Took me a while, but it's finally set up

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Zante

Fish Herder
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Brackish beach tank for red claw crabs (Perisesarma bidens)
I'll probably have to add a few hiding spots, but I have plenty of wood and rocks to choose from.
Saturday I'll go and order them.
 
Probably should have cleaned the glass before taking the picture...
 
I'm having a bit of condensation on the glass now, so that even if it's clean it's not exactly clear, but I'm hesitant to add ventilation: I'm using the water to keep the air at an acceptable temperature and more ventilation will lower air temperature as well as humidity, which is also important.

I'll see how it goes. It's just been set up and it's my first foray into anything other than full aquariums. Also the large reef that will go in the same room should keep the room temperature high enough to limit condensation.
 
Looks spot on that Zante. Always fancied something like that myself
 
Ordered the crabs, went today to pick them up at the LFS...

All six DOA :(

I have now ordered them from another shop. No problem with the first one, it's just that it'll be a fortnight before they make another order, and a week before I can pick them up. Three weeks is a bit much. Next saturday I should be able to pick them up from the other shop.

Tomorrow I'll be taking the honey off my hives. Let's hope I get some satisfaction there...
 
Last edited:
More pictures please
 
Nothing has changed so far, apart from adding a bit more wood on the beach as shelter, but I'll see if i can add a few different angles this weekend. It's probably going to be the last chance to take the lid off without having to keep a watchful eye out for escape attempts.

I will definitely be posting pics once I get the crabs in.
 
Called the shop today.
They received the shipping
The crabs weren't in the shipping, although they were listed
:<

The shop said they were trying to find out where they were delivered.
I will call them tomorrow morning to see if they've found out anything.

Bets are on: will I ever get these crabs?
 
Called the shop today.
They received the shipping
The crabs weren't in the shipping, although they were listed
:<

The shop said they were trying to find out where they were delivered.
I will call them tomorrow morning to see if they've found out anything.

Bets are on: will I ever get these crabs?
cant wait to see!!
 
Completely changed the layout. I gave up on the red claw crabs and ordered vampire crabs. Now they're waiting for me at the shop.

They're more terrestrial than red claw crabs, but still amphibious, and freshwater rather than brackish. I removed all the sand and rebuild the stone wall further to the right, leaving less room for the water. The water level is also a bit lower. Behind the stone wall there is a layer of expanded clay pellets to improve drainage, and over that a layer of a mix of sand and compost. Last layer just compost. The soil is kept separate from the clay pellets by a plastic mesh between them.
The clay pellets should keep the soil humid through capillarity, drawing the water up, without making the soil soggy (although in the pics it does look soggy)

The planned plants are java fern, Java moss and cryptos. Possibly also an anubias, I'll have to see what the shop has available.
If I can find a micro orchid that could be an interesting addition.

There's a lot of condensation on the glass, and that should mean that humidity is nice and high: good for the crabs and good for the plants. Tomorrow I'll see if I can get a hygrometer to keep it under control.
The air temperature is 24 celsius, which is coming from an IR bulb. Water's too low to use a water heater.

A big advantage of vampire crabs over red claw ones is that they're easy to breed. In a manner of speaking they're like freshwater shrimps: the female carries the eggs and when they hatch she releases tiny little crabs that are immediately independent.

They are mainly hunting carnivores, so I guess I'll have to get some of those small crickets that are fed to reptiles for them to hunt, and they will probably also appreciate snails harvested from my FW aquariums, where they breed very easily as long as there's food. Could be a good way to also provide calcium in their diet.
They are omnivores though, and they will eat anything they can find. They will prefer by long to eat meat, but will settle. Plants should be safe as long as there's other food available, and they should settle easily on a diet of flake and pellets as a staple.

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please post pics as soon as you get them im really looking forward to it.
 

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