Tropical Crabs

[crackmonkey]

I had two Red Claw Crabs, or atleast thats what I think they are called. But they are smart little things and they escaped. Anyone else keep crabs? how do you stop them from getting out?

 

[Teelie]

Securing every possible opening is the only way to keep them in the tank. They are escape artists.

 

[jarcher1390]

ive just put some in my tank and i heard they escape also (pedending on the type of crab !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) some like a bit of salt

 

[Robbo851]

no salt for red claws teelie is right making sure the lid is tight and to heavy for them to lift is the only way, they will climb plants pipes and just about everything else except the glass, they can also jump and swim a few inchs ,is it just crabs in the tank because you could lower the water level so they can get to the top of the tank, and they like wood or rocks out of the water to sit on

 

[moray]

Red claws love brackish water, it makes them grow larger and they are happier and healthier; though they can live in fresh water they do actually prefer salty. I do agree about lowering the water they need to be able to get out of the water and being the great escape artists that they are anything you can do to make it more difficult for them the better, lower water, a good lid and the "land" not too near the top of the tank are all things you can do to try to keep the little critters from commiting suicide and drying up somewhere in your home.

 

[smooth_bourbon]

ok not sure who all I am now disagreeing with but

From all I have read, mixed with my own experiences with them. Fiddler crabs are the ones that prefer brackish water and a way to get partially out of the the water. Red claw crabs which are a big sell here at the local Petsmart are strictly fresh water and yes are also escape artists but do not need to have a way to get out of the water.

I have owned both, and found them both scurrying across the floor so definately need to block off all ways of escaping, and give the red claws some caves, or bogwood to hide in/under. They are amazing can lift up bogwood 20 times their size to hide under.

Fiddler crabs are now illegal to trade/sell/buy here since apparently some have been released into the wild and caused problems.

 

[moray]

The red clawed cab I am talking about (Sesarma Bidens),it is often sold as a fresh water crab but it is a brackish crab, it can live in fresh water but it really needs salt to keep it happy and healthy.

 

[smooth_bourbon]

well could be very true I see a lot of sites that say both ways. When I had my red claw crabs a few years back i looked online and found a bunch about them being fresh water only. Mine where very active and seemed happy, but they lived for only a couple years tho then got really stinky Maybe it was brought on by the freshwater

I know they sold fiddler crabs here before they were band as fresh water also.

 

[Robbo851]

it is true that red claw crabs idealy live in brackish water but since most pet shops keep them in freshwater tanks it is best to then after keep them in little to no salt tanks, in brackish water they seem to shed their shell more oftern but in clean freshwater they will shrive much better. and if you wanted to keep fish with the crab more species have freshwater