I need info on some exotic crabs

Skyetone · Post by **Skyetone** » 24 Nov 2003, 01:48

I have been running into this sight for a year or two now. I like the info. I also like the rare stuff.
I have a 55 gallon crab tank. two asian land crabs, 2 thai land crabs, 2 fiddlers, 2 purple fidlers(new) a few redclaws, and a few watermelon fidler crabs(also new)

I JUST got the watermellons. The fish shop said they had several die off. I too had one die off and one is MIA. But they are under a week in my aquarium. I want to find info on these crabs. I don't have a sci. name. The pet shop doesn't either as of this time. They are very beautiful and I really want to keep them.

I was surfing for info when I got sidetracked here. Can ANYONE give me GOOD info or links to a sight that tells about these or similar crabs?

I got sick of hermit crab links, and how to eat crab and watermelon in the same meal. It's so hard being unique.

I have an AQUALOG shrimp, crayfish, and crabs book (47 pages long) by Uwe Werner but it doesn't show me this crab.

TIA for any help....

Post by **Silurus** » 24 Nov 2003, 02:30

Fiddler crabs are mangrove inhabitants, and they are really best suited for a terrarium, not an aquarium, setup.

Ideally, you should provide a fairly thick layer of organically-rich mangrove mud (it's black and smells of hydrogen sulfide) for them to burrow into, plus a little seawater for them to keep their gills wet.

I'm not sure where you'd get mangrove mud in Utah, but you can probably make something vaguely similar by running an aquarium (without fish) with a very deep layer of fine sand (remembering to seed the tank now and then with fish food or some other organic material), and using the black, evil-smelling goo that builds up at the bottom of the sand bed.

Skyetone · Post by **Skyetone** » 25 Nov 2003, 03:13

I have them in a basic terrarium. They have 3/4 tank of water. They can get out of the water. I'd like to see if they would burry them selves in the mud. I don't really have the option to set it up right. I at least give them space

spiny · Post by **spiny** » 27 Nov 2003, 01:04

A very good source of information is the Aqualog special book "Shrimps, Crayfishes. and Crabs."
It is in english, and you can order it at http://www.aqualog.de I think. The ISBN number of the book is: ISBN 3-931702-53-7
Autjor Uwe Werner
Publisher:
Aqualog or
Verlag A.C.S GmbH
Liebigstrasse 1
D-63110 Rodgau
Germany

Phone: +49 (0)6106 644692
Fax: +49 (0)6106 644692
E-mail: [email protected]

The book isn't very fat, but is good! Nice pictures, and an affordable price I think.

I have lost several crabs, because the were able to climb up cables or the filter pipes, climbing out of the aquarium.. They travel a lot, so cover well!

Good luck!

magnum4 · Post by **magnum4** » 27 Nov 2003, 01:25

Post by **Silurus** » 27 Nov 2003, 01:31

I'd like to see if they would burry them selves in the mud.

For that to happen, you'd need at least 4" of substrate. I'd go with at least 6", if possible (6" of mangrove mud isn't going to make the room smell good, though).

Skyetone · Post by **Skyetone** » 27 Nov 2003, 03:18

hey spiney.... If you read the last line of info in my first post, I have that book. Any other books?

I don't think I will put substrate in the bottom.

spiny · Post by **spiny** » 27 Nov 2003, 06:12

Sorry, I didn't see that you already had that book. I do have some books about freshwater crustaceans from the caribbean island of Dominica, but I didn't find that species there.
About fidlercrabs I found the following:
http://faculty.washington.edu/~viscido/fcfaq.shtml
http://www.fiddlercrab.info/ lots of species!!!
http://www.fiddlercrab.info/uca_links.html lots and lots of links!!! Fiddlerheaven!
http://www.mbi.nsysu.edu.tw/~fiddler/uca/uca_e.htm asian fiddlers
http://www.veryhappening.com/things/fiddler_crab/ Book!!! Fiddlercrabs of the world
http://mangrove.nus.edu.sg/guidebooks/text/2053.htm info on fiddlercrab habitats
http://elmersaquarium.com/10fidderlercrab.htm short tank set up info
http://www.aquariumfish.net/catalog_pag ... abs_p4.htm online store selling crabs, with customer comments on website
http://www.deh.gov.au/biodiversity/abrs ... cords.html photos Australian species

Found no info when searching specifically for watermelon crabs, but but there were lots of links at the fiddlercrab.info pages.

I even found this page where they sell FIDDLE CRAB PINS...

Good luck!

Skyetone · Post by **Skyetone** » 28 Nov 2003, 19:26

Thats what I was talking about

Thats a shload of info.
The crab itself is a fidler with a red claw green striped small body. I'll link up later. where did the pin link go? How did you find all the fider info? Me and my buddie on different computers looked and didn't find much....

spiny · Post by **spiny** » 28 Nov 2003, 19:44

I searched and searched, and found recipes only.. but I tried http://www.google.com , serched for fidler crabs, and, that page asked me; "do you meen fiddler crabs. I thought it was one d in fiddler (?), but there they were. So, the search word was fiddler crab(s). I searched watermelon etc, but it was so many hits, and I didn't find anything related to our topic.

The fiddler pin was really funny and colourful, and probably more to the liking of our grandmothers, regarding the design. It was on one of the 20 first pages on Google, with search word fiddler crab.

Fiddler crabs are nice! I have seen them live in the Caribbean, and the best locality was Indian River, in Dominica. There were many species, and some were huge. I saw fiddlers, landcrabs, in the mangrove forest around the shore. It was lots of holes in the riverbank, that the crabs had been digging!
In Dominica there were large freswatercrabs as well, up in the mountains at 1000 meters/3000ft above sea level, in the rainforest. Blackish with yellow belly, named Siwik. Lots of huge black river prawns and crayfish.

I also saw, and cathed (and released!) landcrabs and fiddlers in the St. Vincent Grenadines. They were digging deep holes on the beaches. This were beaches with few people trodding the sand/area.

I will set up some type of mangrove habitat later!

Skyetone · Post by **Skyetone** » 29 Nov 2003, 17:43

Yea I have become intrigued with the spiders of the sea. I think they are really interesting. I still haven't "seen" any molt. I see the carcous. I think that they are a wonderfull think for an aquarium. One they are cleanup crew, and two the newbies or children become imediatly intruiged with the larger crabs. Then they ask about them, and I teach where i can. My buddie now wants a crab tank

I do the best I can for them, lots of flat above the waterline, Probably too much food, and as good of living conditions as I can. Thats why I try and studie the new species I plan to own.
Thanx for the links. I'm gonna go folow them now.

Skyetone · Post by **Skyetone** » 29 Nov 2003, 17:51

here is the new ones.... http://www.fiddlercrab.info/u_annulipes.html aparently singapore crabs.