Red Claw Crab

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BrutusPleco

Aquarium Advice Regular
Joined
Jul 9, 2004
Messages
59
Location
California, USA
I just bought a red claw crab at my lfs. It is in a 39 gallon tank with 2 Plecostamus Both around 9 inches long. Had a difficult time finding info but what I have found says RCCrabs like brackish water. Can I add some aquarium salt without harming my Plecos, Bubbles and Norman? I asked the clerk at my lfs about care and he said they were easy. But on surfing the web appears they are more delicate than the clerk let on . thanks for any help you can give!!! :)
 
The plecos will do just fine in brackish water, just make the change gradually. What are you feeding the crab? and does it have a spot in which to exit the water?
 
whitetiger_CJ said:
The plecos will do just fine in brackish water, just make the change gradually. What are you feeding the crab? and does it have a spot in which to exit the water?
Your frikkin high or something the Plec in no way will do just fine in a brackish tank :!: :evil:
Don't give advice like that, what the heck is wrong with you :?:
 
Feeding shrimp pellets, carnivore pellets, fish flakes. Do not have a way for him to get out of the water. Should I let some water out say 3 to 4 inches and put something in there for it to climb on? Already climbs on the air line for the bubbler. thank you much for the quick response!! :D
 
BrutusPleco said:
Feeding shrimp pellets, carnivore pellets, fish flakes. Do not have a way for him to get out of the water. Should I let some water out say 3 to 4 inches and put something in there for it to climb on? Already climbs on the air line for the bubbler. thank you much for the quick response!! :D

Yes; they require access to atmospheric air in order to respire properly. As for the "aquarium salt" you spoke of, do you have one of the brands marketed for its alleged tonic effect on freshwater fish in mind? Some allege that those brands lack certain trace elements and that a solution (mixed outside the tank) of commercially-available marine salt (at a lower-than-recommended dosage) should instead be used. [One should also be aware that certain generic "aquarium salts" claim to be nothing less than "evaporated seawater" - these might suffice.]
 
what I meant is that the little salt that he adds to the tank will not effect the pleco in any way. I have had a pleco in a tank with my puffers in near brackish conditions, and he is just fine, and it has been 5 years. as long as you offer him his veggies there should't be a problem, or maby I have just been lucky all these years? well any way if it isn't recomended you may not want to unless you are able to find another with the same experinces I have had with the pleco. another thing, make sure there is no hole in the top of the tank. the crab will get out if there is a large enough hole. you may want to lower the water a little and create a way for the crab to at least partially get out of the water.
 
Whitetiger_CJ,
sorry I bit your head off flaming you like that, but there is a major difference between a little salt and Brackish waters that are ideal for critters such as Puffers and Red Claw Crabs.
What do you consider near brackish, what kind of salinity levels you talking about?
Many Loricariidae's (Plecos) are intolerant of salt, though alot can handle doses of salt used as treatments for various ailments. There are exceptions to every rule and rules tend be somewhat flexible,
but IMHO a Plec in Brackish waters would be very exceptional.
 
How much salt do you put in your water? I fixed a spare python tube and lowered the water. have it sticking out of the water about 1 1/2 inches. Have had these plecos about a year and a half. They seem to be pretty tough critters. they are alot more active than what they used to be. I have some "Doc Wellfish's Aquarium Salt". Says it is " All Natural- Made from Evaporated Sea Water". thank you for your help!! :)
 
To be blunt most "crabs" (note did not say crayfish) that are sold in petstores are mis-marketed. You see them in fully submersed freshwater tanks and that makes it appear that that is how they should be kept, that is WRONG!!
Red claw, fiddler, etc crabs marketed in this way are actually native to brackish habitats where they have access to aquatic and terrestrial habitat. While they may live for a while in a fully submerged fresh tank most perish w/in a few months. Best case scenario has a habitat for them which includes a swimming/underwater area and also a "beach" and/or driftwood/rocks to climb on. My daughter has two fiddlers in a 10 gallon in her room -- we used sand to create a slope. The highest point creates a dry zone that is approx 1/3 of the tank and slowly fades into the underwater portion (water is about 3 inches deep - maybe a touch more).....there is also a chunk of driftwood that extends in both areas. The crabs LOVE it!!
 
Red Claw crab

Thank you so much!! I feel upset that the lfs sells a pet and it shows them in an aquarium with fish!! My stepson has a small aquarium and I will set it up like your daughters. Thank you!!!
 
Saddly most stores are more concerned with keeping the livestock alive long enough to be sold vs showing the habitat they are 'supposed' to live in.
 
One concern I have, that has not been mentioned yet - will the crab attack the plecos?

My research on crayfish told me that bottom-dwelling tankmates of any kind are a no-no. Crabs are opportunistic scavengers just like crayfish, so I wonder if your plecos are in any danger of being chowed upon during the night. Any thoughts, anyone?

Oh, and I hate when dopey lfs clerks say that keeping any aquatic creature is easy. If it were so easy, there wouldn't be any websites like AA. :roll:
 
hrm.. i have two red claw crabs in my "community" tank...

they are rather large now, but I have a place for them to crawl out of the water (on my drift wood) and if that fails they always climb to the top of the filter...

Ive had these crabs for about 5 months now, no problems at all except them scaring me with their molting. they really need a place to hide especially in a tank with fish so make sure you provide them with that
 
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