I Want Crabs

[Bristolbulldog]

I have seen a tank with a tiny crab, about 1" across. It has red claws, and looks sweet. the tank is about 4" long, and also has fish in. I was wondering how to find out more about crabs etc, and just how big they get, and if they are successful with other fish.

 

[nmonks]

There aren't many good resources for freshwater crabs, but two worth mentioning is this report on breeding red-claw crabs (the most common species), and this venerable web site.

Broadly, no, they don't work with fish because [a] they are amphibious and they need brackish water over the long term. So while an excellent choice of a small tank of their own, they aren't really mixable with generic aquarium fish.

Cheers,

Neale

I was wondering how to find out more about crabs etc, and just how big they get, and if they are successful with other fish.

 

[ox5477]

I agree that crabs are not good with fish. Either the fish are small enough to be eaten by the crab, or the space you need to give the crab to come out for air will cut down on the swimming room for a bigger fish you may be able to put with it. Crabs are ok by themselves and might be an interesting pet. But I think I would rather have a crayfish or small lobster species.

 

[dizzied]

I've had success keeping fiddler and red claws with guppies for a few years, and more recently with a platy. Their needs really cuts down on the number of suitable tankmates.

 

[diburning]

well, if you are in the USA, I have the red claw mangrove crabs and fiddler crabs for $3 each. They are pretty easy to keep. You don't need too much land. Just something sticking above the surface of the water for them to climb up on. (driftwood works great)