Fiddler Crab Build

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khartig said:
I'm glad your tackling this. I just got a used 20 gal. tank from a buddy of mine and plan on doing a crabitat and this thread has been helpful. I hope you don't mind if I learn from your mistakes:rolleyes:.
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I'm glad this thread has been useful. Feel free to ask questions and learn from my mistakes (as I'm sure there will be many more)!
 
I agree this thread has been very useful. Also I am interested in what crabs you get and if they try to burrow or not. Also I am trying to configure the sand potion of my tank. I'm just in the planning stages at this point so I am curious to see how yours goes.
 
Has anyone used a hydrometer before? I feel like mine is not acting right. For example, the first time I used it my salinity was 1.013. So I thought I put too much salt in (it should be 1.008 or so). But then the next day without changing anything, it was 1.003. So I thought a lot had dissolved. I added more. Yesterday it was reading 1.001, even though I added some. I'm not sure if I need to buy a new hydrometer... Or if I'm just not using it correctly.
 
skiweeangel said:
I agree this thread has been very useful. Also I am interested in what crabs you get and if they try to burrow or not. Also I am trying to configure the sand potion of my tank. I'm just in the planning stages at this point so I am curious to see how yours goes.
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I'm glad you enjoy reading, and thankful for your advice!
 
Which one do you have? I think they all (or maybe just some) need filled with salt water and left to sit overnight or something like that before the first use..so make sure to read the directions. With mine I just fill it up and gently tap out any air bubbles and set it on flat surface. The salinity will not drop like that, water evaporates but salt does not, so you aren't getting an accurate reading.
 
I'll try letting it sit overnight. When I tested it again yesterday it had gone up a little more, which makes sense because I added some salt the day before. I'm going to keep adding about 1/4 of a cup at a time. The box says 1/2 cup per gal for 1.022 salinity. I want mine about 1.008. I have roughly 10 gals. So in my mind I should not go over 2 cups. (Math is not my strong suit, but I think that's right!) There is a little more than one up in there now. So I'm going to add by 1/4 increments and test the next day. Hopefully it works!
 
Did some more work on the tank. We still have driftwood to put in, but it is still leaking tannins... Has been for almost two weeks now. Grrr. Anyway, it's coming along!
 
I have fiddlers! Saturday we went and bought 2 males and 4 females. One of the females was actually berried when we bought her (which I took as a sign that she was healthy). Once in our tank at home four of them started exploring, and two females barely moved. I watched them for a while, then turned off the light to let them rest and explore without the light. I was happy to see all of them the next day roaming around and eating. Today at lunch I discovered a molt (already!) and I believe it was the berried female, however she is no longer berried... I never saw any eggs floating, so I'm not sure what happened to them. Perhaps she had them during the night and they were eaten or sucked in the filter? But having eggs and molting in the same day! She seems very exhausted. Anyway, we have had so much fun watching them chase each other and eat like crazy. They are very entertaining!

Pictures are coming!
 
Update on the salt issues: I finally got consistent readings at 1.005. They need salt of 1.008, but they came from a tank at the LFS of freshwater. Therefore, I thought why not let them adjust to a little salt, and then add more. So I'll be adding salt in a few more days or a week.
 
Congrats. Pics are a must. I'm so looking forward to my own crabitat build, just have to wait for the wife to get back to work. Does the crabitat need to be cycled like an aquarium?
 
If you click on the image code at the bottom and paste it in, the image will appear in your thread, rather than have to follow the links. Nice pictures.
 
Fantastic! Your water is so clear and I love the set up! Congratulations on finally getting the little ones in there.
 
Wy Renegade said:
If you click on the image code at the bottom and paste it in, the image will appear in your thread, rather than have to follow the links. Nice pictures.
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Yeah that didn't work... The pics that are on here I added from the mobile app, but for some reason on my computer I can't figure it out. Haha.
 
Blueangel4730 said:
Please add more pics!! I have fiddlers in a fw and a little setup where they can get out of water. U have my wheels turning!!!
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Did you say you have them in freshwater? Most everything I've read suggests brackish water for them (which for fiddlers means 1.008 salinity of marine water). I'm curious to know if they have lived for a long time in the freshwater.
 
ALSO: I have another berried female! This one is really shy so she doesn't get out much, but she definitely has eggs. :) I can't even tell you how much fun they are to watch. I just sit next to the tank forever. Hehe.
 
I love the picture of the male holding his legs out. How come, no matter what the species they always try to tell you how big they are? I didn't mean for it to sounds dirty..... it just came out like that from listening to my friend's new BF brag about himself for 1/2 hour.... i don't think that is going to last.

anyhoo, I have started searching craigslist for new tanks and I'll hit you up for some ideas in a few days... maybe. i can't wait to have some of my own running around!
 
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