Looking to get shrimp or crabs

[Easystreet]

Hello all,

I currently have 1 6 gallon tank w/ 1 betta (no plans to put anything in there with him.) And I have a 5 gallon w/ 1 betta and 2 adf's (no plans to put anything else in that tank) Am looking to get some interesting shrimp or crabs for a new tank. Something different then my betta's and frogs. I do have a budget and the biggest tank I could get would be 2.5 gallons w/ filter and all that or a cheap 10 gallon w/ no filter or anything. I will have about 25 bucks left over to buy substrate, decorations, food, and the animal itself. What do you suggest?

I know 2.5 gallons is not much and if you think I could not get anything interesting with that then please tell me so. I am very much a person who wants to get the best home he can for his pets so I wont buy one if I cant house them happily.

All suggestions are welcome.

Thanks,
Jason

 

[oneponygirl]

I kept ghost shrimp with my bettas for a while and the were fun and helped "clean" the tank. Recently when I went to go buy more the guy at the LPS said they didn't have any and wouldn't for a while and to get a fiddler crab instead. That was a mistake. While it never happened, the possiblity of the crab ripping my gouramis fins was there (I actually saw him take a swipe a time or two). But more importantly, after really researching I discovered that the tank was the completely wrong atmosphere for the crab. At least with the fiddler crab, they spend a lot of time out of the water and when you have them in a fish tank it is difficult to plan the tank so that there is a place for the crab to get out of the water without making it possible for him to get out of the tank. Also, fiddler crabs like brackish water and bettas don't (neither did the gourami or tetras I had mine with). I just this week bought a cheapy ten gallon for the crab and set him up with his own place. So, based on my experience, I would get the shrimp over the crab.