Freshwater Vs Red Claw Crabs

[raptorrex]

yep fact is you cant keep fish with most freshwater crab, and a 10g tank will be just about ok for one.

there are no tank mates for freshwater crabs

all crabs are omnivores, but lean toward veggies.

Thanks for the info boboboy you have been very helpful. Think i will get look more at red claw crabs when i do change the set up. How many do you recon i could put in a 10 g tank, was thinking I would only be able to put one or two in.

Also as its going to be a brackish tank what fish do you recommend i put in with the crab(s)? I have heard livebears are ok, such as guppies and platies, any others?

Mollies, swordtails, raindow fish and platties, are a good starting point. id pop over to the brackish section, and have a look at the fish that are compatible!

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

Platys and guppys aren't brackish, but mollys are (they can live in a wide range of waters, from alkeline freshwater to marine, but slightly brackish to full on brackish water is what most people have the most success at keeping them in). However i wouldn't put mollys in anything less than a 15gal as they grow quite large (there are many types of mollys, but most grow 3-4inches long) as they need to be in at least a trio of 1male to 2-3females or an all-female group of at least 3females (or an all-male group of 5males+) as they are very sociable fish that do best in at least a trio of their own kind .
Check out the brackish section of the forum for more info more types of brackish fish;

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showforum=48

.

 

[raptorrex]

I agree boboboy that the site is not that accurate on its general info, but it has a vast amount of pictures of crabs and other critters which are all accurately named, so is a good site none the less for ID'ing such critters .

yes i quite agree, i use the site all the time. they have a very good desigh for a crab lodge too. it is the best i have seen. complicated to sort but a top idea.

 

[raptorrex]

guess you can tell i dont keep brackish.

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

guess you can tell i dont keep brackish.

Lol neither do i, but i keep lots of livebearers so have picked up a lot of things about them over time

I agree boboboy that the site is not that accurate on its general info, but it has a vast amount of pictures of crabs and other critters which are all accurately named, so is a good site none the less for ID'ing such critters .

yes i quite agree, i use the site all the time. they have a very good desigh for a crab lodge too. it is the best i have seen. complicated to sort but a top idea.

Ah i don't think i have seen their crab lodge idea, i will go check it out .

 

[dizzied]

my advice would be to avoid fiddler crab for the community. they are grumpy critters and whilst being good fun really need a tank to themselfs, say 5 in a 24x12x18 inch tank with 2/3 dry and 1/3 wet.

From years of experience keeping fiddler crabs (and red claws to a lesser extent), I can tell you they're more peaceful than the red claw. Of course, either are the killing machines everyone makes them out to be. I would agree they're not for most community tanks, their space needs alone would cut down the tank to 1/6th it's size. I've seen a lot of people getting red claws lately, but improperly cared for, especially the planted people, "I've got a plant that reaches the surface, that's good enough".

Platys and guppys aren't brackish

They both are brackish.

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

They both are brackish.

Where did you read that? Check out CFC's commonly seen brackish fish- no guppys or platys listed there;

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=42623

No mention of brackish water in Williams profile of guppys either;

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=34091

Platys can technically be kept in brackish water, but the vast majority of people keep them in freshwater because they are not true brackish fish;

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=46309

Mollys are the only really brackish fish out of the most common livebearers as far as i am aware.

 

[dizzied]

Maybe either are "naturally" brackish as to the molly, but both can be kept in brackish water without problem. Some people have even acclimated guppies all the way to saltwater.

 

[colbat0]

make sure the food goes in diffent places

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

Maybe either are "naturally" brackish as to the molly, but both can be kept in brackish water without problem. Some people have even acclimated guppies all the way to saltwater.

Guppys certainly aren't saltwater though, if you kept them in very salty water in the long term they wouldn't live as long- generally speaking, its advised that you only use salt on guppys for medical purposes (check nmonks post in this thread);

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showto...t*+bath*+guppy*

 

[colbat0]

i say get both

 

[dizzied]

Definitely, but the same can be said about the molly - it'll only survive several months in saltwater before dying.

I've had guppies in brackish water for years before I actually entered the aquaria hobby. I've actually had more luck with them in brackish than freshwater.

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

Definitely, but the same can be said about the molly - it'll only survive several months in saltwater before dying.

I've had guppies in brackish water for years before I actually entered the aquaria hobby. I've actually had more luck with them in brackish than freshwater.

I guess in the end it depends on what you opt for then in the end- the benefets and problems about keeping them in brackish water are a follows;

a. The benefets of salty water and guppys: Salt kills off parasites and can help treat fungal and bacterial infections. Guppys are becomming very weak now days due to inbreeding (which does all kinds of negative stuff to them, like lowers their imune systems/makes them less strong) and many die from deseases/parasites before they can live out their natural life expectancy, so salty water which is thus free from parasites will obviously make them less likely to fall ill to such deseases/parasites.
b. The negative side to salty water and guppys: Guppys are not evolved to live in salt, and in the long term it'll cause them to live shorter lives as they don't have the equipment so to speak to handle it in the long term in their bodies. So although they are less likely to fall to illness in salty water, it will inevitably take a toll on their maximum natural life expectancy itself in the long run.

Personally i'd rather keep them in freshwater- they certainly aren't very hardy fish, but i guess if you keep them in freshwater you can always use short salt baths and meds and things if they ever do fall ill. The main thing is getting hold of some good quality guppys or breeding some of your own- most found at petshops are unfortunately riddled with parasites and deseases and stuff.

 

[JDWolf]

Thanks for the advice on fish. Has anyone kept red claw crabs in freshwater and just given them a pool of brackish water at the top? How big a pool does it need to be?

How many crabs do you think i could get in my 10g tank? was hoping for 2.

 

[dizzied]

A lot of people use the brackish pool, though that obviously just allows it to survive rather than thrive.