Aquariums: Anyone know why there are so few crabs in the hobby?
There seem to be quite a lot of freshwater species of crabs, yet I never see any in pet stores. There are so many shrimp and crayfish, but why no crabs? Does anyone know why?
Posted by Altruistic-Poem-5617
7 Comments
Databuffer on
Saltwater crabs are ABUNDANT. The problem is most freshwater crabs can’t be underwater full time, and need a whole paludarium with a controlled climate and high humidity. All around, really specialized care. They’re not easy, and from what I know its near impossible to get them to breed in captivity. A lot of work for something that might not sell.
Edit: if you wanna see the exceptions, look up thai micro crabs, or freshwater pom pom crabs! They’re full time underwater
Special-Pumpkin-8605 on
Well I have a panther crab at home and he’s pretty
cool got him online
potatochobit on
I put fresh water crab in my tank and the turtle ate it. most of these need brackish water which is why no one keeps them.
RtrnofBatspiderfish on
If you mean marine crabs, it might be the fault of Carcinus maenas (looks a little like the crab you are holding), just like Solenopsis invicta ($7 Bn in damage annually) makes it illegal in the US to import/export ants.
Green crabs are local invasives where I live, and the one who hitchhiked into my coastal invertebrate tank as a baby ate literally every large living thing in the water. Now she lives in a muddy tote pond, where she devours the ramshorn snails I throw in, as well as any deceased fish. There are little isopods and amphipods that can escape the crab, but none of the gastropods, anemones or larger worms did.
conqueefador69420 on
Ausde they’re escape artist lol
Eso_Teric420 on
There aren’t a lot of fold freshwater species and they’re kind of a pain to keep. Especially the larger ones. “Escape artist” does not do them justice. Of the three crabs I owned I lost all of them to them wandering around and dying. They’re also poorly described what is sold as Halloween or painted crabs soap dish crabs can be a variety of species.
abyssal-isopod86 on
Because most need a paludarium (land and water) not just an aquarium.
7 Comments
Saltwater crabs are ABUNDANT. The problem is most freshwater crabs can’t be underwater full time, and need a whole paludarium with a controlled climate and high humidity. All around, really specialized care. They’re not easy, and from what I know its near impossible to get them to breed in captivity. A lot of work for something that might not sell.
Edit: if you wanna see the exceptions, look up thai micro crabs, or freshwater pom pom crabs! They’re full time underwater
Well I have a panther crab at home and he’s pretty
cool got him online
I put fresh water crab in my tank and the turtle ate it. most of these need brackish water which is why no one keeps them.
If you mean marine crabs, it might be the fault of Carcinus maenas (looks a little like the crab you are holding), just like Solenopsis invicta ($7 Bn in damage annually) makes it illegal in the US to import/export ants.
Green crabs are local invasives where I live, and the one who hitchhiked into my coastal invertebrate tank as a baby ate literally every large living thing in the water. Now she lives in a muddy tote pond, where she devours the ramshorn snails I throw in, as well as any deceased fish. There are little isopods and amphipods that can escape the crab, but none of the gastropods, anemones or larger worms did.
Ausde they’re escape artist lol
There aren’t a lot of fold freshwater species and they’re kind of a pain to keep. Especially the larger ones. “Escape artist” does not do them justice. Of the three crabs I owned I lost all of them to them wandering around and dying. They’re also poorly described what is sold as Halloween or painted crabs soap dish crabs can be a variety of species.
Because most need a paludarium (land and water) not just an aquarium.