mini red crabs
- Thread starter butterflylove
- Start date
I thought about getting one but didn't do so so in the end.
At my LFS and through reading I found out that they can escape and I didn't want that.....also I am told that they need to have stable rocks to be able to come out of the water to rest on. This is becasue they breathe oxygen a fair amount, but the rest of thie time they are on the bottm of the tank.
They look fun though!
At my LFS and through reading I found out that they can escape and I didn't want that.....also I am told that they need to have stable rocks to be able to come out of the water to rest on. This is becasue they breathe oxygen a fair amount, but the rest of thie time they are on the bottm of the tank.
They look fun though!
Scientific name: Perisesarma (Sesarma) bidens
Pronounced: Perry-sez-arma by-dens
Origin: Imported from Hong Kong. Similar species are also imported from Singapore and Thailand.
Habitat: This crab is common on mud flats, sandy beaches and river banks in estuarine areas, particularly around Hong Kong.
Temperament: Red crabs will catch small fish and eat them if they can.
Do not keep them with bottom dwellers, fish with long fins, or small species - in fact always exercise caution when mixing them with any fish...
Stocking: Crabs can be kept in groups, providing there is enough space for them to hold territories, otherwise they will fight a lot. Keep one male to about three or four females.
Aquarium: Most fishkeepers and shops keep their Red crabs in normal aquaria with no access to ‘land’. However, experts say that they do best when they are given access to ‘land’, so some form of ‘beach’ in the tank would be beneficial for their long-term well-being.
Provide plenty of cover in the form of bogwood for the crabs to climb on and hide under. Plants can be added - but the crabs may prune them for you.
Whatever style of tank you adopt, always ensure that it is well secured. Red crabs can climb out of the aquarium if given the chance, and they may look at cables entering the tank as an escape ladder out of the aquarium.
Size: Most Red crabs reach about 5cm/2” when fully grown.
Price: Around £2-3 each.
Diet: Red crabs are omnivorous. They will happily accept both meaty foods such as small pieces of lancefish, bloodworms and catfish tablets, as well as vegetable foods such as frozen peas and aquatic plants.
Water: They can be kept in hard, alkaline freshwater. However, experts reckon they do best in slightly brackish water. Crabs don’t tolerate pollution, especially high levels of nitrate, so keep on top of maintenance.
Sexing: Males are more brightly coloured than females. Females also have a different shaped abdomen - only visible on the underside.
Breeding: Red crabs generally enter slightly more brackish conditions to spawn. While they may produce eggs
in captivity, the microscopic planktonic larvae are unlikely to survive and foods small enough to feed them can be hard to come by.
Notes: Like other invertebrates, Red crabs are particularly sensitive to copper, which is an ingredient in
many fish-disease treatments and
snail-eradication chemicals. Take special care to select medications that are safe to use in an aquarium containing invertebrates when treating diseases. The Treatment Finder program on the PFK website can help you find suitable crab-friendly treatments:
www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/
treatmentfinder
Pronounced: Perry-sez-arma by-dens
Origin: Imported from Hong Kong. Similar species are also imported from Singapore and Thailand.
Habitat: This crab is common on mud flats, sandy beaches and river banks in estuarine areas, particularly around Hong Kong.
Temperament: Red crabs will catch small fish and eat them if they can.
Do not keep them with bottom dwellers, fish with long fins, or small species - in fact always exercise caution when mixing them with any fish...
Stocking: Crabs can be kept in groups, providing there is enough space for them to hold territories, otherwise they will fight a lot. Keep one male to about three or four females.
Aquarium: Most fishkeepers and shops keep their Red crabs in normal aquaria with no access to ‘land’. However, experts say that they do best when they are given access to ‘land’, so some form of ‘beach’ in the tank would be beneficial for their long-term well-being.
Provide plenty of cover in the form of bogwood for the crabs to climb on and hide under. Plants can be added - but the crabs may prune them for you.
Whatever style of tank you adopt, always ensure that it is well secured. Red crabs can climb out of the aquarium if given the chance, and they may look at cables entering the tank as an escape ladder out of the aquarium.
Size: Most Red crabs reach about 5cm/2” when fully grown.
Price: Around £2-3 each.
Diet: Red crabs are omnivorous. They will happily accept both meaty foods such as small pieces of lancefish, bloodworms and catfish tablets, as well as vegetable foods such as frozen peas and aquatic plants.
Water: They can be kept in hard, alkaline freshwater. However, experts reckon they do best in slightly brackish water. Crabs don’t tolerate pollution, especially high levels of nitrate, so keep on top of maintenance.
Sexing: Males are more brightly coloured than females. Females also have a different shaped abdomen - only visible on the underside.
Breeding: Red crabs generally enter slightly more brackish conditions to spawn. While they may produce eggs
in captivity, the microscopic planktonic larvae are unlikely to survive and foods small enough to feed them can be hard to come by.
Notes: Like other invertebrates, Red crabs are particularly sensitive to copper, which is an ingredient in
many fish-disease treatments and
snail-eradication chemicals. Take special care to select medications that are safe to use in an aquarium containing invertebrates when treating diseases. The Treatment Finder program on the PFK website can help you find suitable crab-friendly treatments:
www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/
treatmentfinder