Crabs

[cuppycakes]

I have just brought 2 crabs for my tank, one, unfortunately dies in transit but the other one is amazing, it is so amusing watching it climb up my filter and generally wander about, anyway the problem is what do they eat? aand it has tried to nip my tetra researched crabs on google and obviously loads of dodgy things came up and next to no info, its a reddy crab by the way, dunno what it's called.
Thanks

 

[n3ont3tra]

I'm assuming it's a fiddler crab which could mean some problems...

assuming it is a fiddler crab, they NEED a land part to live on for part of the time.
Also most of them are brackish water.

In the wild they are scavengers, in the tank they'll eat most types of sinking food.

I think your best bet it to return it to the fish store, unless you plan to set up another tank for it.

 

[snoopyfrench87]

I have to agree - as far as im aware there are no crabs fresh water or brackish that can be kept in tanks with small fish like yours - crabs are extremely aggressive scavengers and also very good climbers- most of the species sold in pet stores for trop tanks will grow to about the size of a fish and eat all your fish they need to be fed meats and live food as well as sinking food - but they are more likely to eat their tank mates - best to give it its own tank- with secure lid!!

or take it back

 

[cuppycakes]

ah, they need lanng to the, that's why it keeps climbing and sitting on the top of my filter, so it will eat my tetra? i have 20 tetra! 2 guppys! and 5 other fish that i have no idea what they are. i don't wanna take my crab back will it eat flake? or bloodworm?. All the lfs man said was that as long as i had no bottom dwellers it would be fine!!!!

oh and whats Brackish?

 

[n3ont3tra]

Who do you trust, the LFS man that wants to make some money off you, or us, who are giving you free advice.
The crab will die in a month, tops, unless you can provide it with brackish water and land.
It probably won't eat all of your tetras, but it might eat a few.
It will probably eat bloodworm and flake.
Do you have a picture of the fish you don't know so we can ID them for you?
Also how big is your tank?

Brackish water is the area in between oceans and rivers. The specific gravity (basically, salt level) is anywhere from 1.05 to 1.015. Ocean water is 1.026.

 

[cuppycakes]

sorry, that last post didn't make much sense my laptop is messed up and keeps skipping to different parts of the texts while im typing! so annoying! my tank is 4 foot long and 18 inch height i think, i can take pics and put them on.

 

[n3ont3tra]

That's pretty big, I think your tetras will be safe, but the conditions still won't be right for the crab.

 

[cuppycakes]

dunno how to add pics!!

 

[n3ont3tra]

Go to photobucket.com and get an account. It's free. Upload the pics there and post the links they give you on here.

 

[AshleySpatula]

Now I am not saying this is ok in any way, because I DID argue with my roommate for a while trying to get him to move his little red crab from the petstore out to a new tank with some dry land. He simply refused to.

But in his case the crab did eat some fish, but also molted about once a month and went from the size of about a quarter to the size of a golf ball.
the thing is huge now.

In most cases this wouldn't happen but this time it did

 

[cuppycakes]

the fish that i dont know and Mr Krabz

sorry the fish tank pic is crap, was in a rush, and house is a mess yeah lol

 

[n3ont3tra]

I'm not sure, but I think the fish is a molly... I've just never seen a yellow one before.

Or it could be a platy (I've still never seen a yellow one)

 

[cuppycakes]

My crab keeps trying to scape!!! there is a opening on the condensation cover where the wires come out and he keeps climing up!!!! i have covered it with blue tack at the moment!!!! i really should of done research, i just got the tank and brought pretty fish, firstly they all died and now it's just a nightmare!

 

[n3ont3tra]

It probably just wants a dry spot. I'm not sure what to advise other than returning it.

 

[cuppycakes]

i don't wanna return him im pretty attatched, he's amusing, keeps trying to unsuccessfully nip my speedy fish, and he hides and climbs i need find a way to keep him, no fish fatalities yet because of him anyway, maybe hes vegetarian