Keeping fiddler crabs as live food

[jasonrusso]

My porcupine fish has recently developed a taste for fiddler crabs, and it seems like that's all he wants to eat now!!! So it seems like I am going to be keeping these things long term. I bought 50 of them and I have them in a 10 gallon tank with a couple concrete pavers and about an inch of salt water. I have a small heater in the water and an air stone. I noticed that the water was smelling bad so I put a bag of carbon in it. That didn't really help.

So I want to do this right. I want to keep the crabs happy and healthy (it's the right thing to do for them and the end user fish). Is there some sort of filtration I can use?

 

[Blitheran]

What comes to mind for me is that these are more brakish style crabs with primative gills/lings. They require land and water with a salinity at about 1.01-1.008

I think a simple intank filter will do just fine, like the ones used for turtles.

just a little filter for the small amount of water and a heater, and Sand substrate

 

[jasonrusso]

What comes to mind for me is that these are more brakish style crabs with primative gills/lings. They require land and water with a salinity at about 1.01-1.008

I think a simple intank filter will do just fine, like the ones used for turtles.

just a little filter for the small amount of water and a heater, and Sand substrate

You think I need sand? I have a couple of blocks in there and they can climb up.

 

[ahiggins]

Hahahahaha so my boyfriend keeps one of these and he is absolutely in love with it. I can’t wait to show him this video!!!!!

Side note, I would definitely look at gut loading with super healthy food.

Also another side note, do you ever come across females? He’s been on the hunt for one for months

 

[jasonrusso]

Hahahahaha so my boyfriend keeps one of these and he is absolutely in love with it. I can’t wait to show him this video!!!!!

Side note, I would definitely look at gut loading with super healthy food.

Also another side note, do you ever come across females? He’s been on the hunt for one for months

I got 50 of them. They are a mix of males and females. The males have the big claw, the females have 2 small claws.

I'm feeding them algae wafers and pellet food

 

[jasonrusso]

I bought this filter. After discounts and rewards I got it for $28. I also have plenty of filters because they are the same as the aqueon 10 filters.

Https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/not-ready-for-web-2773007?cm_mmc=EMTXN-_-Misc-_-DEV_PET_ORDCONFPICK-_-DE_PET_ORDCONFPICK-_-product_url&kxconfid=tbc1h9h8v&kxcampaignid=Misc&kxadvertiserid=sfmc

 

[ahiggins]

I got 50 of them. They are a mix of males and females. The males have the big claw, the females have 2 small claws.

I'm feeding them algae wafers and pellet food

Where do you buy them?

We usually feed frozen (whatever is left from the saltwater tank) and life spectrum sinking pellets. We also use a tiny carbon filter to take out the cloudy water.

 

[ahiggins]

I bought this filter. After discounts and rewards I got it for $28. I also have plenty of filters because they are the same as the aqueon 10 filters.

Https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/not-ready-for-web-2773007?cm_mmc=EMTXN-_-Misc-_-DEV_PET_ORDCONFPICK-_-DE_PET_ORDCONFPICK-_-product_url&kxconfid=tbc1h9h8v&kxcampaignid=Misc&kxadvertiserid=sfmc

If you’re in it for looks, yea that will work lol
We just bought a stand up one that’s rated low water. Like $10 on Amazon

 

[jasonrusso]

Where do you buy them?

We usually feed frozen (whatever is left from the saltwater tank) and life spectrum sinking pellets. We also use a tiny carbon filter to take out the cloudy water.

Fiddler Crabs; live; dozen - Live Brine Shrimp

These PUGnacious and colorful little saltwater crabs have a variety of uses. From being excellent sand-sifters in your tidal marine aquaria, to prime bait for sheepshead and other fish during outings where landing the big one is the priority! Or perhaps you would just like to add some diversity...

www.livebrineshrimp.com

 

[jasonrusso]

If you’re in it for looks, yea that will work lol
We just bought a stand up one that’s rated low water. Like $10 on Amazon

I figured that it will give them more surface area to get out of the water. Like I said, I also have the filters and they are really cheap.

 

[ahiggins]

I figured that it will give them more surface area to get out of the water. Like I said, I also have the filters and they are really cheap.

Awesome I’ll look into it for him. I have a feeling we are about to have a bajillion crabs now....

 

[BamboozleBean]

That puffer is really awesome.
I’ve always liked those guys but I don’t have the money or space for them. Just stickin’ with the good old 10 gallon for now.
I had a pea puffer in February however I was told it was born in captivity.
However it didn’t eat and did not do well at all. Found out later it was actually wild caught.

 

[jasonrusso]

That puffer is really awesome.
I’ve always liked those guys but I don’t have the money or space for them. Just stickin’ with the good old 10 gallon for now.
I had a pea puffer in February however I was told it was born in captivity.
However it didn’t eat and did not do well at all. Found out later it was actually wild caught.

I'm sorry to hear that. Puffers are special, like water puppies.

Almost ALL SW fish are wild caught. There are only a few species that breed in captivity.

 

[BamboozleBean]

I'm sorry to hear that. Puffers are special, like water puppies.

Almost ALL SW fish are wild caught. There are only a few species that breed in captivity.

Yeah that’s true, I would think designer fish/corals would be raised/grown in captivity, being an exception.

 

[ahiggins]

Yeah that’s true, I would think designer fish/corals would be raised/grown in captivity, being an exception.

But those guys have issues of their own. Some designer clowns have been bred so much that they are super anxiety prone. I had one (of 2) swim herself to death while the other went in and is at 4 years old now

 

[jasonrusso]

If you’re in it for looks, yea that will work lol
We just bought a stand up one that’s rated low water. Like $10 on Amazon

It fit pretty good. I had to modify the pump because of the low water level.

 

[lion king]

Do you feed him those to keep his teeth in check, or for enrichment. I shoukld try those for my dfp, his teeth are bucked big time. He gets shell on shrimp, silversides(bones), and clams on the half shell(nothing to crack there but he does hit them pretty hard). It's a bb tank so no substrate to sift through but he"s a pretty lazy pup anyway, he doesn"t pick through the rocks at all.

 

[jasonrusso]

Do you feed him those to keep his teeth in check, or for enrichment. I shoukld try those for my dfp, his teeth are bucked big time. He gets shell on shrimp, silversides(bones), and clams on the half shell(nothing to crack there but he does hit them pretty hard). It's a bb tank so no substrate to sift through but he"s a pretty lazy pup anyway, he doesn"t pick through the rocks at all.

I'm feeding him those, because at this point it's the only thing he gets excited about!!! He sees an Oyster and comes running over, then loses interest. Yet, he will eat 20 crabs if I keep dropping them in!!

 

[sfin52]

I'm feeding him those, because at this point it's the only thing he gets excited about!!! He sees an Oyster and comes running over, then loses interest. Yet, he will eat 20 crabs if I keep dropping them in!!

That's really meet. I love the lion.