Can crabs be in an all fish aquarium???

[bbq1234]

A few days ago i went to petsmart and saw a bunch of crabs
i thought it would be a cool addition to my tank since they clean the bottom and all
But the guy said "you can only have a crab only tank"
After doing some research on the net i read some places say its okay to have a crab fully submerged underwater and some say they need their air...
does any have a crab in a fish tank???
And or knows the specifications that the tank would need???

 

[Teelie]

Depends on what type of crab. Most can go into a fish tank provided the fish are large enough not to be considered prey items or prey on the crab themselves.

I would say all crabs need air though some claim red crabs don't but you'd either need an underwater oasis thing or something protruding from the surface. Also, they are excellent escape artists so you'd have to have a secure top.

 

[bbq1234]

Thanx

 

[ddm18]

I used to have 3 small red crabs in a community tank and they were perfectly happy, except for the fact that they spent their entire lives trying to escape (and eventually managed it and were eaten by my dog...).

So, in summary, they're fine to have completely submerged, but you need a VERY tight fitting lid to your tank (preferably sliding glass covers).

 

[bbq1234]

got aten by your dog

 

[ddm18]

Yes. I can't even claim to feel particularly sorry for them. I spent enormous amounts of time collecting them (and occaisionally getting nipped) and putting them back in the tank. I tried very hard to explain to them that it was in their interests to stay in the tank, but they simply weren't interested.

 

[snotirl]

I heard red crabs climb up high and wait for a fish to swim by and they jump on it and kill it

 

[bbq1234]

haha .. do they clean the tank preatty well tho???

 

[Teelie]

Crabs are scavengers so they'll eat some of the stuff on the bottom of the tank but they aren't a replacement for doing the cleaning yourself, which many people assume.

 

[ddm18]

Mine never killed any fish (except perhaps guppy fry, but everything kills guppy fry).

 

[PETsMARTchick]

At the PETsMART I work at, we don't sell red claw crabs, just what we call mini-crabs, which are little fiddler crabs. They need half land, half water. I'd call and find out what kind of crab it is.

 

[utahfish]

i had a red clawed crab in a community tank. i thought he was going to die so i moved him to a brackish species tank. now i have two crabs in a twenty gallon long. it's filled a little over half with water. it has sand substrate a few plants lots of lava rock caves and some drift wood that protrudes above the water line. the crabs for the most part hang out above the water line on the wood. the only time they go int the water is when i put food in or theyre hiding from me. it's my opinion that they try to escape community tanks because theyr looking for land. sometimes i'll leave the lid open on my tank to get some air in there and my crabs have never tried to escape, they like their home to much i guess. i also feed them peas and crab pellets. they are also in brackish water which helps them molt as salt prevent disease and crabs are most vulnerable after molting. the salt also draws the moisture out of their shells and hardens it quicker making a happier healthy crab. In my experience i'd stay away from putting them in a community tank as theyr better suited for a species tank where their specialized needs can be met,you'll have less problems and your crabs will be happier in a species tank.