random name attached to that crab. Getting a hold of it's scientific name might yield better information.

Frank is one of the best retailers around, it's unlikely he'd just label it as "freshwater aquatic" just to make a sale. If he was misinformed, then I'd believe it.

 

[Kevin_D]

Rainbow Crabs are one of the species I keep, Cardisoma armatum, my ones dont have brackish water, they have freshwater, heated to 26c, around 6 inches deep, and around 2 foot of land, with substrate around 8 inches deep, and have always been very healthy, they shed every 6 months or so, the largest one is around 18-20cm across now.

 

[raptorrex]

"Mosaic crab" might just be a random name attached to that crab. Getting a hold of it's scientific name might yield better information.

Frank is one of the best retailers around, it's unlikely he'd just label it as "freshwater aquatic" just to make a sale. If he was misinformed, then I'd believe it.

i'm sure he is, however he miss ladled the crabs in your link, there is no reason to think the researchers and university's where i got some of my information from are wrong. however the error happened, it is an error, therefore giving incorrect information to those who brows! i mealy pointed out that retail or retail related sites, are not the best places to glean information.

Rainbow Crabs are one of the species I keep, Cardisoma armatum, my ones dont have brackish water, they have freshwater, heated to 26c, around 6 inches deep, and around 2 foot of land, with substrate around 8 inches deep, and have always been very healthy, they shed every 6 months or so, the largest one is around 18-20cm across now.

rainbow crabs are indeed fresh water, but still a land critter, spending most of their time out of the water. as i said they grow big, and tend to be very aggressive. I'd love one but cant dedicate a tank only to one critter. has the colour of the larger crab began to fade? it is said that as they age the colours this happens.

 

[Kevin_D]

rainbow crabs are indeed fresh water, but still a land critter, spending most of their time out of the water. as i said they grow big, and tend to be very aggressive. I'd love one but cant dedicate a tank only to one critter. has the colour of the larger crab began to fade? it is said that as they age the colours this happens.

The larger Crab spends most of his time in the water now, the smaller one is usually in its burrow on the land, but they both shed their skin underwater, the larger crab is still very colourful, its carapace is a dark blue/purple, my camera isnt working well at the moment, but i'll try to get a picture of him.