Is A Marine Crab Tank A Good Idea ?

[sthomas048]

Hello all,

Pondering over whether to start a marine crab tank. Crabs seem to be the scurge of many marine setups, but i quite like them. Is a marine crab tank possible ? Would love to hear what you all think. I am new to marine fishkeeping and have yet to even have a marine tank ! Im hoping some of you experienced salty tank owners could help. Maybe a small tank like a Fluval Edge would be suitable ? I know some crabs eat corals, so also hoping someone could suggest plants that could cope with Crabs.

Im particularly taken with Pom Poms (Lybia tesselata), Shame-faced crabs, Porcelain crabs and Wire coral crab (Xenocarcinus tuberculatus).

Im a complete salty newbie, so be kind !

 

[demasonisrule]

Macroalgae (saltwater plants, basically) tanks with inverts only can make some great tanks. If you're in the business for small tanks, shoot me a PM, I have some info that may be of help. The other advantage of a tank with macro is that you'll have very little trates...which is definitely an advantage in the SW world.

 

[Donya]

Pondering over whether to start a marine crab tank. Crabs seem to be the scurge of many marine setups, but i quite like them. Is a marine crab tank possible ?

Absolutely. I've had two of them, both small ones for swimming crab species.

Maybe a small tank like a Fluval Edge would be suitable ?

I wouldn't use one. They may look snazzy, but there is one thing I don't like about those tanks: very little surface for air contact relative to water volume. The gas exchange from surface aggitation goes a long way to balancing pH and O2 in small tanks. If there's anything that has jumped out at me with small tanks in marine, it's that too little aggitation = unstable = more chance for catastrophy.

Regardless of what tank you ultimately go for, make sure it has a secure top that snaps on in some way or is very heavy. Some crabs can make an impressive run for it when they want to.

I know some crabs eat corals, so also hoping someone could suggest plants that could cope with Crabs.

Depends strongly on the type of crab. Some will rip all algae to bits in a small environment (not necessarily eating it, just destroying it). I would doubt something like a pom-pom or porcelin crab would do this, although I have no experience with them. I have had no success keeping macro with swimming crabs - they both just mashed it to bits in a fit of rage/joy/whatever it is that crabs do.

 

[sorgan]

On the subject of inverts donya is the guru
Tank wise forget snazz and go for function, You will want something with plenty of surface area (plenty of gas exchange) and you will want a lid of some variety as crabs climb and will leave the tank.
Macroalgae is easy to grow and some of it looks really cool

 

[sthomas048]

Donya -

Thanks for your reply. Yeah i had heard rumblings about the Fluval Edge being a bit hit or miss. I will give it a miss then. Maybe i could get a basic Clearseal tank with a lid ? What sort of size of tank for a group of crabs would you recommend ? A smaller tank would mean i would see them more often, but then smaller tanks are harder to keep in check than say a 125 litre tank ? Could i have a tank of just porcelain crabs or just Pom Poms ? Or both ? I was thinking by not having fish with the crabs this will give them more chance of being easily fed.

Cheers.

 

[sthomas048]

On the subject of inverts donya is the guru
Tank wise forget snazz and go for function, You will want something with plenty of surface area (plenty of gas exchange) and you will want a lid of some variety as crabs climb and will leave the tank.
Macroalgae is easy to grow and some of it looks really cool

Hello Sorgan,

Im generally more of a function rather than snazz kind of guy ! I was just thinking of the size of tank. I want to try a crab only tank because i want something different, i love clownfish and angelfish and the like but crabs are quite cool and interesting too. In most of my hobbies are lean towards the more unusual ! One example is while everyone else is growing traditional plants and flowers in their gardens - ive kept Sundews indoors in a terrarium.

Macroalgae (saltwater plants, basically) tanks with inverts only can make some great tanks. If you're in the business for small tanks, shoot me a PM, I have some info that may be of help. The other advantage of a tank with macro is that you'll have very little trates...which is definitely an advantage in the SW world.

Cheers for that info. Its all new to me. I must admit i find corals beautiful and if i could keep them with a group of crabs i will, but if i get told its mission impossible then i will explore macroalgae. What are macroalgae ?

Stephen

 

[the biffster]

i've got one you
can have its a nasty
little blighter if
i can catch it that is

 

[sthomas048]

i've got one you
can have its a nasty
little blighter if
i can catch it that is

What are we talking about here ? !

 

[the biffster]

a crab it came in
on some living rock
that. i just got i think
it a gorilla crab brown
its got big pincher's and it
keeps cracking rock to make
its hole bigger or den if you
want to call it that. still had
no luck catching it and dispatching it
there's nothing worse than having crabs

 

[Donya]

Donya -

Thanks for your reply. Yeah i had heard rumblings about the Fluval Edge being a bit hit or miss. I will give it a miss then. Maybe i could get a basic Clearseal tank with a lid ? What sort of size of tank for a group of crabs would you recommend ? A smaller tank would mean i would see them more often, but then smaller tanks are harder to keep in check than say a 125 litre tank ? Could i have a tank of just porcelain crabs or just Pom Poms ? Or both ? I was thinking by not having fish with the crabs this will give them more chance of being easily fed.

