Fiddler Crabs

[Kay]

My husband received a pair of fiddler crabs as a gift and there is not
to much information about them. I have read some need salt, some say
fresh water aquarium salt. some say natural sea salt and others say no
salt at all. Some say water only, others say half and half water.

I know they will not be able to breed right in a home aquarium due to
the fact the babies need to be washed out to the deep sea to continue
thier stages. So I don't expect that. But I want to make them as
comfortable as possible. the male just started to climb on the island
today and wave his big claw around, some people say it looks like he is
doing a gang sign, but to me it looks like he is dancing the robot dance.

I did add a teaspoon of instant ocean to the 5 gallons in the tank, it
is a tem gallon tank. I premixed it and added it slowly, because no one
really has answered the salt question.

Kay

[Raccoon]

Hi there Kay,
I'm not too sure about fiddler crabs, but my boyfriend has 3 red claw crabs,
very often the two species get confused.
All info I have read on the red clawed ones says that brackish or slightly
salted water is best for them, I get the impression that this applies to
fiddler crabs also, but ours have lived happily in freshwater for some time
now.
I have, however recently added a little salt as I heard it wont harm our
other fish (all tropicals..the goldies are mine and kept seperately) I
thought it might benefit the crabs a little, and all still seems to be going
swimmingly (sorry for the pun) in the tropical tank :)
Tess

"Kay" > wrote in message
om...
> My husband received a pair of fiddler crabs as a gift and there is not
> to much information about them. I have read some need salt, some say
> fresh water aquarium salt. some say natural sea salt and others say no
> salt at all. Some say water only, others say half and half water.
>
> I know they will not be able to breed right in a home aquarium due to
> the fact the babies need to be washed out to the deep sea to continue
> thier stages. So I don't expect that. But I want to make them as
> comfortable as possible. the male just started to climb on the island
> today and wave his big claw around, some people say it looks like he is
> doing a gang sign, but to me it looks like he is dancing the robot dance.
>
> I did add a teaspoon of instant ocean to the 5 gallons in the tank, it
> is a tem gallon tank. I premixed it and added it slowly, because no one
> really has answered the salt question.
>
> Kay

[Raccoon]

Hi there Kay,
I'm not too sure about fiddler crabs, but my boyfriend has 3 red claw crabs,
very often the two species get confused.
All info I have read on the red clawed ones says that brackish or slightly
salted water is best for them, I get the impression that this applies to
fiddler crabs also, but ours have lived happily in freshwater for some time
now.
I have, however recently added a little salt as I heard it wont harm our
other fish (all tropicals..the goldies are mine and kept seperately) I
thought it might benefit the crabs a little, and all still seems to be going
swimmingly (sorry for the pun) in the tropical tank :)
Tess

"Kay" > wrote in message
om...
> My husband received a pair of fiddler crabs as a gift and there is not
> to much information about them. I have read some need salt, some say
> fresh water aquarium salt. some say natural sea salt and others say no
> salt at all. Some say water only, others say half and half water.
>
> I know they will not be able to breed right in a home aquarium due to
> the fact the babies need to be washed out to the deep sea to continue
> thier stages. So I don't expect that. But I want to make them as
> comfortable as possible. the male just started to climb on the island
> today and wave his big claw around, some people say it looks like he is
> doing a gang sign, but to me it looks like he is dancing the robot dance.
>
> I did add a teaspoon of instant ocean to the 5 gallons in the tank, it
> is a tem gallon tank. I premixed it and added it slowly, because no one
> really has answered the salt question.
>
> Kay

[Raccoon]

Sorry! double post!
Tess

"Raccoon" > wrote in message
...
> Hi there Kay,
> I'm not too sure about fiddler crabs, but my boyfriend has 3 red claw
crabs,
> very often the two species get confused.
> All info I have read on the red clawed ones says that brackish or slightly
> salted water is best for them, I get the impression that this applies to
> fiddler crabs also, but ours have lived happily in freshwater for some
time
> now.
> I have, however recently added a little salt as I heard it wont harm our
> other fish (all tropicals..the goldies are mine and kept seperately) I
> thought it might benefit the crabs a little, and all still seems to be
going
> swimmingly (sorry for the pun) in the tropical tank :)
> Tess
>
> "Kay" > wrote in message
> om...
> > My husband received a pair of fiddler crabs as a gift and there is not
> > to much information about them. I have read some need salt, some say
> > fresh water aquarium salt. some say natural sea salt and others say no
> > salt at all. Some say water only, others say half and half water.
> >
> > I know they will not be able to breed right in a home aquarium due to
> > the fact the babies need to be washed out to the deep sea to continue
> > thier stages. So I don't expect that. But I want to make them as
> > comfortable as possible. the male just started to climb on the island
> > today and wave his big claw around, some people say it looks like he is
> > doing a gang sign, but to me it looks like he is dancing the robot
dance.
> >
> > I did add a teaspoon of instant ocean to the 5 gallons in the tank, it
> > is a tem gallon tank. I premixed it and added it slowly, because no one
> > really has answered the salt question.
> >
> > Kay
>
>

