Fun Addition Aquatic Crab Pets For Freshwater Tanks

Aquatic crab pets are a fun addition to a freshwater tank. They fill the tank with activity and colors. With many benefits, their unique appearance makes them a focal point of the tank. Fun species, selection, tank setup, and maintenance are difficult aspects of keeping crabs as pets. This article will address all of these issues.

aquatic crab pets

Aquatic Crab Pets

Aquatic pet crabs are crustaceans that aquarists keep in their tanks. There are about 7,000 different crab species from 100 different families. They are either freshwater, saltwater, or semi-aquatic. About 1,300 are freshwater crabs. These crabs are usually found in tropical and subtropical regions in various habitats.

They play a pivotal role in environmental balance by cleaning water bodies. They are also a food source for numerous living beings, including the human race. Many species are preferred by aquarists to keep in their tanks. Here are some famous aquarists’ top choices, along with their family, water preferences, and other necessary details.

Freshwater Crab Habitat

Yes, there are fully aquatic crabs for freshwater. As mentioned earlier, there are 1300 different freshwater aquatic crab species. They belong to various families and have variable sizes, habitats, colors, and other characteristics. Here is a list of such species.

Fun Addition To An Aquarium Or Paludarium

Here is an introduction to a few fun crab species for fully or semi-aquatic tanks.

Fiddler Crab

Fiddler crabs are one of the top choices for semi-aquatic environments. They are named after their male asymmetrical claws, while females lack this attribute. They belong to the Ocypodidae family. Atlantic sand, Red-jointed, and Marsh fiddler are popular fiddler aquarium species. They grow up to 2 inches long in colorful shades, e.g., brown, yellow, red, orange, and blue. They are present worldwide and live in coastal regions. Brackish or saltwater with soft substrate is the best living condition for them. They live for 2 to 3 years. They are burrowers. They use these burrows for shelter, mating, and thermoregulation purposes. These highly social creatures use their claws as a communication tool. They feed on organic matter, algae, and other small particles. Moreover, males use their large claws to attract females in mating season. A 10 to 20-gallon tank with ample sand substrate and dry area is a suitable house for them. Secure the tank with a lid so they can climb on the tank wall.

Thai Micro Crab

Thai micro crabs are one of the fully freshwater aquatic crab species. They are native to the River Chin, Thailand. Their natural habitat is heavily vegetated and has floating aquatic plants. Greyish-brown bodies with bristle-like hair on translucent legs give them a special appearance. Their legs are not equal in size. As the name mentioned, it is small, less than 1 inch, precisely 0.4 to 0.6 inches in dia. In a perfect environment, they live up to 2 years. They are the best choice for the nano freshwater tanks. They are peaceful and non-aggressive toward their companions. They are shy, nocturnal, and prefer to hide themselves. Keep them in a group of 3 to 5 in a minimal 5 or 8 gallon tank.

Pom Pom Crab

Pom pom crab, or Ptychognathus Barbatus, is another fully freshwater aquatic crab. These crabs are native to Hawaiian islands and live in rocky or coral-rich environments. They can bear brackish water conditions. They have a brown or light tan body with red or orange spots. They are another suitable crab species for nano tanks as they can grow up to only 2 inches long. Due to higher activity levels, they can bring life to the tank for at least 2 to 3 years. They have unique filtering pom-pom-like claws. They use it for filtering food particles from the water. They are peaceful, docile, active scavengers, curious, and burrowers.

Moon Crab

Halloween crabs or moon crabs are color pets. Their striking coloration makes them attractive to hobbyists. They belong to the Gecarcinidae family. By including the leg spans, they reach up to 6 inches. They are native to Central and South America in coastal regions, mangroves, forests, and estuaries. They have a deep purple or blue carapace, bright orange or red claws, orange accent black legs, and bright yellow eyes. These semi-aquatic species live up to 10 years in optimal living conditions. These burrowers create tunnels for shelter, hiding, and thermoregulation. They are omnivores, so they consume various types of foods. These nocturnals are territorial. Therefore, it’s best to keep them alone in a tank. Like fiddler crabs, they are climbers, so secure the tank with a lid. At least a 10 or 20-gallon tank with 4 to 6 inches of sandy substrate is the best housing for these crabs. Keep them in large dry regions and small shallow water areas with up to 70% humidity.

Tanganyika Crab

These crabs are native to one of the oldest and largest freshwater lakes, i.e., Lake Tanganyika, Africa. They live up to 30 meters deep on rocky and sandy shores. Platythelphusa armata is one of the largest crab species of the lake, with 2.5 inches diameter from the rare legs. They usually live up to 4 years. They have a rough exoskeleton with dark brown to black with light shades. Their claws are larger than their body. They are territorial and don’t prefer to live with other species. They become aggressive in defensive conditions. They are nocturnal and spend most of their time hiding themselves in their defined territory. Keep one crab per tank in a minimum 20-gallon tank. Lay sandy and or fine-gravel substrate that allows them to burrow.

