Hello! I've been creeping the forum for the last few days as I am learning more about crabs. I have a 30gal tank where I kept shrimp before. I've never had a terrarium before, so you may see me asking a bunch of questions if I can't find some answers as I plan my way to making my tat.
I do have a few questions:
- I've read that crabs eat everything, and will destroy plants, but are there any flowers or other leaf plants that are crab-safe / will stay intact? I don't like using plastic decor.
- I have a few breeder boxes that I can use to filter the fresh and salt water baths at a reduced flow rate (my water filters will create too much flow for the crabs). Is there even a need for this?
- I have a lot of consumables from when I kept shrimp (i.e. Malaysian driftwood, almond leaves, Seachem Prime and Seachem Stability). Can I use these for crabs? If I could use driftwood, I read that crabs eat wood... How long does it take for a crab to eat through it / me needing to replace it?
- Is there any need to soak (new) driftwood in water to remove tannins?
Thanks for your patience!
New to crabs
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Scarletfire
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wodesorel
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Re: New to crabs
Hi and Welcome!
If you've done shrimp then crabs shouldn't be much of a difference, honestly. Same idea as far as sensitivities and molting, just on land. You already understand the hardest parts of water quality and safety.
We've never known crabs to eat anything poisonous and have never had a case of one dying from eating something bad, but there is an abundance of caution in the hermit crab circles so no one really experiments with plants much. A lot of the plants you'll see listed on the avoid list are there because mammals and birds have been poisoned by them, and the lists are decades old. We really don't have great information about what various plants do to crustaceans or even if they would be tempted to try them if they were dangerous. AussieJJdude has probably done the most research on live plants and I'm sure he'll see your post soon.
Crabs should be given the chance to swim, but most won't so flow isn't much of an issue. So long as they have footing to climb out they won't drown. The big thing would be if the water is splashing out of the pools, that can cause major flooding underneath the surface and is deadly to molting hermits.
Everything you have you can use for the hermits. Woods probably last about as long as they would in an aquarium. Harder woods like mopani, will withstand a lot of picking, softer woods like cholla will go much faster. It's a combo of both the humidity in the tank causing rot, and the hermits actually eating it, so positioning it in dryer areas can make it last for a long time. Wood may mold over at first but it almost always passes quickly and it won't hurt the crabs.
And no, no need to soak. Some like to boil to sterilize first, though. Crabs enjoy eating tannins a lot so they'll be even more attracted to it. Oak and maple leaves are huge favorites, too.
If you've done shrimp then crabs shouldn't be much of a difference, honestly. Same idea as far as sensitivities and molting, just on land. You already understand the hardest parts of water quality and safety.
We've never known crabs to eat anything poisonous and have never had a case of one dying from eating something bad, but there is an abundance of caution in the hermit crab circles so no one really experiments with plants much. A lot of the plants you'll see listed on the avoid list are there because mammals and birds have been poisoned by them, and the lists are decades old. We really don't have great information about what various plants do to crustaceans or even if they would be tempted to try them if they were dangerous. AussieJJdude has probably done the most research on live plants and I'm sure he'll see your post soon.
Crabs should be given the chance to swim, but most won't so flow isn't much of an issue. So long as they have footing to climb out they won't drown. The big thing would be if the water is splashing out of the pools, that can cause major flooding underneath the surface and is deadly to molting hermits.
Everything you have you can use for the hermits. Woods probably last about as long as they would in an aquarium. Harder woods like mopani, will withstand a lot of picking, softer woods like cholla will go much faster. It's a combo of both the humidity in the tank causing rot, and the hermits actually eating it, so positioning it in dryer areas can make it last for a long time. Wood may mold over at first but it almost always passes quickly and it won't hurt the crabs.
And no, no need to soak. Some like to boil to sterilize first, though. Crabs enjoy eating tannins a lot so they'll be even more attracted to it. Oak and maple leaves are huge favorites, too.
