Red Clawed Crabs - Undersea Pineapple?

[nphsmith]

Our LFS persuaded us to get some Red Clawed Crabs, assuring me they don't need to get to the surface. Reading round the web afterwards (I know, should have been before), it seems they do need to.

Firstly, can anyone point to authoritative evidence one way or another?

Second, is it possible to create an underwater aerated cave? We have an ornament that naturally 'catches' about an inch of air if I put it in straight, and which one of the crabs has adopted. If I put a rock under it, could crabbie use that to climb inside ornament and breathe?

Presumably the air would get stale after a while. If I put part/all of an air-stone under it, would the fresh air help? Or would CO2 build up anyway? And would crabbie hate the disturbance inside 'his' cave/ornament so much he wouldn't go in anyway?

Any other thoughts? I suspect other half would put a kibosh on a new small tank just for the crabs, and daughter (And I) are fairly in love with them, so I would greatly prefer not to take them back, but equally don't want to be damaging them.

 

[siva]

The only crab I know of that can thrive in freshwater is a thai micro crab. Red claws and fiddlers are brackish water crabs. The also must have access to air or they'll survive at most a few months, and worse, be miserable...constantly searching for a way to the surface. Keep them both in freshwater and without access to air and they won't last long. This is how I first had them, knowing nothing about them, and my first 2 escaped the tank..desperate for air. I then began to learn more about them and like them so much(I actually keep fiddlers) that I got them their own tank. They need a SG of 1.004 min to 1.008 max. You need marine salt and a hydrometer. Start with 1 tsp of salt per gallon, and test daily at the same time of day, slowly adding more salt if needed until you acheive an ideal SG. Never add salt directly to the tank, remove a little water and disolve the salt in it, then add it to tank. Of course if you have freshwater fish, this isn't going to work. Most crab tanks are set up with more land than water. Some have as little as a gallon of water, but I don't think this is enough. I have a crabitat set up in a 14 gal tank currently that is about half water, half land. I find 50/50 to be best. I have read that they are more land crabs than water, but I find they spend as much time in water as on land if you give them enough space in it. I have kept them in a more standard fish tank set up as well, and while this is no way mimics their natural habitat it is still possible..but you have to be more creative about giving them access to land. For instance they will sit on decor and some plants that come up out of the water if you don't fill the tank all the way. One method I also use is a small floating island, the kind you find the reptile section, with a plant perfect for climbing positioned up against it. I have plans to move them to a bigger tank and I am ordering one of these...this might be what you are looking for.. Crabs Habitat by Atlantis Underwater Islands - Under water Islands

 

[nphsmith]

Thanks. That pretty much confirms what I was reading. I like the undersea crabitats, but I'm in UK and the site only lets you register US addresses (Despite saying it will ship to UK). I have US friends who might buy and ship for me! That might work.

 

[siva]

Some people make their own underwater islands...I'm not nearly crafty enough though

 

[nphsmith]

Ok, so my plan is to get US friend to send crabitat over. That will take a couple of weeks. This evening I was looking under ornaments to find the crabs (Thought they had escaped which in some ways would have relieved me of my anxiety)! I couldn't see them, brought wife in who pointed out they were clinging to the ornaments I had in my hand.

I *think* that if I move ornament straight into a (Empty, Fishtank only) bucket, the crabs will come with it. If I leave them in there for, say, 15 minutes, to get some air, and give them a crab pellet so they look forward to it rather than being a stress thing, will that give them better survival chances?

My thought is to do that daily until underwater habitat arrives...

 

[siva]

I'd do it for at least an hour if you can...that is an awesome idea. You are a good crab parent!! lol

 

[nphsmith]

Sadly, I'm not. After a few days of trying the taking out of tank routine, one of our 2 crabs is dead; found him lying motionless on his back.

I'm guessing the stress did for him, or maybe he suffocated.

Bah.

 

[siva]

Don't beat yourself up. These guys are being handled so improperly before they even get to you, a lot of them aren't going to make it long. BUT are you sure it's the crab and not just the shell? The first time one of mine moulted I thought it was dead..fished it out and investigated and realized it was just the shell. Does it have eyes? No eyes = just a shell! (If so leave the shell in, they eat it to help harden their new shell)

 

[nphsmith]

OK, my daughter, who is braver than me, has volunteered that she thinks Mr Claw (Our one remaining crab) should go. I am planning to take him to work with me tomorrow, go to pet shop at 9am, and buy something along these lines:
Acrylic Tropical Planted Nano Cube 7 Litres + LED Lighting - All Pond Solutions (And keep him at work).
Does that look feasible for a single RCC? Do I need to worry about Nitrogen cycle?

 

[siva]

Yikes...no..not at all. I don't see how that tank could possible work for a crab. It's much too small, they do need atleast a 10 gallon. Also they are social creatures and I wouldn't keep one alone. The need air or will not live long, and I don't see how that would be possible in this tank. They also need a tight fitting hood to prevent escape..which they are pretty talented at when they are desperate for air. In my experience crabs are incredibly sensitive to the nitrogen cycle. I'm sorry that I have experience with it, but unfortunately I do. Might I suggest you re-home the crab instead if she doesn't want it anymore? Your lfs would most likely be willing to take it back.

 

[nphsmith]

Thanks, I was relying on your experience. If they are sensitive to Nitrogen cycle, I'll need to take him back. Thanks for all your help.

 

[siva]

Happy to help Aw I'm sorry they didn't work out for you though

 

[nphsmith]

Just to let you know, he is at a LFS now (Not the one that sold him to me ... ). They were acclimatising him as I left, so were actually bothering to try and keep him alive at least.

So hopefully all ends well. Siva, thanks again for all your help and tiem with this.