Panther Crab

Panther crabs are native to Sulawesi island of Indonesia. They usually live in moderate-flow rocky and sandy substrate freshwaters. They can gain up to 3 inches dia from the legs and lie under medium-sized aquarium crabs. They can live up to 2 to 4 years. They have striking black and orange markings that mimic the panther. Their thin and long legs make them more gorgeous. Panther crabs are nocturnal, territorial, and aggressive. Their aggression is visible to other crab species and animals in the tank. They hide themselves or burrow in substrate. You can keep these omnivores in your freshwater tank with moderate care.

Matano Crab

Matano crabs are native to Lake Matano, Sulawesi, Indonesia. This lake has a sandy and rocky bed. They are one of the largest aquarium carbs, as they can grow up to 5 inches in diameter. In optimal conditions, they live for 2 to 4 years. They have colorful appearances that vary among the same species. They have large and strong claws for hunting and defense. Moreover, they have a streamlined body. Due to their nocturnal nature, they spend most of the daytime hiding. Moreover, they love to burrow them in the substrate.

What Do Freshwater Crabs Do For Freshwater?

Freshwater crabs impart numerous positive impacts on the freshwater. Here are some of the aspects in which they play a pivotal role.

Tank Cleaning

Crabs are scavengers and consume leftover food. It helps them avoid waste accumulation and ammonia spikes in the tank. Some freshwater crab species also help to control algae growth in the tank as they graze over it.

Substrate Aeration

Numerous freshwater crab species are burrowers. In this way, they improve the substrate aeration. It results in optimal plant growth, substrate health, and the release of harmful gasses.

Maintain the Food Web

Crabs play a pivotal role in the proper functioning of the food web. They prey on small organisms, e.g., detritus and microorganisms. Moreover, they also become prey for the larger fish.

Improve Aesthetics

They improve the tank’s aesthetics with interactive behavior, striking coloration, and a unique appearance. Some species are curious and explore the different parts of the tanks, while some nocturnal species tend to burrow and hide in the substrate and under plants and decorations. Moreover, their vivid coloration and fascinating patterns and appearance add decorative elements to the tank.

Nutrient Recycling

They help to break down the organic waste in the tank and avoid ammonia spikes. It improves the plant growth in the tank. Moreover, their waste acts as a natural fertilizer for plants as it contains nitrogen and phosphorus.

Water Health

Crabs are highly sensitive to water parameters. In any minute change in the parameter, they behave differently, i.e., increase hiding or reduce activity.

freshwater aquarium crabs

The Easiest Freshwater Crab To Keep In Home Tank

Fiddler Crabs are the easiest crabs to keep in the home tank. However, they need brackish water conditions. They are known for their large claws, which they use as a defense mechanism.

These crabs have smooth and convex carapaces with 8 walking legs. Their coloration varies at different hours of the day. Flow rate also impacts coloration. They are distributed worldwide in tropical and temperate regions and play a vital role in their ecosystems.

Why Is It Easy to Keep Them in a Home Tank?

• They require low maintenance and can live up to 10 years.
• They are suitable for small to medium aquariums.
• It’s fun to observe them as they show variable coloration throughout the day and in different flow rates.
• They require shallow brackish water with small dry land.
• They are docile and suitable to keep in species-only tanks and require minimal feeding.

Freshwater Crabs Care Sheet

Keeping the crabs in your freshwater tank is quite an interesting and joyful journey. However, it needs to take care of them properly. Here is the care sheet for freshwater crabs.

Tank Setup

• Small species can live in at least a 5-gallon tank. While large species require a minimum 20-gallon tank.
• Lay a thick layer of 4 to 6 inches, of fine sand or smooth gravel, as they love to burrow and dig in the tank.
• Introduce some hiding spots in decors, i.e., driftwood, rocks, caves, etc. Densely populated and floating plants do the same job.
• Some species can climb over the tank wall. For such species, use a lid to secure the tank.
• Water parameters vary with species. However, here are general water parameters.

Diet

Freshwater crabs are mainly omnivores. Feed them 2 to 3 times per week with the balance proportion of the following items.

Space Allocation

Crabs are generally territorial. Therefore, avoid overcrowding, as it can bring aggressive vibes to the tank. Moreover, they are explorers and scavengers. So, keep them in the same species tank with an adequate male-to-female ratio.

Maintenance and Care

• Weekly change 20% tank water.
• Regularly test the water parameters, e.g., ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate levels.
• Keep it chlorine and heavy metal-free.
• Regularly check the substrate health, as most of them love to hide in the substrate.

Diseases Cure

Rounding Out the Discussion

Aquatic crab pets bring some fascinating vibes to the tank. They live in fully aquatic and semi-aquatic conditions. Freshwater aquarium crabs are suitable for nano tanks, i.e., Thai Micro crabs, etc. So select the species of your interest, set up the tank according to its requirements, and keep a time-to-time check for the best crab vibes.

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