Hermit Crabs from the ocean?

[firefightremtp]

So I live on an Island and I am very temped to go down to beach and bring back some little crabs... could I do this and why or why not?

~grace

 

[browniebuck]

why not reasons
1. you could be breaking the law
2. you could be introducing a crab to your tank that will cause harm to your other critters (get too big).
3. you could be introducing disease to your tank
4. you don't know what exactly you are adding...unless you get it identified.
why reasons...
1. saving money (unless of course you get caught and have to pay a fine)
2. it would be neat (unless they killed everything in your tank)
3. you could create a tank of critters that live near you...if you had the proper licenses...that would be kind of cool
Overall, I wouldn't do this unless you were going to create a tank of local critters and went about it the right way (license, QT whatever you brought home, RESEARCH RESEARCH RESEARCH).
I miss your island...we used to go every summer, stayed at the Island Club on Folly Field Road...haven't been there for 4 years....I miss the Crazy Crab!!!

 

[firefightremtp]

Im glad you miss

[hr]
head, why do you not come anymore? One of my friends who is on this site a lot but never posts has 4 or 5 tanks and one of them is all local things, tiger shrimp, blue crabs, lots of hermits, some small fishes. This is actually where I got this idea from. My main reason is to save money, but I def dont want to get fined or put a bad disease into my tank....

 

[browniebuck]

we haven't been back since a friend of mine got married...my wife had a botched surgery 3 1/2 years ago and wound up missing about 7 months of work...we were too proud to ask family for help and wound up having to file for bankruptcy...so, vacations had to go by the wayside...but, hopefully within the next couple years...we HAVE to get back. I miss the laid back week of being a beach bum, playing a little golf, doing a lot of bike riding, etc...we named our dog Jake after the Salty Dog Cafe black lab...

 

[browniebuck]

check with your buddy and see if there is a license or permit that you need...I wouldn't just go to the beach and start picking stuff out of fear of a large, unexpected fine.

 

[9supratt4]

Also, being in SC, a lot of the stuff you'd collect wouldn't make it in a tropical tank....the water would be too warm for them.

 

[mproctor4]

When I was a kid we would go to Pawleys Island, SC every year and bring home a few hermit crabs and some other small critters. The only problem we ever had was with a sally light foot that got too big! The zoo ended up taking him from us. I know they are more strict about what can be taken from the shore now, but let me tell you.......people pick up all kinds of stuff that they kill for the shells etc. and they never get in trouble. I would just QT everything.