[Kay]

Tess,
Thats good to know. One other thing I have read is that the salt aids in
the molting of the crab. It also says that if there were no slat it is
harder to molt and the crab can be caught inside the shell and die.
thats why I am tryign to find out which is the right way to keep them.
Has yours molted? Do you know how many times, and without the salt?

The fiddler crabs I ahve are called Gold fiddler crabs, The female looks
more like gold then the male, The male and female are darker during
the day and really light colored at night. The males already has climbed
on the dry land part and shaked his claw and did the mating dance. I
would have to say the crabs are out of the water half the time and bask.
Do you keep yours strickly in an all water tank?

Kay

[Raccoon]

One of ours molted successfully and happily before I put the salt in. But
since I put salt in the other two have molted, so it might help things
along.

Also, we were told they didnt need access to air but that if they could get
out they would...and ours often do! lol. they manage to climb up the filter
and the walk along the glass ledge of the tank (they use it as a crab
balcony) They find it easy to get back in when they need to, if they cant
climb down, they just ease themselves in and "float" down.

Here are the websites I looked at:
http://centralpets.com/critterpages/fish/freshwater_inverts/FWI4673.shtml

http://www.geocities.com/elgecko1989/crab.html

http://wrongcrowd.com/aquaria/crab/

Hope they help!
Tess :)

"Kay" > wrote in message
. com...
> Tess,
> Thats good to know. One other thing I have read is that the salt aids in
> the molting of the crab. It also says that if there were no slat it is
> harder to molt and the crab can be caught inside the shell and die.
> thats why I am tryign to find out which is the right way to keep them.
> Has yours molted? Do you know how many times, and without the salt?
>
> The fiddler crabs I ahve are called Gold fiddler crabs, The female looks
> more like gold then the male, The male and female are darker during
> the day and really light colored at night. The males already has climbed
> on the dry land part and shaked his claw and did the mating dance. I
> would have to say the crabs are out of the water half the time and bask.
> Do you keep yours strickly in an all water tank?
>
> Kay

[Kay]

Raccoon wrote:
> One of ours molted successfully and happily before I put the salt in. But
> since I put salt in the other two have molted, so it might help things
> along.
>
> Also, we were told they didnt need access to air but that if they could get
> out they would...and ours often do! lol. they manage to climb up the filter
> and the walk along the glass ledge of the tank (they use it as a crab
> balcony) They find it easy to get back in when they need to, if they cant
> climb down, they just ease themselves in and "float" down.
>


Tess,
Great links! I do have Gold Fiddler crabs though, the red clawed looks
awesome! The fiddlers I have the male is the only one with one large
claw. they are out of the water at least half the day if not more. and
th emale gets out of the water and waves his large claw over and over
again to call the female, he just started doing this yesterday.

I guess thats why there is little info on the fiddlers cause they are
out of the water most the time and if not sealed right will be out of
the tank and can last for days out of the tank. But so far thats all I
have managed to learn.

Kay

[Twittering One]

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[Raccoon]

Yeah red clawed crabs are pretty cool. they only grow to about 4cm but make
up for it with attitude.
If one does get out of the tank and hides, put a bowl of water down so it
can get to the water. I think thats on one of the links I posted.

If I find any more info I'll post it here for you :)
Tess

> Great links! I do have Gold Fiddler crabs though, the red clawed looks
> awesome! The fiddlers I have the male is the only one with one large
> claw. they are out of the water at least half the day if not more. and
> th emale gets out of the water and waves his large claw over and over
> again to call the female, he just started doing this yesterday.
>
> I guess thats why there is little info on the fiddlers cause they are
> out of the water most the time and if not sealed right will be out of
> the tank and can last for days out of the tank. But so far thats all I
> have managed to learn.
>
> Kay

[Kay]

It will be nard for them to get out, I have so many apple snails in
other tanks and am prepared. Apple snails will get of if they can to
look for a place to lay eggs.

Kay


> Yeah red clawed crabs are pretty cool. they only grow to about 4cm but make
> up for it with attitude.
> If one does get out of the tank and hides, put a bowl of water down so it
> can get to the water. I think thats on one of the links I posted.
>
> If I find any more info I'll post it here for you :)
> Tess
>
>