Horseshoe Crab
- Thread starter corcoadam
- Start date
miaheatlvr
Active Member
Originally Posted by Corcoadam
I'm thinking about getting a group of three horseshoes crabs. I have a 40 gal. tank with a small volitan lion, five hermit crabs, and two snails.
Thanks
Thats not a good idea, these things belong on the ocean and not in the home aquarium, they walk miles all day and a 40 is really 2 small for 1 neverind 2, it will find itself running into your tank walls, flailing and knocking things over and swimming upside down. They also get a foot long or longer, these need like a 250g minimum.
I'm thinking about getting a group of three horseshoes crabs. I have a 40 gal. tank with a small volitan lion, five hermit crabs, and two snails.
Thanks
Thats not a good idea, these things belong on the ocean and not in the home aquarium, they walk miles all day and a 40 is really 2 small for 1 neverind 2, it will find itself running into your tank walls, flailing and knocking things over and swimming upside down. They also get a foot long or longer, these need like a 250g minimum.
kilhullen
Member
Originally Posted by MiaHeatLvr
Thats not a good idea, these things belong on the ocean and not in the home aquarium, they walk miles all day and a 40 is really 2 small for 1 neverind 2, it will find itself running into your tank walls, flailing and knocking things over and swimming upside down. They also get a foot long or longer, these need like a 250g minimum.
Actually, I was thinking about this possibility. THe big ones yes get to be huge, and certainly belong in the ocean for sure, but I found this other site that has them for sale both as eggs and as actual "crabs" even though they are not actually crabs. They say the size is average compared to other aquarium inverts (as in a smaller species) and this is what they say:
Horseshoe Crabs
Sand Stirer , Detritus Eater
The Horseshoe Crab is very strange in appearance and can be unique captives for an aquarium. Very hardy , they can be a good choice for beginners. Horseshoe Crabs are bottom dwellers, and in the wild usually burrow in mud or sand flats in tidal areas or estuaries. In the aquarium, your Horseshoe Crab will generally do best in a sandy substrate. They are helpful in cleaning an aquarium or sifting sand. In the substrate, the Horseshoe Crab will move about, scavengiong detritus or other materials that have fallen to the bottom. Algae, smaller bivalves, worms, and bits of fish are the mainstays of a Horseshoe Crab's diet. To grow, the Horseshoe Crab sheds a layer of its carapace, or molts. This process is accomplished at longer and longer intervals as the Horseshoe Crab ages. In general, Horseshoe Crabs are not aggressive; they are scavengers, not hunters.
REEF SAFE
$7.99 each
Thats not a good idea, these things belong on the ocean and not in the home aquarium, they walk miles all day and a 40 is really 2 small for 1 neverind 2, it will find itself running into your tank walls, flailing and knocking things over and swimming upside down. They also get a foot long or longer, these need like a 250g minimum.
Actually, I was thinking about this possibility. THe big ones yes get to be huge, and certainly belong in the ocean for sure, but I found this other site that has them for sale both as eggs and as actual "crabs" even though they are not actually crabs. They say the size is average compared to other aquarium inverts (as in a smaller species) and this is what they say:
Horseshoe Crabs
Sand Stirer , Detritus Eater
The Horseshoe Crab is very strange in appearance and can be unique captives for an aquarium. Very hardy , they can be a good choice for beginners. Horseshoe Crabs are bottom dwellers, and in the wild usually burrow in mud or sand flats in tidal areas or estuaries. In the aquarium, your Horseshoe Crab will generally do best in a sandy substrate. They are helpful in cleaning an aquarium or sifting sand. In the substrate, the Horseshoe Crab will move about, scavengiong detritus or other materials that have fallen to the bottom. Algae, smaller bivalves, worms, and bits of fish are the mainstays of a Horseshoe Crab's diet. To grow, the Horseshoe Crab sheds a layer of its carapace, or molts. This process is accomplished at longer and longer intervals as the Horseshoe Crab ages. In general, Horseshoe Crabs are not aggressive; they are scavengers, not hunters.
REEF SAFE
$7.99 each
miaheatlvr
Active Member
Originally Posted by Kilhullen
Actually, I was thinking about this possibility. THe big ones yes get to be huge, and certainly belong in the ocean for sure, but I found this other site that has them for sale both as eggs and as actual "crabs" even though they are not actually crabs. They say the size is average compared to other aquarium inverts (as in a smaller species) and this is what they say:
Horseshoe Crabs
Sand Stirer , Detritus Eater
The Horseshoe Crab is very strange in appearance and can be unique captives for an aquarium. Very hardy , they can be a good choice for beginners. Horseshoe Crabs are bottom dwellers, and in the wild usually burrow in mud or sand flats in tidal areas or estuaries. In the aquarium, your Horseshoe Crab will generally do best in a sandy substrate. They are helpful in cleaning an aquarium or sifting sand. In the substrate, the Horseshoe Crab will move about, scavengiong detritus or other materials that have fallen to the bottom. Algae, smaller bivalves, worms, and bits of fish are the mainstays of a Horseshoe Crab's diet. To grow, the Horseshoe Crab sheds a layer of its carapace, or molts. This process is accomplished at longer and longer intervals as the Horseshoe Crab ages. In general, Horseshoe Crabs are not aggressive; they are scavengers, not hunters.
