Mollies Attacking My Crab

[Mola Mola]

I've just put 8 platies, 6 Black Mollies and 2 Thai Red Crabs in my 80L tank. One of the crab has some green stuff on its back (kinda looks like grass, not sure if it is algae).

Anyway, the mollies are chasing the crab around the tank (they are leaving the other one alone) and seem to be trying to eat the green stuff.

Will the crab be OK? I kinda expected him to just sit there minding hi sown business and for the fish to give him a wide berth.

 

[SchottayB]

I might be wrong but I'm not sure you should be keeping the crabs with the fish. The crabs might eat the fish?

The green stuff may well be algae.

 

[micko]

I've just put 8 platies, 6 Black Mollies and 2 Thai Red Crabs in my 80L tank. One of the crab has some green stuff on its back (kinda looks like grass, not sure if it is algae).

Anyway, the mollies are chasing the crab around the tank (they are leaving the other one alone) and seem to be trying to eat the green stuff.

Will the crab be OK? I kinda expected him to just sit there minding hi sown business and for the fish to give him a wide berth.

I'd be more worried about the fish. They will soon be crab food.

 

[Mola Mola]

I'd be more worried about the fish. They will soon be crab food.

That's not good!

The guy in the shop didn't suggest that there would be any problems. I know that fish shops perhaps don't have a very good reputation for advice, but the place seems reputable, and he advised me to buy less fish to start with and also strongly suggested that I didn't get tetras straight away, so he didn't seem to be happy to give advice that would end up with me losing fish.

 

[micko]

Well I would be seperating them if I were you.

 

[ZoddyZod]

Those crabs are not suitable for an aquarium. They are predominantly land crabs that spend most of their time out of water. They also require brackish water.

 

[Tizer]

erm, doh, i replied in your cycle thread before i spotted this one...I would suggest you return them tomorrow and just enjoy the fish.

 

[Mola Mola]

erm, doh, i replied in your cycle thread before i spotted this one...I would suggest you return them tomorrow and just enjoy the fish.

Oh, can you normally return fish/crabs to the fish shop?

I was planning to leave them in and just see how things went, but I didn't realise that I would be able to return them.

 

[Tizer]

erm, doh, i replied in your cycle thread before i spotted this one...I would suggest you return them tomorrow and just enjoy the fish.

Oh, can you normally return fish/crabs to the fish shop?

I was planning to leave them in and just see how things went, but I didn't realise that I would be able to return them.

Dont expect any money back for them, most shops are happy to sell them again.

Just say "look, i think i made a mistake with these guys yesterday, could i return them and perhaps take a molly instead? im just concerned they will nip at my fish". Then wink at him and say "please big boy".

You cant really keep them unless you were going to add salt to your tank and you dont really want to be getting into all that chuff.

 

[jamie_from_tamworth_uk]

I had 4 red claw crabs and a blue lobster in my 3ft tank. 3 of my crabs got ripped apart by the lobster. The biggest one with the brightest claws servived. The crabs and the lobster did attack my fish. I had 15 neons before i added the crabs. Now i only have 2.
I took them back to the shop where i brought them from, they didnt give me anything for them but happly took them back.
I wouldn't advise anyone to keep crabs or lobsters with fish (unless your fish are huge).