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aussieJJDude
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Re: New to crabs
Someone mentioned plants?!
Much of my research has been collated by previous experiences from other crab owners as well as the terrarium, so its rather limited to secondary sources and biased by the individuals thoughts - or my own!
But here are my thoughts - which may differ to some.
Hermit crabs are likely to snack or destroy plants. The best thing I can say off the bat; dont get attached to the plant, keep plant selection cheap and keep fast growing plants. With these 3 in mind, I think you're on your way to keeping a healthy planted crabitat.
The source of where the plant is from will ultimately impact how you plant the plant. If its fresh from the store, it's likely to contain fertilizers and in some cases, pesticides. While washing the leaves in running water, and washing the soil off the roots will get the majority of chemicals off, the plant is likely to absorb some chemicals. So it's a good idea to quarantine (in fact, good idea to quarantine plants in general in order to reduce likelyhood of introducing pests!) for an extended period, the few people in the 'planted crab' circles and other similar hobbies that have terrestrial animals with plants reccomend at least a 2-3 week period of quarantine, in which you're transposing the plant to worm castings or EE and just letting it sit.
I would reccomend when planting plants in the tank, keep it contained in a pot of some kind if it requires soil. Primarily for 2 reasons, keeps the roots contained somewhat to a specific area and more importantly, allows easy of removal when the plant ultimately dies. (Have the mindset that the plant will die is always a good practise IMO!)
Good plant species that either I have had success with, or others have had included:
- pothos (many regard this as 'toxic', since it contains oxalates... theres no evidence to support that oxalates is toxic to crabs; while theres a lot more evidence that pothos and crabs do well in the same tank... I can think of 6 or so crabbers that have had pothos in their tank for an extended amount of time without issues!)
- synogonium sp. (Similar requirements to pothos, and does pretty well with crabs)
- bromeliad (crabs seem to love snacking on these, so far some of mine have held up well...)
- mosses
- prayer plants (found they done really well, and rather robust in a crabitat... I don't know anyone else that have had them with crabs, and believe off the top of my head they contain oxalates)
- chia seeds (will last a couple of days before dying, but crabs love it snack on these!)
- bird seeds in general
- hoya species (I found mind is really enjoying the heat and humdity of the tank, and considering getting more as it's doing so well!)
- christmas catus (this was a find that I'm surprised is working so far. Does well with crabs, bits may drop off the main plant but those tend to form new plants! So it's very much turning into a small farm of christmas cactus!)
- airplants (many like these with the crabs, low maintenance but most report their cabbies eating it within a couple of weeks...)
- palms (they do ok in the tank, as long as they aren't regularly trampled on from my expeirences)
- wandering jew (only have heard a couple of loose reports of this plant in the crabitat... have tried in the past but failed to thrive. Believe my issue was in the lack of light. Currently trialing again, so far been a couple of weeks and haven't died... so that's good. Believe to also contain oxalates)
- dandelions (only heard one member actively growing in the tank, Curious Kitty (or it may be Kurious Kitty... :/ ) Trying to source some again and see how it goes, last time I tried they failed to germinate.
- ferns (some have tired with ferns, most end up dead as they are rather delicate...
- peperomia prostrata (worked well, but crabs enjoyed tearing the plant off its roots... trying to salvage it, but not doing well... was a nice plant, and did well for a couple of weeks)
- ficus (contains oxalates, tried growing ficus pumila however failed to establish. Think I was a little too aggressive when pruning the roots before planting into the tank and didn't water frequently to allow it to establish.... died after a couple of weeks, will try again and see if I have better results)
- ponytail palms (back in the early 2010's, pretty much everyone had a ponytail palm. Never tried, and very few reports on long term survival of the plant. Many died due to salt exposure, as it was planted close to the saltwater.... the few that had success kept them potted (separate to the rest of the substrate) and in the drier areas)
- Bamboo (not lucky bamboo) (seen a post mention success of growing bamboo somewhere on a hermit crab forum... smaller dwarf varieties are ideal, and kept potted as they can be rather invasive)
- mangroves (great 'natural filter' for saltwater bowl, had one that the crabs destroyed by eating it... trying to source another, but difficult to locate! Require bright lighting, but a couple people have had success....)
