Fiddler crabs

[bettacove]

Does anyone know anything about them? My brother recently got some and we are trying to find out some info on them. And the other day they were mating, or something...

thanks
ashley

 

[azn dreamer]

Scientific Name: Uca pugnax
Family: Ocypodidae
Origin: Costal regions
Adult Size: 1 inch (2.5 to 3 cm)
Social: Lives in colonies, may eat small fish
Lifespan: 1.5 years
Tank Level: Requires access to air
Diet: Detrivore - eats detrius and algae
Breeding: Not bred in captivity
Care: Difficult

Hope it helps..and good luck on keeping them

 

[tsonnenl]

I've tried twice to keep them, both times unsuccessfully. I did not have a good access to air, but they did climb out onto the filter pretty often when I wasn't looking. I had 2 otos and a spotted catfish that surely got to all of the algae first, so I also tried algae wafers and 'crab pellets' and the fiddler crabs weren't interested in either of them. They sure are cool to look at and watch climb around and that makes them tempting, but I haven't been able to keep them alive for more than a few months.

 

[Salt4Us]

We had some before we got into Saltwater, they are pretty cool, we had a male and female, they are great climbers like tsonnenl wrote. One of ours got all the way out of the tank and freaked my husband out because while he was reading he saw something moving across the floor and it was the crab! It had gotten out of the tank and some how made it's way all the way down the stairs! It didn't live much longer after that which didn't surprise us. From what I remember and I can be wrong the male does a little dance like thing with his claws, ours did it often but they never mated. :? Good luck with them

 

[ghettorigged]

All I know is that we used to play with them all the time when I lived on the water in Savannah, GA. I know from messing with them that they like to have holes in the marshy mud but also will crawl all over the dock. They get in the water but I never saw them as often as in the mud. My guess is that you would need at least 1/2 of your tank devoted to 'land' in order to mimic their habitat.

 

[bettacove]

K thanks guys! We have them in there own 5gal tank. We have it set up so that they can either be in the water or out. Its really neat. And it must be like mating season or something! Its so weird when they do it! They like open these little pouches...its hard to explain.

ashley

 

[afFISHionado]

Years ago I used to have 2 of them. I didn't put any rocks or anything for them to craw up on. They were in with my fish filled to the top with water and they actually did very well. I don't know if that is recommended but I had them for over a year. They are so fascinating to watch. I would continue to ask around so that you can provide the best environment for them. Good luck.