what IS a "mini crab" ???

[corykitty516]

A friend of mine has a 4 year old son who talked her into getting 2 "mini crabs" at petsmart. They dont provide any care info on these other than "they only live 6 months and they need water as well as land"

A google search turned up some good recepies for "mini crab cakes" but no info on the crab itself.

I helped her set them up in a 3 gallon critter keeper. We made a bank with gravel on one side. There is no heater or light for it. She got the smallest filter fluval makes and that is running in the water part. After all is said and done there is really less than a gallon of actual water in this thing. There are also some plastic plants in there.

What species are these things anyway? They look a little like fiddler crabs. Do they need salt in the water? do they need more space than this? Do they really only live 6 months?

 

[SirMinion]

Do they have equal sized red claws? If so, then they'll be one of the species sold as red crabs or red claw crabs.

Freshwater to brackish species that pefers to be able to climb out of the water, but can be kept fully aquatic (although it shortens the lifespan considerably).
They stay pretty small too.

 

[Snailguy101]

I know what you are talking aout they are mini crabs at pets mart and do good in half filed aquriams so they can get out of the water on somthing to breathe

 

[ChickenScratch]

I read that the 'mini crabs' that petsmart sells are actually a species of fiddler crab, in which case they would prefer brackish water.

 

[corykitty516]

Next time I'm over there I'll try to get a pic. They are a sandy orangeish color and one claw is bigger than the other. The kid really wanted them because the do look like fiddler crabs which he is trying to bring home from the coast all the time.
I have a giant box of aquarium salt that I could take over and mix some for her.


How much salt per gallon for brackish?
How much water do they actually need to be in? As I said before they only have about a gallon with all the rocks and "land" we put in.

 

[ChickenScratch]

Sorry I can't help you there I've always thought crabs are really cool, but I've never kept anything in brackish water.

 

[oneponygirl]

From what I have been learning about brackish water (and fiddlers do prefer brackish if they are fiddlers) you can't just make brackish water like that. You need a hydrometer to check the specific gravity. If you just make the water and add water to top off or at water changes you'll eventually get water that is too salty because when you lose water to evaporation you don't lose salt. I am starting to switch my crabs over to brackish (because they were sold to me as freshwater) and I mixed up some water that is very lightly salty (about a rounded teaspoon for about a gallon) and I use that every third water change until I can get a hydrometer myself. I hear they are very cheap.

My two fiddlers live in a ten gallon "crabitat" and I've heard you wouldn't want two in anything smaller. They like to borrow so sand it better than gravel. I also have smooth stones that they can hide under and they are almost always under them. They really like peas and sinking catfish tablets.

You can check out my male fiddler here Lazarus.

 

[ChickenScratch]

What kind of salt can be used to create brackish water? I have read that aquarium salt doesn't contain all the minerals and stuff brackish animals need, and that you need some type of marine salt. Anyone know for sure?

 

[ChickenScratch]

Here is part of a post from a moderator in the brackish section


"Marine salt: The first thing that will suprise you is how much salt is required to create brackish water, a 60 litre (15 us gallon) aquarium will use the best part of a 1kg box of salt to bring the SG up to 1.010. Aquarium salt and tonic salt are not suitable for brackish aquariums as they lack the essential minerals found in seawater."

 

[corykitty516]

hmmmm thats a lot of salt....

We have no shortage of marine supplies around here as it seems that EVERYONE in this state is saltwater obsessed

A new shop opened not 2 minutes from my house and what is it called?!?!? SALTWATER CITY!!! I should stop in there and see what they have to say.

I am sorry to say though that my friend is not going to go to that much trouble for this crab though. She should probly get a hermit crab instead. They may take a good bit of care but at least I know something about them and could help her out ya know? people who dont research FIRST make me NUTZZZZZ