REEF SAFE
$7.99 each
Heres some useful info to look into!
https://forums.saltwaterfish.com/t/232470/list-of-fish-inverts-that-hobbiests-should-avoid
Actually, I was thinking about this possibility. THe big ones yes get to be huge, and certainly belong in the ocean for sure, but I found this other site that has them for sale both as eggs and as actual "crabs" even though they are not actually crabs. They say the size is average compared to other aquarium inverts (as in a smaller species) and this is what they say:
Horseshoe Crabs
Sand Stirer , Detritus Eater
The Horseshoe Crab is very strange in appearance and can be unique captives for an aquarium. Very hardy , they can be a good choice for beginners. Horseshoe Crabs are bottom dwellers, and in the wild usually burrow in mud or sand flats in tidal areas or estuaries. In the aquarium, your Horseshoe Crab will generally do best in a sandy substrate. They are helpful in cleaning an aquarium or sifting sand. In the substrate, the Horseshoe Crab will move about, scavengiong detritus or other materials that have fallen to the bottom. Algae, smaller bivalves, worms, and bits of fish are the mainstays of a Horseshoe Crab's diet. To grow, the Horseshoe Crab sheds a layer of its carapace, or molts. This process is accomplished at longer and longer intervals as the Horseshoe Crab ages. In general, Horseshoe Crabs are not aggressive; they are scavengers, not hunters.
REEF SAFE
$7.99 each
Heres some useful info to look into!
https://forums.saltwaterfish.com/t/232470/list-of-fish-inverts-that-hobbiests-should-avoid
ophiura
Active Member
PLEASE do not buy these animals!
They are basically doomed in our tanks. And frankly, if you could provide an APPROPRIATE tank for them they are not often seen because they are bulldozers in the sand. Our tanks have current that is too strong and they get blown around. MANY will die from this in our tanks.
They are not necessarily scavengers and will eat many beneficial animals in your sand bed.
You can not provide long term care for these animals - and most will not need it as they will die.
They are cool animals in tanks designed for them...until they get really boring.
BTW, I am not trying to get your money, so I don't have anything to gain.
They are basically doomed in our tanks. And frankly, if you could provide an APPROPRIATE tank for them they are not often seen because they are bulldozers in the sand. Our tanks have current that is too strong and they get blown around. MANY will die from this in our tanks.
They are not necessarily scavengers and will eat many beneficial animals in your sand bed.
You can not provide long term care for these animals - and most will not need it as they will die.
They are cool animals in tanks designed for them...until they get really boring.
BTW, I am not trying to get your money, so I don't have anything to gain.
kilhullen
Member
Originally Posted by MiaHeatLvr
Heres some useful info to look into!
https://www.saltwaterfish.com/vb/show...0&page=1&pp=40
Thank you for shareing that. Te way it was written while I researched it they made it sound like a smaller species like it was selectively bred.
Heres some useful info to look into!
https://www.saltwaterfish.com/vb/show...0&page=1&pp=40
Thank you for shareing that. Te way it was written while I researched it they made it sound like a smaller species like it was selectively bred.
kilhullen
Member
Originally Posted by ophiura
PLEASE do not buy these animals!
They are basically doomed in our tanks. And frankly, if you could provide an APPROPRIATE tank for them they are not often seen because they are bulldozers in the sand. Our tanks have current that is too strong and they get blown around. MANY will die from this in our tanks.
They are not necessarily scavengers and will eat many beneficial animals in your sand bed.
You can not provide long term care for these animals - and most will not need it as they will die.
They are cool animals in tanks designed for them...until they get really boring.
BTW, I am not trying to get your money, so I don't have anything to gain.
I know you are not, I was researching it and they made it sound like it was a selectively bred smaller species that fit in aquariums. I won't be buying one now.
PLEASE do not buy these animals!
They are basically doomed in our tanks. And frankly, if you could provide an APPROPRIATE tank for them they are not often seen because they are bulldozers in the sand. Our tanks have current that is too strong and they get blown around. MANY will die from this in our tanks.
They are not necessarily scavengers and will eat many beneficial animals in your sand bed.
You can not provide long term care for these animals - and most will not need it as they will die.
They are cool animals in tanks designed for them...until they get really boring.
BTW, I am not trying to get your money, so I don't have anything to gain.
I know you are not, I was researching it and they made it sound like it was a selectively bred smaller species that fit in aquariums. I won't be buying one now.
mpakiela
New Member
Sadly, I thought the same thing, that these horseshoe crabs were bred to be small and would be ok in a reef tank. I bought one right away. He was only about the size of a quarter and he was awesome while we had him, quite enjoyable to watch most times he was out of his sand burrow and he interacted well with the others in the tank. I know it would have taken him years to outgrow the tank, if he survived that long. He was a good sandshifter - he was more like a bulldozer. But we came to the conclusion, based on all of the other posts on this site, that keeping him was just a slow torture for him. We took him to our LFS, who didn't want him but took him anyways. With any luck, he will find a MUCH bigger reef some day soon!!
goober_hunter
Member
i have had one in my 55 for about a year now, hes molted multiple times. but is still really really small. honestly you will never see it, they stay under the sand. i only see him about once every three months... just thought i would tell you my experiance with them...
S
smartorl
Guest
They either stay under the sand or get blasted around the tank mercilessly. I couldn't take it anymore, it looked miserable for ours.