Horseshoe Crabs
- Thread starter johnbaker
- Start date
clarkiiboi
Active Member
Everything you worked hard to get to keep your sandbed working with you, not against you. Not a good choice with any type of tank, IMO.
mystangt
Member
When most people think of Horseshoe Crabs they think of these huge crabs they they've seen on TV or in the Zoo. On the contrary, the Horseshoe Crabs Saltwaterfish.com offers are only an inch or two in size. In the aquarium, these creatures are as peaceful and as docile as they come. They spend most of their time buried in the sand foraging for food. They can often be recognized crawling under the sand's surface by looking for moving sand. The Horseshoe Crab has a hard, spiny shell that is porcelain white in color. Horseshoe Crabs have a number of claw-like legs underneath their hard shell that give them incredible digging ability. They also have a sharp spine that resembles a tail. In nature, this spine is used as a defense mechanism; when threatened the Horseshoe will lift up its spine to impale a predator. The Horseshoe is a very poor swimmer, which can make for great entertainment as they wobble around in the water. These crabs will molt often leaving behind a translucent replica of itself.
Crabs belong to the Class Crustacea and Order Decapoda, which is characterized by two pair of antennae, three body parts, and five pairs of legs. The head of a Crab is connected to the thorax and covered by a shell called carapace. They have a smaller abdomen and tail compared to Shrimp and they keep this tucked beneath the carapace. The first pair of their legs are usually developed claws which they use to gather food, use as protection, and to move objects. In order for Crabs to grow they need to shed their exoskeleton, a process called "molting", which allows them to remove their restricting shell and begin a new one. Often times in the home aquarium Crabs will leave this translucent shell in full view so it can serve as a distraction while the Crab finds a hiding place and allows its new shell to harden.
Size: 1-2 inches
Care Level: Easy
Temperament: Peaceful
Reef Safe: Yes
Diet: Feed in Sand Bed
Origin: Western Atlantic
Acclimation Time: 1+ Hours
Crabs belong to the Class Crustacea and Order Decapoda, which is characterized by two pair of antennae, three body parts, and five pairs of legs. The head of a Crab is connected to the thorax and covered by a shell called carapace. They have a smaller abdomen and tail compared to Shrimp and they keep this tucked beneath the carapace. The first pair of their legs are usually developed claws which they use to gather food, use as protection, and to move objects. In order for Crabs to grow they need to shed their exoskeleton, a process called "molting", which allows them to remove their restricting shell and begin a new one. Often times in the home aquarium Crabs will leave this translucent shell in full view so it can serve as a distraction while the Crab finds a hiding place and allows its new shell to harden.
Size: 1-2 inches
Care Level: Easy
Temperament: Peaceful
Reef Safe: Yes
Diet: Feed in Sand Bed
Origin: Western Atlantic
Acclimation Time: 1+ Hours
promisetbg
Active Member
And they are only an inch because they are babies..they still grow up to be huge..over a foot in diameter...but will probably starve before that.
greatfullreefer
Active Member
Originally posted by NM reef
horseshoe crabs will grow quickly and they can deplete the micro infauna of a sand bed in short order.
This statement is all the info you need however i will add that they could be kept in a very LARGE species only tank but IMHO i do not think you could keep up with their voracious appetite and feeding requirements...JMO
ophiura
Active Member
They are great in a species specific tank that is cooler than typical reef systems and has less rock. In our tanks they are commonly crowded by rocks, abused by various inhabitants, and blown about by the high flow which some people seem to find amusing.
They do nothing in terms of being a beneficial sand cleaner.
But in a system designed for them, they do very well.
They do nothing in terms of being a beneficial sand cleaner.
But in a system designed for them, they do very well.