Fresh Water Shrimps/crabs?

[black jack1]

Hi, I was looking through ebay for freshwater crabs and shrimp etc as my LFS doesn't have any. I did a search on the forum but nothing seemed to come up.
Basically, i have a 20 gallon tank with 4 corys in it, I was wondering whether i can add a freshwater crab or soemthing. I came across a "Red claw crab", but don't really know much about them and was wondering whether anyone can share their experience or any info they know. Also i came across "tiger shrimps" and "cherry shrimps", again if anyone has any experience please share.

I also have a larger tank (50 gallon) in which i have a RTBS who is now around 4 inches and a banjo catfish (for now)...i was wondering whether i can add shrimp here without worrying about them being fish food...

This is the crab i was talking about, the seller also has the shrimps mentioned above. Link
Thanks

 

[Arfie]

A simple rule I use is, if it has claws, it doesn't belong with my fish. Crabs will eat anything they can get hold of including sleping fish.

As for shrimp, I have 6 amano shrimp (carodina japonica) in with a RTBS and he takes no notice of them what so ever.

They are fantastic little creatures, but are quite shy unless they have loads of places that they CAN hide in, they also like to be in large groups, I do intend to treble the numbers in my tank. Tiger shrimp, cherry shrimp and crystal red shrimp all all very similar o the amano, with the exception that they can all apparently be bred in freshwater which amano's can't.

They will eat any uneaten food (and very often nick it off much bigger fish ), they eat dead plant leaves (but not live ones) they also eat lots of different types of algae including cleaning it off plant leaves.

I will get my next lot from Snail Shop, but they only sell them in 20's.

Arfie

 

[black jack1]

The Amano's sound good and i think i'll give them a go. Also, yeh i was thinking that the crab might be able to do damage especially to smaller fish like the corys.

 

[dizzied]

Freshwater crabs aren't even common in the aquarium trade. Shrimp are an easier choice, if you don't have anything that might eat it.

 

[sammy86]

Freshwater crabs aren't even common in the aquarium trade. Shrimp are an easier choice, if you don't have anything that might eat it.

i wouldnt say thats true ive seen the crabs in every fish store ive come by

 

[three-fingers]

But those crabs are usually brackish. The shrimp they sell are sometimes brackish ghostshrimp as weel, but thats less often that the crabs .

 

[raptorrex]

A simple rule I use is, if it has claws, it doesn't belong with my fish. Crabs will eat anything they can get hold of including sleping fish.

As for shrimp, I have 6 amano shrimp (carodina japonica) in with a RTBS and he takes no notice of them what so ever.

i must admit i have never seen my crabs "go" for any other fish or shrimp, though they do get "bullied" by my pygmy gurami's.

it should be noticed that amano shrimp are listed a brackish. as are red crab. but as sammy86 knows thats a whole nuther hornets nest lol

 

[dizzied]

My crabs have never gone after any fish. Most people probably give them a bad reputation without ever having one.

 

[OohFeeshy]

Perhaps, but the point being, it's not the 'if', it's the 'when'. You're saying this now, but when an easy meal drops by for the crab you'll be singing a different tune. Besides which, even if they were 'peaceful', the amount of land needed and water conditions mean they shouldn't be kept with fish anyway.

 

[dizzied]

It's true about the land and water thing. Generally, hermit crab keepers that gave gone to keeping fiddlers and red claws are much, much better caretakers than fishkeepers who just want to have a crab. I've keep a lot of fiddlers for years, and they're generally peaceful. I even had one that "protects" guppy fry.

There's also over a hundred different crabs in the fiddler crabs species - so some might be aggressive while others are not.

 

[raptorrex]

Perhaps, but the point being, it's not the 'if', it's the 'when'. You're saying this now, but when an easy meal drops by for the crab you'll be singing a different tune. Besides which, even if they were 'peaceful', the amount of land needed and water conditions mean they shouldn't be kept with fish anyway.

how many and what sort of crabs do you keep?

 

[OohFeeshy]

how many and what sort of crabs do you keep?

Me? None. Although I'm looking into one or two purple fiddler crabs.

 

[raptorrex]

how many and what sort of crabs do you keep?

Me? None. Although I'm looking into one or two purple fiddler crabs.

i hear that