Ok what about fiddler crabs?

[Gabe]

They also had fidder crabs there. I found some info at AquariumFish.net They say that they are "truly aquatic" and don't need to come out of water. Does anyone have any experience with these critters? I do want to put them in with fish(1 pleco, 4 black skirt tetras for now) Any advice?

Gabe

 

[CFC]

I personally wouldn't put any crab or crayfish species with any fish,they are all oppertunist carnivores and a slow moving or sleaping fish is a easy target,even if the fish can get away the claws can cause serious damage which could cause an outbreak of disease,if you really want to keep these critters i would suggest setting up a seperate tank for them,it dosen't have to be anything huge and i think you and your fish will get much more enjoyment this way.

 

[Gabe]

Well, I have a 5gallon tank that is housing my fish right now. I'm getting a bigger one and could turn the 5gallon into a crab tank. What kind of set up do they need (filter, air tube?) I'm not looking to keep a lot, just a couple would be nice. Would my 5gallon be ok for this?

 

[Thomas A. Anderson]

The fiddlers may get a little large but the red crabs or the more colourful vietnamese red crabs may be a better choice

 

[CFC]

If the fiddlers are the same ones ive seen in my lfs they should only get to 2",a 5g should be ok for a couple but it will need a small filter.I would go for a soft substrate (sand)and make sure to offer rocks as hiding places,the water dosn't need to be deep 5-6" is fine and try to leave an area where they can get out of the water,just in case theyre not fully aquatic.

 

[Gabe]

The fiddlers at my lfs are Gold Fiddler Crabs and the info I found on them said that they would get to be about 2.5" across the shell. It doesn't say anything about water conditions though, that is what I'm worried about. Also, the filter that I am using right now is just a small one that sticks to the side of the tank with an air hose that pushes water throught the filter from behind, and blows bubbles out the top.I'm worried about the crabs climbing this and trying to get out. My hood doesn't fit properly, but now that I think about it more, I'll prob get some plexy glass and fit it to the top of my tank. That way there would only be a hole big enough for the hose to go through.

I was thinking about leaving some space for them to get out incase they aren't aquatic. I didn't really want to have 2 tanks on the go due to limited space, but I won't be getting crabs for a while and I can find a spot to put them, maybe do some rearranging lol. Keep the suggestions coming though!!

 

[lilmolly]

My friend had one of these some time ago. He cept his in a 20gal with gravel with land and water space. He seemed to do fine but they don't want to keep him anymore I suspect them just got bored of him. They fed him baby brine shrimp. If I was you, I would always make a land space for them just incase. I know if I was them I wouldn't want to drawn in my own home. hahaha!! That's kind of funny, but yet it isn't.

 

[BIANCA]

The one addition to my tanks that I always regreted, was the addition of crabs. No matter how many modifications we made to our tanks, they always managed to escape somehow. I HONESTLY dont know how the last two got out, I mean we thought it would be impossible, but somehow they did it. One made it all the way down two flights of stairs (hardwood stairs even...that musta hurt) and died in the garage. I think right now, there are still 3 that the bodies were never recovered...anyways if you have them with slow/peaceful fish, the fish will be looked upon as prey, and could possibly get eaten at night. If you have them with more aggressive fish, the crabs will get eaten, or they will just hide all day and what fun is that? They also dont do well in pairs, and will usually fight to the death. Most commonly one would break off the others claws and it would just eventually die (starve?).

This may sound boring, but maybe consider ghost shrimp. They dont hide as much as crabs, and they are too small to eat most fish. I have ghost shrimps, african dwarf frogs, and coolie loaches (which look like little snakes) in my smaller tank and they all live in harmony with the other fish, and I think they are much more interesting to watch then my amazing dissappearing crabs were.