10 gallon fiddler crab build

[allaboutfish]

So I'm going to start a fiddler crab tank when I get back from vacation. (Sunday or Monday) and I'll update every now and then with questions and updates. I have a couple of questions for other fiddlers out there.
1. Do you cycle the water part as if it was freshwater?
2. Can I cycle it in freshwater then make it brackish when I'm done?
3. How should I acclimate the crabs since most are kept in freshwater?
4. Do they need to be acclimated if you just pick em up and put them on the land?
5. How many can I keep in a 10 gallon?
6. Should I glue the stones that will be making my waterfall?
7. Do you ever have to clean the dry part?
If so how do you do it.
8. Please post pics of your own setups and tell me any other info I need.

 

[adeebm]

1. I would cycle as brackish just to make it simpler
2. You can, but you'd have to slowly change the water from fresh to brackish then
3-4. I don't acclimate mine and they have done well. They are used to natural variations in salinity in the wild. If you wanted to, you could try either bag acclimation, or introducing them as fresh and changing the salinity over a week.
5. One male and two females, I wouldn't try adding any more males.
6. If you want to/think they would fall otherwise. Make sure it's a nontoxic glue.
7. If they leave food or poop around, you might have to. I just pick it up with my hand.
8. My tank is in my sig

Good luck with them!

--Adeeb

 

[alLexX]

i think you cycle it 75% of the way as a freshwater tank,then slowwly dose salt until you get it where you want it.

 

[allaboutfish]

I can't see signatures on my app. And how can you sex them?also if I start with brackish will my already established filter's bacteria die?

 

[alLexX]

the males have 1 huge claw,and one normal claw. females have 2 normal claws. you can sex then easier than you can get to the LFS

 

[allaboutfish]

So one male 2 females is the max?

 

[alLexX]

So one male 2 females is the max?

ive seen some sorces say that 1 male and 3 females is good,but id listen to adeebm before i listened to them

 

[allaboutfish]

Are fiddlers ok with anubius plants

 

[allaboutfish]

What plant are ok in brackish? Also are any rocks a no no with fiddlers? Another thing what temp should the water be? And would a heating lamp be beneficial for the fiddlers?

 

[alLexX]

i had java moss in my crab tank and it was fine

 

[allaboutfish]

I don't know where to get jaca moss

 

[alLexX]

I don't know where to get jaca moss

really? every fish store in my are has it,even petsmart.

 

[allaboutfish]

Nope petsmarts and petco don't have it but I do have another petco with more plants I'll have to check them and my LFS. Will java moss live on the land?

 

[alLexX]

Nope petsmarts and petco don't have it but I do have another petco with more plants I'll have to check them and my LFS. Will java moss live on the land?

it might not grow,but as long as it stays damp it will live.

 

[siva]

So I'm going to start a fiddler crab tank when I get back from vacation. (Sunday or Monday) and I'll update every now and then with questions and updates. I have a couple of questions for other fiddlers out there.
1. Do you cycle the water part as if it was freshwater?
2. Can I cycle it in freshwater then make it brackish when I'm done?
3. How should I acclimate the crabs since most are kept in freshwater?
4. Do they need to be acclimated if you just pick em up and put them on the land?
5. How many can I keep in a 10 gallon?
6. Should I glue the stones that will be making my waterfall?
7. Do you ever have to clean the dry part?
If so how do you do it.
8. Please post pics of your own setups and tell me any other info I need.

1. & 2. I started with cycled media from a FW tank and slowly raised the salinity to 1.008. I didn't have any probs with the bacteria being killed off by the salt.
3. & 4. That's what I do..I don't pick them up but I gently guide them out of the bag onto land.
5. 1 male 2 females sounds great.
6. If you need to use aquarium safe silicone
7. No, I haven't had to. Just stir the sand up during pwc.

Plants that will do great for you are java moss, java fern, java fern windelov, moneywort, and banana plant. The crabs are, for the most part, plant friendly.

 

[allaboutfish]

what about aponogeton i heard thats ok in brackish too

 

[siva]

I'm not seeing that on the list..here check it out: PlantGeek.net - Plant Guide

 

[allaboutfish]

are there certain temps they need?

 

[siva]

the crabs or the plants?

 

[allaboutfish]

the fiddler crabs. what does their water and land temps need to be?