crabs or frogs?

[dudeofrude]

My lfs has a deal where I can get a 5g set up with gravel, filter etc for £30 so I think I'll invest as a feature for the spare bedroom. I'm just torn between red clawed crabs or possibly some frogs? I'm not really clued up about either so I was just wondering if anyone can give me some advice? Will the tank be big enough? Can I put anything else with either of them? Any input would be great, thanks

 

[Big-j]

Rcs, they are great fun and really colorful, breed readily so you can get some in store credit at the lfs once you get alot

 

[BigJim]

A 5g isn't good for much. I wouldn't put crabs or frogs in it. You could definitely do a shrimp tank though.

 

[dudeofrude]

It doesn't have to be 5g, they have a 7.5g and a 10g for £35 and £40. Any is fine just didn't want too big a tank as its only going on a bookcase, so it can't be too heavy. Plus I'm only want 1 or 2 of either in there?

 

[rich6459]

Get the red clawed crabs, they are really fun to watch. Just make sure there's no way for them to get out. They're fantastic at escaping.

 

[dudeofrude]

Cool, I'm definitely leaning towards crabs I think. So what size tank would I need for a single red claw? Also what sort of substrate is best? Do they require a heater?

 

[Homedog98]

Probably sand would be best, so there's no risk for them to rip a claw like in gravel. Definitely a filter, and if I'm correct access to land, not sure about the heater. I'd do the ten gallon tank if your gonna do crabs though.

 

[dudeofrude]

Cool I was hoping for sand, I'm thinking black sand will look good. So how many could I keep comfortably in a 10gallon? Will I need to give the tank a long cycle before I add them or are they quite hardy? I'm planning on using water and filter media from my established main tank

 

[doogle]

a 5g is fine for a few fiddlers, red claws shouldnt be much different. no need for a heater. feed them fish food and krill, for the most part.a turtle tank is the easiest, cuz you will want a filter in it ...TRUST ME. sand is only necessary for breeding them and it is very hard.heres a pic of mine.there is a cave enterance near the waterfall, it has clear plastic egg carton cut to have support on top so gravel covers it, and goes all the way to the end of the tank(like a 2-story house) and has air pockets.one crab is always in there! they molt too so dont freak out when it looks dead.lol...p.s. it is hard to find filters that prime when the water level is this low. this is aqua-tech5-15.my self-priming aqueon wouldnt start even when i primed it!

 

[siva]

Personally I wouldn't do crabs in a 5 gal. Also they are brackish so if you do pick them up you need to have marine salt and a hydrometer. I think a 5 gal makes a fine home for up to 5 frogs. The substrate in my crabitat is half rock, half sand. They enjoy picking at the rock more.

 

[doogle]

i remember when i made this tank, moved them from a 10g, no filter and 2inches of water, it was a pain ,anywaythe next day one of the males molted and i thought i killed it.lol i also just added marine salt, switching from aquarium salt... marine salt is great for mollies too, btw.

 

[siva]

I reeeeally want some little pea puffers to go with mine.

 

[doogle]

i think red claw crabs are way better escape artists than fiddlers