Fiddler Crab Setup Assistance

[Zuyx]

Alright, so I have been reading up on Fiddler crabs, if able to have them where I live I think I'll get one - three.
The max tank size I can have here is 10g, which is what I plan on getting.

Now more to questins
How would I heat the tank?
How do you replace the water in a terrestrial tank? Or is it 30% or so daily. What could I use to condition the water before using it.
How would a filter work in a terrestrial tank, I have had aquariums, but in those the water reaches the top
but for a setup for the crabs it would more than likely not.

I think that is all that I am kind of confused on for now, since I haven't had a terrestrial aquarium before.

 

[nmonks]

Fiddler crabs aren't especially difficult to keep, and if you get a male and two females you shouldn't have any problems. Males will display to the females with their oversized claws. You could try a group of six, two males and four females, but be careful because males do fight, and sometimes they cause one another damage.

Yes, you need to heat the tank. The easiest approach is to stick a heater in the water and make sure there's a sufficiently good lid to keep the warm air in the aquarium. The danger here though is that if the lid is too tight, you won't have enough ventilation, and that ends up promoting fungus. An alternative, and the option I'd recommend, is an undertank heating mat of the sort used in reptile vivaria. Given the water depth should only be about 10 cm, this approach should work well.

Changing the water is done much like an aquarium. Siphon out some, and add new. Because there's such a small quantity of water, you'll probably end up changing half the water simply to siphon out the muck at the bottom.

Use an air-powered sponge or box filter for best results. A small internal canister laid on its side will work well, too.

Have a read of my Brackish FAQ; the section on mudskippers has a plan for a tank that would work well for fiddler crabs.

http/homepage.mac.com/nmonks/Projects/FAQ/5c.html

Cheers, Neale

 

[Zuyx]

Thanks, that helps a lot with my confusion.
What kind of lid do you want? Figuring a normal aquarium lid, not a mesh top on for reptiles or other animals.

 

[nmonks]

Yes, an ordinary aquarium lid should be fine, but bear in mind that if the crabs *can* escape, they *will* escape. I'd strongly recommend getting a condensation tray and placing that between the hood and the tank. You can buy these ready made for most standard aquaria, but if needs be, have your local hardware store cut a piece of acrylic (perspex) to the right size. Cut a few small slots for any cables or air pipes, and a few other small holes for ventilation. Alternatively, cut filter pads or filter sponges into pieces that can be used to block any obvious openings on the hood.

Cheers, Neale

What kind of lid do you want? Figuring a normal aquarium lid, not a mesh top on for reptiles or other animals.

 

[iliveinazoo]

For my mudskipper tank I use an internal filter as suggested by Neale but for the 40l fiddler tank I used an Eden 501 external because the inlet reached almost to the bottom of the tank meaning that I could keep the water level relatively low and I had more space to play with.

I used a small fish tank heater with guard and any conditioner that removes chlorine, chloramine and heavy metals would be fine.

 

[nmonks]

Good save! I should have mentioned that. While I don't imagine crabs burn as easily as fish, the idea of using a heater guard is an extremely good one.

Cheers, Neale

I used a small fish tank heater with guard

 

[Zuyx]

Where would a sponge filter be found, just the local store?
What are some examples of filters that could be used, having some trouble finding one that suits the need.

 

[nmonks]

There are numerous brands of sponge filter out there: Hydro Sponge Aquarium, Hagen Aquaclear, etc. Because the sponge has to be under the waterline, they may not be the best for a shallow fiddler crab aquarium. Do look at bubble-up box filters (e.g., Marina Junior Bottom Filter) instead, or, as iliveinazoo says, a small external filter. I have a fondness for box filters because they're idiot-proof an extremely reliable, even when covered with algae and gunk. You wouldn't use one in a busy tank, but there are few better filters for small tanks with fish fry, shrimps, etc.

Cheers, Neale