as you can see in my sig my tank is over stocked so i have to take them to my lfs to trade them in and i was going to get african cichlids but i was wondering can i put fiddler crabs with african cichlids, every time i tried to put fiddlers in my tank with the fish i have now they would pluck there eyeballs off and it would kill them
can i put fiddler crabs with african cichlids
- Thread starter almsk8s4life
- Start date
your tank is already too small for the fish you have. an oscar grows to 13-14 inches and at maturity cannot thrive in a tank of less than 75 gallons and that's pushing it. bala sharks grow to a foot, are a schooling species and need swimming room. they are quite skittish when kept as less than 4 or so and will swim headlong into the tank walls when startled, killing themselves. at maturity, a 5 foot tank is minimum for these fish.
African cichlids should not in my opinion, be kept with Central or South American cichlids. water chemistry requirements and dietary needs are very different. moreover, Africans are extremely aggressive and territorial and will create significant stress in a tank of less aggressive fish.
as for fiddler crabs, the fiddler crabs found in pet stores are most likely semi-terrestrial brackish crabs, which means they need some salt in their water (which your other fish will not appreciate) as well as access to air and dry land. unfortunately, many pet stores keep fiddlers in a freshwater aquatic set up, and recommend the same to new owners. they may do fine in a fresh water and fully aquatic set up for weeks, but will eventually become weak and die. since fiddler crabs require a land area to get out of the water, reducing your already minimum volume to accomodate them will only make matters worse.
African cichlids should not in my opinion, be kept with Central or South American cichlids. water chemistry requirements and dietary needs are very different. moreover, Africans are extremely aggressive and territorial and will create significant stress in a tank of less aggressive fish.
as for fiddler crabs, the fiddler crabs found in pet stores are most likely semi-terrestrial brackish crabs, which means they need some salt in their water (which your other fish will not appreciate) as well as access to air and dry land. unfortunately, many pet stores keep fiddlers in a freshwater aquatic set up, and recommend the same to new owners. they may do fine in a fresh water and fully aquatic set up for weeks, but will eventually become weak and die. since fiddler crabs require a land area to get out of the water, reducing your already minimum volume to accomodate them will only make matters worse.
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Umm... liv2padl, did you read the post all the way? Just wondering, 'cause he said he was planning on returning his fish to get africans.
Yeah I think liv2padl missed that part! 
I would imagine fiddler crabs getting picked at, most cichlids probebly would. I've heard of people keeping Malawi crabs or blue lobseters in with thier africans I think, but I could still picture them getting picked at.
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-Diana
I would imagine fiddler crabs getting picked at, most cichlids probebly would. I've heard of people keeping Malawi crabs or blue lobseters in with thier africans I think, but I could still picture them getting picked at.
:-Diana
i wouldnt try it, it just isnt a good idea. no matter what happens, something is gonna end up dead.
