Benthic sharks with urchins?

[BoneXriffic]

Yes! That's what I was thinking. Detritivores are good!

You nailed this none good, also the rays can be debarbed...i think some pencils with be safe for all involved...with or without horseshoes

 

[ice fish]

Just add a giant lionfish and you will have quite the crazy tank.

 

[meir]

Hmm. Yeah, I know most people fail to keep them, though I have heard that that's mostly because people (A) don't have a huge tank (B) don't have a sand bed deep enough (C) usually keep a coldwater atlantic horseshoe crab in tropical (warm) water. I have heard that keeping them alive if you have the temperature, food, and sandbed is not that hard. You can actually force feed them by putting them in a separate shallow tank on their back, placing food on their legs, and then waiting for them to consume the food and then excrete their waste, once every three days. At least, that's what researchers do.



Yeah I have heard they are extremely hardy as long as you get the conditions right. My biggest worry isn't keeping them alive (as if I get one, I will MAKE SURE IT STAYS ALIVE GOD ******! lol), but rather that they deplete the live sand. If they're going to kill my live sand I don't want one haha.

This is true. If u want horseshoe crabs to work id give them a tank dedicated to them

 

[LadAShark]

Just add a giant lionfish and you will have quite the crazy tank.

For a while, before I end up with a giant lionfish and a bunch of dead fish.

This is true. If u want horseshoe crabs to work id give them a tank dedicated to them

Hmm, yeah.

I was just hopeful about liveaquaria, because they claim their horseshoe crabs like 72-82 degrees fahrenheit, but I have a feeling that that's not true. I'm going to phone them to check up on what species their crabs are.

 

[meir]

For a while, before I end up with a giant lionfish and a bunch of dead fish.


Hmm, yeah.

I was just hopeful about liveaquaria, because they claim their horseshoe crabs like 72-82 degrees fahrenheit, but I have a feeling that that's not true. I'm going to phone them to check up on what species their crabs are.

They are most probably telling the truth it cld be a tropical species

 

[meir]

It's still better to give them their own tank without LR

 

[LadAShark]

They are most probably telling the truth it cld be a tropical species

Yeah. It could be. I have, however, heard that the majority for sale in the USA are Limalus polyphemus (atlantic horseshoe crab) which means they are cold water only.

It's still better to give them their own tank without LR

Yeah, I am looking into that. Right now I'm focused on my shark tank. Perhaps I might just setup another tank for one after this tank is done.

I sort of do want to try introducing the crab to the tank first, and then introducing the sharks after the crab is well established, but I really don't know how that will work out. I'm probably just going to drop the thought of getting one of them altogether, because I wouldn't want them to die because it's tough to take care of them :/

 

[meir]

First you don't need the biggest tank for a long time they take a while to grow

 

[meir]

Second u cld do something like horseshoes and cat sharks and or rays

 

[meir]

Coldwater Rays and sharks

 

[meir]

Which wld honestly be a killer tank

 

[meir]

Yeah. It could be. I have, however, heard that the majority for sale in the USA are Limalus polyphemus (atlantic horseshoe crab) which means they are cold water only.


Yeah, I am looking into that. Right now I'm focused on my shark tank. Perhaps I might just setup another tank for one after this tank is done.

I sort of do want to try introducing the crab to the tank first, and then introducing the sharks after the crab is well established, but I really don't know how that will work out. I'm probably just going to drop the thought of getting one of them altogether, because I wouldn't want them to die because it's tough to take care of them :/

I'm sure u can special order warm water HSC

 

[LadAShark]

First you don't need the biggest tank for a long time they take a while to grow

Second u cld do something like horseshoes and cat sharks and or rays

Which wld honestly be a killer tank

I'm sure u can special order warm water HSC

That would be really awesome. Sounds like a plan to me
And the sharks' detritus producing nature would definitely suit the horseshoe crab's love of detritus. I'll cal liveaquaria and find out if their crabs are warm water or not, if they are, great, if not, I'll ask them where I might be able to get a warm water one.

 

[meir]

That would be really awesome. Sounds like a plan to me
And the sharks' detritus producing nature would definitely suit the horseshoe crab's love of detritus. I'll cal liveaquaria and find out if their crabs are warm water or not, if they are, great, if not, I'll ask them where I might be able to get a warm water one.

Go for it

 

[LadAShark]

Cold water catsharks are unfortunately not an option for me, as they all tend to be pricey and much harder to come by. But a warm water horse shoe crab, if I can find one, would be perfect!

I have also read some studies that indicate that atlantic horseshoe crabs live naturally in water temperatures up to 75 degrees fahrenheit, so I could perhaps acclimate everything to ~73-74 degrees fahrenheit, also resulting in it being that much easier to maintain my water temperature because of how close that is to room temperature.

 

[BoneXriffic]

@meir why do you post so many comments in a row? Lol

On the side of live rock...gonna be tons of nitrates in this tank lol i think it will be helpful... givin the dimensions it could be cool to have an island of in in middle. Be a little happy home for the urchins

 

[meir]

@meir why do you post so many comments in a row? Lol

On the side of live rock...gonna be tons of nitrates in this tank lol i think it will be helpful... givin the dimensions it could be cool to have an island of in in middle. Be a little happy home for the urchins

Why not it gives me time to think my answer over while answering other Qs

 

[meir]

@meir why do you post so many comments in a row? Lol

On the side of live rock...gonna be tons of nitrates in this tank lol i think it will be helpful... givin the dimensions it could be cool to have an island of in in middle. Be a little happy home for the urchins

As for LR yes it wld definitely be very cool but u want to as well make sure that the HSC have enough room to move around and from my experience if the rock is not secure they will rearrange it in a not so pretty way so if ur planning on doing HSCs than make sure ur committed if u are than I suggest using LR glue and gluing it to the bottom glass of the tank

 

[meir]

Cold water catsharks are unfortunately not an option for me, as they all tend to be pricey and much harder to come by. But a warm water horse shoe crab, if I can find one, would be perfect!

I have also read some studies that indicate that atlantic horseshoe crabs live naturally in water temperatures up to 75 degrees fahrenheit, so I could perhaps acclimate everything to ~73-74 degrees fahrenheit, also resulting in it being that much easier to maintain my water temperature because of how close that is to room temperature.

Yes u can over a period of say a week or two even less acclimate them to a higher temp. I find it easier to catch juveniles and raise them they seem to be hardier

 

[meir]

Tbh I found it very hard to kill my HSC not that I tried but thru tank flukes and tank breaks it survived and not to mention it was wild caught