Cheers.

I would say choose the crab species first, then figure out what kind of setup you need and how big, and don't be too dead set on having lots of crabs in the same tank. Most crabs will not be good buddies in small spaces, even within their own species. Someone else will have to chime in with experience on the two types you've listed, but most tanks I've seen that try to house more than one individual of a species end up with some number of crab limbs scattered about (I have never seen more than one pom-pom or porcelin in a tank, so I have no point of reference to go by). If nobody has info on those two and their social habits, the safest thing to do would be to get one, introduce another under a very watchful eye, and be ready to remove one if interactions get out of hand.

Regarding ease of maintenance, 125L is reasonable. That would also be a good starting size if you're set on coral-"safe" crabs and want some corals too, since that will require more attention to water quality. I went smaller for both my previous and current crab tanks, but they only housed a single crab each and zip all else (minimal rock too to prevent food stashing and other debris buildup).

 

[demasonisrule]

Macroalgae is basically plants of the marine world...look up chaeto and caulerpa, or halimeda. Those are all examples. Will send you a PM...

 

[xxBarneyxx]

125l would be a good size. You could go with smaller for a lot of crab species but smaller tanks are more difficult to keep stable.

As to multiple crabs. As Donya has said most species do not get along well together or with other inverts.
I haven't kept them myself but have been told more than once that pompom crabs can be kept in a group.

Have you considered mantis shrimp as well? Couldn't keep them with other inverts but its a similar idea of a tank and some people (well.... me...) think they are more interesting

I have often thought about doing an invert only tank. Needs a bit of research to find compatible species but would be very interesting to watch.
Something like the below wouldnt need a mssive tank and would be quite interesting:
a Couple of pom-pom crabs,
a Boxing shrimp (or mated pair IF you can find them),
a Porcelain Crab

I would suggest some more but thats about as far as my invert knowledge goes when it comes to crabs.

 

[sthomas048]

I would say choose the crab species first, then figure out what kind of setup you need and how big, and don't be too dead set on having lots of crabs in the same tank. Most crabs will not be good buddies in small spaces, even within their own species. Someone else will have to chime in with experience on the two types you've listed, but most tanks I've seen that try to house more than one individual of a species end up with some number of crab limbs scattered about (I have never seen more than one pom-pom or porcelin in a tank, so I have no point of reference to go by). If nobody has info on those two and their social habits, the safest thing to do would be to get one, introduce another under a very watchful eye, and be ready to remove one if interactions get out of hand.

Regarding ease of maintenance, 125L is reasonable. That would also be a good starting size if you're set on coral-"safe" crabs and want some corals too, since that will require more attention to water quality. I went smaller for both my previous and current crab tanks, but they only housed a single crab each and zip all else (minimal rock too to prevent food stashing and other debris buildup).

Yes you are right. Better to choose a crab species first. I am taken with a little Shame Faced crab, although they seem very rare - they would need a 125L tank and definately just one of them ! I would enjoy setting that tank up - lots of sand for it to hide in and rocks etc; I guess what ever i decide on it will be a learning process - some say a group of Pom Poms would be okay, others not. I will have to try and see what happens.

Im interested in your single crab tank - do you have any photos ? could you give me more details on the tank you used and hardware used etc;

Thanks.

 

[sthomas048]

125l would be a good size. You could go with smaller for a lot of crab species but smaller tanks are more difficult to keep stable.

As to multiple crabs. As Donya has said most species do not get along well together or with other inverts.
I haven't kept them myself but have been told more than once that pompom crabs can be kept in a group.

Have you considered mantis shrimp as well? Couldn't keep them with other inverts but its a similar idea of a tank and some people (well.... me...) think they are more interesting

I have often thought about doing an invert only tank. Needs a bit of research to find compatible species but would be very interesting to watch.
Something like the below wouldnt need a mssive tank and would be quite interesting:
a Couple of pom-pom crabs,
a Boxing shrimp (or mated pair IF you can find them),
a Porcelain Crab

I would suggest some more but thats about as far as my invert knowledge goes when it comes to crabs.

Hello,

Keeping the parameters stable and water evaporation under control is difficult in a smaller tank, ive heard too. I think an auto topup would help with evaporation. I dont know much about Mantis Shrimp - more info please ! Photos would be cool. Your idea for an invert only tank is great - we both must try this out. Im still saving for a tank and kit but perhaps we could then share info on how our tanks progress ? Pom Poms are very popular at the moment so i hear from different LFS online, amazing looking creatures.

 

[demasonisrule]

Mantis shrimp are actually not shrimp at all, but stomatopods. They are really intelligent, have super complex eyes, have insanely strong claws, and can move super super fast. I personally am starting a nano to keep one...