Save The Crabs?

[dizzied]

Ever feel like fiddler and red claw crabs are too mistreated by pet stores? They'll tell you a betta needs at least a gallon, but they'll never mention how a crab needs land or brackish. Or that they don't even belong in aquariums. And I'm sure some of you would say "but I have a driftwood coming out of the water that it can climb on", but that's the equivalent of flooding your room with nothing but a chair to stand on.

Years ago, when I frequented fiddler crab forums, I've heard only one story about how someone was able to change the way a pet store kept their fiddler crabs. And that was about it. I'm sure we have some crabby guys here (hehe!), why don't we try to make a change?

*calls PETCO*

 

[diburning]

"rescuing" them would not be a good idea. The store would see that people are interested in buying them and would just order more.

Making phonecalls or sending letters or protesting won't do any good.

Boycotting is the way to go. People around here weren't interested in "freshwater" flounders or "freshwater" puffers (the ones that should be kept in brackish and eventually kept in full seawater) and Petco stopped carrying them.

It's not every petco/petsmart/fish store that are mistreating them. some lower the water level so that the crab will be wet without being submerged.

 

[dizzied]

Likewise, it isn't every store that keeps bettas in a cup. But the majority do.

I never did mention a rescue, simply that they should be kept in better conditions and customers should be better-educated. I doubt a boycott would work.

 

[roseK]

i feel sorry for the bettas i see in cups, it is depressing, but in all the pet stores around my area the crabs are kept good, maybe only an inch of water in the tanks and many rocks coming out.

but i dont think they are going to stop putting bettas in cups, they cant be put together in a tank and giving each one a tank of their own would be insane.

 

[PRW1988]

Personally, I work at Petsmart, I've told my store manager on several occasions that these crabs need to have brackish water and land, she kept putting this stupid little decoration in the tank for them (a tank HALF full of water), the decoration just hit the surface.

I wrote a letter to her explaining about these crabs, I gave her several sites that lists information on these crabs and I told her that weither she likes it or not I will be rescaping the crabs tank and adding brackish water.

So, I wrote off a bag of gravel(sand wasn't available at the time ), brought a zip-lock baggie of Marine salt from home, along with my Hydrometer, then began my rescape!

The tank now has a large land area for the crabs, and an area of brackish water The district manager was called in by my store manager to have a chat with me, I spoke with him and told him what my issue was and that if we wanted to decrease the store loss then we have to set all the tanks for crabs up like this He agreed with me My store manager must've felt like an idiot lol.

But, long story short, the crabs that are sold at my petsmart are in brackish water, with land and with a correct information guide

 

[dizzied]

Bravo, PRW1988, bravo.

....maybe it's just my area that's keeping crabs in bad condition.

 

[PRW1988]

Thanks much Dizzie hopfully all pet stores will learn how to treat there animals with respect and proper care, even if it means spending a little bit more money.

 

[crabberdude]

yeah its bad. i don't know if the aquarium i have for them is good enough but I do know that I have pretty much done everything in my power(which equals $$$) to make sure they are in a good living condition and that the aquarium best mimics their natural habitat. crabs at petsmart are usually in an at least 1nch of water(and deeper) with no dry land, freshwater (ugh), and gravel.

I have gone to petsmart and explained to them how to properly set up the tank for them. but they keep say that their instructions were this and that and they do not have the authority. any when i spoke to the manager she just said she will take my advice into consideration etc. in they end the didnt do anything about it.

kudos to you prw1988. that was an awesome thing you did.