new fiddler crab - questions

kayla_d · Post by **kayla_d** » Thu Feb 09, 2006 12:05 pm

My filter was laying on its side in the fiddler tank worked fine.

I now have 2 large tupperware type bubbler bowls in the tank for the salt and fresh water. Since I have done this the water stays warm and much much cleaner I dont have to use the filter in the tank anymore I glued plastic canvas to the inside of the bowls for them to climb on and have plastic tank plants in the water also. I replace the water as needed I dont wash the bowls as they eat the alge. The fiddlers are very active since I have done the change from the regular fiddler tank of 1/2 sand and 1/2 water with a small fresh water dish.
I have a 2nd level that they climb up on and a large stone cave they can climb or hide in. I use a 75 watt day glo sitting on the top over the water dishes and it keeps the water nice and warm I use a 40 watt sunglo clamped above the tank for natural light over the rock.
I have added a female fiddler to the tank

Picture of the pools

Nanar might disagree but the way I have set up the tank I think is better then sand slopping down into the water.

kayla_d · Post by **kayla_d** » Fri Feb 17, 2006 10:37 am

CtryLuv did you get your fiddlers?

Have you fiddler owners tried feeding Mandrine oranges I dropped one in the tank last night and they were all over it with in mins. of putting it in the tank.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Fri Feb 17, 2006 11:37 am

Kayla, I got them last Friday, but I havent seen much of them. It appears that they dug down into the sand. I see my large female every morning but thats it. Im hoping the other 3 are ok and they are just destressing like the hermies do. I would hope that since there is sand in their fresh water and food dish that they are up and about at night, but the female could be doing that herself. I am a nervous new mom, lol. Ill definitely pick up some mandarins next time I go shopping and give it a try!!

Angela

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sat Feb 18, 2006 5:08 pm

Ok, got one more question. As I stated before, the hubby doesnt like having the filter lay on its side, so the water is alot deeper than normal, and so is the sand on the beach side. I noticed today that there is a line going doing in the sand where it appears the sand is turning black/gray. I had a fishy smell in the tank, so I dug the sand out from around the food dish because I knew they had knocked shimp, algae, and such out of thier food dish into the sand, so I wanted to get it up. I got to some of the discolored sand and boy did it smell bad!! Im wondering if I should go ahead and dig all of the discolored sand out and replace with new, even though its possible one of the guys are down there. Thanks!!

Angela

kayla_d · Post by **kayla_d** » Sat Feb 18, 2006 6:09 pm

Even if you dig up all the dirty sand and a fiddler is down there they don't molt under the sand they molt in the water. So you could scrape it up in layers so any fiddler would have plenty of time to run off they are quick.. but I bet the black vein of smelly sand comes back.

I was having that problem the sand would smell like sewer or something dead eww gross. NO matter what I did I had that problem.
Since I changed over to large Tupperware bubbler water bowls the tank smells like the hermit crab tank much much better clean humid warm smell.
The male crab is more active up and about waving his hand and the female is happy. The male dances all his feet I think he is courting the lady of the tank.
My fiddlers climb up to the 2nd level everyday which has moss and pick at it,
I have a large rock shaped like a upside down u with a hole in the middle and they go under the rock and dig down. I have a small old hermit crab water dish they cross thru to get into the hole of the rock they really seem to like that.
They do spend a lot of time in the bubbler pools also.
Since I changed the tat they spend a lot more time up and climbing basking and hanging out.

Since there is not much info on the net about the fiddlers I wonder how much of the info is incorrect and maybe they prefer the sand more like we keep the hermits sand not sopping wet.
I know they eat like the hermits mine love old rotten fruit,apple peels , fresh oranges, peas and spoiled shrimp and fish.

NaRnAR · Post by **NaRnAR** » Sat Feb 18, 2006 6:12 pm

I pmed you back.

The black yousee is probably the area(s) where the food that was in the water broke down. I had some after I accidentally dropped too many wafers in the water. I left my black streak in there and the fiddlers eventually got to it and cleaned it up...they sift thru the sand to find food.

Yes the filter works great eventho its on its side. Mine like to sit on top there and eat out of the filter mmmmm! good stuff I tell ya lol!

I have some oranges! Ill have to try that as well as give them some of their beloved dried krill tonight since they are out and about!

Ctry....just wait till they molt! Youll come home and see a "crab" floating in the water. The first time I saw that I about died...thought one was dead...nope just an empty entire exo!!

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sat Feb 18, 2006 6:35 pm

Thanks for all of your help guys!!! I feel much better now, lol.

