Horseshoe crab???

[dannyboy10]

I'm wondering if I can get a little horseshoe crab for my 10 gallon tank? I don't know if it's to small for them

 

[dingusplease]

It wouldn't exactly fit haha, without going into a few other more complicated reasons.

These guys grow to be over 2 feet wide.

 

[dannyboy10]

Even if it's those little ones like this?

 

[bribo12]

Yes dingus is correct, they get huge and need a very large, deep and diverse sandbed. Definitely not a good inhabitant for a 10

 

[ezy33]

They grow to 12 inches so no to the 10 gallon. May I recommend a shrimp instead? Skunk cleaner, Fire, or a Banded Coral Shrimp.

 

[dannyboy10]

Yeah I figured i think I'm going to get a cleaner shrimp I'm new at fish tanks so I'm not really sure haha

 

[insanejellyfish]

When I was first starting out with saltwater, me and my ma had a 30 gallon tank and one day when we were at the fish store my mom bought a little horseshoe crab that had to be alil smaller than an inch long. We put it in the tank and saw it maybe once. It buried itself and we never saw it again. After having an internship at the Aquarium in Charleston, SC I learned a lot more about the guys. They do get huge, they have indeterminate growth, so as long as they live, they grow and if under the right conditions can live for decades. They have to be one of the most interesting creatures out there. While it's small a 10 gallon would be able to hold it for a limited time, but after a few sheds you would definitely have to upgrade. I pretty much became an expert on these guys while I worked at the aquarium so if you got any questions I can probably help.

 

[mr_X]

I disagree with keeping a horse shoe crab in a 10 gallon tank. There's no food for it first of all. What will you feed it? What else do you expect to keep in this tank?
It will knock everything over and rearrange anything that's not glued down.

 

[insanejellyfish]

Small bits of fish and shrimp is what we used at the aquarium, he'll definitely do some redecorating, they're scavengers and not active swimmers though but at his size his shell isn't that helpful in protection from larger fish. For food, frozen shrimp, will do, he'll also scavenge off of left over food from any fish you may have. They don't have any pincers or stingers... in fact they're completely harmless. They can't even bite. They're mouth pretty much has the texture of a toothbrush and what "claws" they do have is for pushing food to their mouth. The only 2 downsides I see about having a horseshoe crab is that they get big over time and they don't care what they knock over while they walk.

 

[Redwolf91]

I decided not to put one in my 150 because of how large they get, if that says anything

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