Horseshoe Crab

[ncsc117]

Has anyone kept a Horseshoe crab.How did you like it.Does it bury in the sand alot?What does it eat?
THANKS

 

[cincijoe]

I bought one from SWF.com and I've only seen him a few times.......he does bury himself taht I've seen once or twice, but I normally see him floating thru the water because he's caught in a PH stream....

 

[pwisecup]

I have three tiny horseshoe crabs and they evidently come out at night. I see them every morning and then they bury themselves in the sand or substrate. I think they are cool.

 

[pwisecup]

Sorry, I forgot to tell you that they just eat leftover food that gets caught in the substrate. I like them because they stir up the sand but do not knock anything down. Sometimes they get stuck upside down because they do not swim very well. Then I have to rescue them by letting them grab onto my net or swishing them with water from my turkey baster. They get along with all my fish, crabs, snails, and brittle star.

 

[bheron]

you might wanna do some more searchigno n the board here. i was about to buy one but was turned away for some reason. dont always trust what any online retailed says about something being peaceful and compatible.

 

[clint_reno]

And peaceful. You don't see them much, but once in a while they come out.

 

[royalshrimp]

Originally posted by bheron
you might wanna do some more searchigno n the board here. i was about to buy one but was turned away for some reason. dont always trust what any online retailed says about something being peaceful and compatible.
someone probably told you that they deplete youre sandbed of good animals, which is entirely true:yes:

 

[mr. tuna]

yup they will burrow in your sandbed alot.

 

[clint_reno]

The idea here is that horseshoe crabs will eat everything in your sandbed, leaving nothing left but the sand. I think this may be a simplification.
One must consider the size of the tank, the size of the crab, and the number of fish "contributing" waste to the sandbed.
These crabs contribute to the Earth's ecosystem. They have a design that suits their purpose quite well. I think it is an overstatement to suggest that one can't have a successful tank with a horseshoe crab present.
It is possible to have a successful tank with a horseshoe crab.

 

[cincijoe]

I have noticed that my pod population has severly taken a plunge.......could it be the Horseshoe crab??

 

[saltyj]

I owned one for a while he was great at cleanup, but he did not live long, something to think about.

 

[clint_reno]

I am curious, do you remember how long you had your horseshoe?

 

[flipmodez5]

Hey all,
I jus recently bought a horseshoe crab a couple of weeks back and he iz awesome...he comes out sometimes during the day and jus stirs up my sand....then he borrows back down and doesnt bother my shrimp, clarki clown or my nass. snails....as for the statement made earlier about a plunge in pod population...yea horseshoe crabs LOVE pods and small worms...but dont worry the pods and worms will come back...my horseshoe crab usually eats up all the uneaten food and crap off my sand bed and he is very active at night....these guys get HUGE...that is if they survive that long...one of my friends had to release his at the shore last summer cause he became too big for his 125gal. tank...
:happyfish