Angela

NaRnAR · Post by **NaRnAR** » Sat Feb 18, 2006 6:44 pm

kayla_d wrote:Nanar might disagree but the way I have set up the tank I think is better then sand slopping down into the water.

Im not gonna disagree...if it work, it works! The only reason I have my tank the way it is, is b/c that is the only way I could think of to set it up back in April lol! I got mine from a lady who kept them in fresh water (which slowly kills them) and so I had to get my salty beach set up as fast as i could...dumping in sand and salt water was the fastest way to do it

I should post a pic of my sad tank the first day I put it together...it was sand,a salt water "ocean", a fresh water dish and a plastic cholla log lol. But they were happy and thats all that mattered!

Im trying to set up my 10 gallon to more of a moist sand and then a pond set up...so the sand and water are separated by a piece of plext....and then a Duetto 50 filter. I gotta get the hermies back in their home first! Then I can work on the fiddlers new tank

I do agree that some of the stuff out there may not be correct....probably the same as what we see with the hermies! Its all about discovery!

The more set ups and ideas that work...the better!!

kayla_d · Post by **kayla_d** » Sun Feb 19, 2006 12:18 pm

Nanar I think your set up is great my problem was the sand was always stinky. I don't know if it was the brand of sand or if I have crabs that like to bury food or if maybe a 10 gallon is harder to keep clean then a 5 gallon since they have more places to hide the food.
DH thinks the water in the sand not exposed to the surface would become stagnant and bacteria would grow caused by the heat of the heat lamp. Which cause the black veins in the sand and the stench.
I changed more then 50% of my water once a week and used spring water and decholr just in case and watched my ammonia levels I even resorted to using 2 of the small world filters and changed those once a month.
Do you think I need to put the filters back into the bubblers bowls of water? I change and refill the bowls as needed.

NaRnAR · Post by **NaRnAR** » Mon Feb 20, 2006 10:00 am

Im sure a 10 is harder than a 5 to keep clean. Perhaps the small world filters werent meant for a 10 gallon tank...really they are meant for things like kritter keepers and bowls and small tanks like a 5gallon I think. I dunno. I think if/when I move mine into the 10 gallon Im going to use a DUETTO 50...is meant for small tanks but it works great in bigger ones too...and it doesnt make that annoying bubbling sound. lol

I cleaned my tank yesterday and was sucking poop out and I notice that i have the black sand under the "clean sand" ...but it doesnt stink...and this is directly under my lamp. Its crazy how you can set up tanks similar and have different outcomes.

It think if you are changing their water often and adding fresh to it, it will be fine. They just need oxygen in clean water to be healthy.

OIF_VET · Post by **OIF_VET** » Wed Feb 22, 2006 9:55 pm

I just Got 2 Female Fiddlers today...Can I add 1 Male?? or More? Will there be some Agression?...I know.... I need to read this Whole thread...But...Oh well...I will get pics up Later

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu Feb 23, 2006 6:09 am

In the few sites Ive found Ive read that you should have the same amount of each. Not sure how true it is but Ive seen it said alot that if you have 2 females and 1 male, the females will fight over the male and vice versa. Same with having just one sex. You have problems with the Alpha if they dont have a mate. Wait for Aaryns reply though cause she definitely knows more than me, lol!

Angela

NaRnAR · Post by **NaRnAR** » Thu Feb 23, 2006 11:04 am

I could see how that would happen Angela...males fighting for the female and vice versa. Makes perfect sense.

I have two males and they have been together since August I think. They never fight. Infact they burrowed together in a cave that was just big enough for the both of them to be in. They get along great. When I first adopted mine there were three males and they also got along fine in my tank. Ive never had a female so no ideas about that.

Id like to have some but I cant find any and I need to set up a better/bigger tank.

Perhaps add the male and see what happens, if there is fighting you will need another male.

Just remember to make sure the tank is big enough to have 4 in...since there is a good possibility that if you add one male you will have to get another male.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu Feb 23, 2006 1:06 pm

When I decided I wanted fiddlers I just emailed my hubby and told him, ok, Ive made a decision, I want crabs. What was so funny about it is not 5 minutes before he had emailed me and asked me where I wanted to meet him for dinner. He thought I wanted seafood, rofl! I told him, nope, I want fiddler crabs, and he knows me well enough to know it wouldnt do much good to say no, hehehehehehe.

Angela

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu Feb 23, 2006 1:08 pm

Well, considering 4 people, and 25 pets (17 of them are hermies) live in a single wide mobile home, you can imagine why he says "no more". I can't help it. I have an animal addiction! lol At least these are hypo-allergenic!