I tend to view what is reptile or frog safe, is likely to be crab safe. Sticking with tropical species is likely to be the best path to success...
Been meaning to try the railroad vine, endemic to Florida and the Caribbean (native to PP region) and an introduced plant in Australias northern regions. But unfortunately, a little hard to source within Australia as a seedling or seeds. Once I do find some, likely to trial them. They salt tolerant, hardy and known to be rather robust. Another plant I plan on trialing is the begonia family. I think that some of the smaller begonia species would do rather well, but unfortunately have had limited success in rooting some cuttings... Once I get a cutting, I plan on trialing them as well.
(I've been meaning to post a plant guide for a while, it's mostly done... but I'm not entirely happy with it and needs some minor edits for me to be happy enough to post it. I really need to just post it, and then edit it later!)
Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk
Much of my research has been collated by previous experiences from other crab owners as well as the terrarium, so its rather limited to secondary sources and biased by the individuals thoughts - or my own!
But here are my thoughts - which may differ to some.
Hermit crabs are likely to snack or destroy plants. The best thing I can say off the bat; dont get attached to the plant, keep plant selection cheap and keep fast growing plants. With these 3 in mind, I think you're on your way to keeping a healthy planted crabitat.
The source of where the plant is from will ultimately impact how you plant the plant. If its fresh from the store, it's likely to contain fertilizers and in some cases, pesticides. While washing the leaves in running water, and washing the soil off the roots will get the majority of chemicals off, the plant is likely to absorb some chemicals. So it's a good idea to quarantine (in fact, good idea to quarantine plants in general in order to reduce likelyhood of introducing pests!) for an extended period, the few people in the 'planted crab' circles and other similar hobbies that have terrestrial animals with plants reccomend at least a 2-3 week period of quarantine, in which you're transposing the plant to worm castings or EE and just letting it sit.
I would reccomend when planting plants in the tank, keep it contained in a pot of some kind if it requires soil. Primarily for 2 reasons, keeps the roots contained somewhat to a specific area and more importantly, allows easy of removal when the plant ultimately dies. (Have the mindset that the plant will die is always a good practise IMO!)
Good plant species that either I have had success with, or others have had included:
- pothos (many regard this as 'toxic', since it contains oxalates... theres no evidence to support that oxalates is toxic to crabs; while theres a lot more evidence that pothos and crabs do well in the same tank... I can think of 6 or so crabbers that have had pothos in their tank for an extended amount of time without issues!)
- synogonium sp. (Similar requirements to pothos, and does pretty well with crabs)
- bromeliad (crabs seem to love snacking on these, so far some of mine have held up well...)
- mosses
- prayer plants (found they done really well, and rather robust in a crabitat... I don't know anyone else that have had them with crabs, and believe off the top of my head they contain oxalates)
- chia seeds (will last a couple of days before dying, but crabs love it snack on these!)
- bird seeds in general
- hoya species (I found mind is really enjoying the heat and humdity of the tank, and considering getting more as it's doing so well!)
- christmas catus (this was a find that I'm surprised is working so far. Does well with crabs, bits may drop off the main plant but those tend to form new plants! So it's very much turning into a small farm of christmas cactus!)
- airplants (many like these with the crabs, low maintenance but most report their cabbies eating it within a couple of weeks...)
- palms (they do ok in the tank, as long as they aren't regularly trampled on from my expeirences)
- wandering jew (only have heard a couple of loose reports of this plant in the crabitat... have tried in the past but failed to thrive. Believe my issue was in the lack of light. Currently trialing again, so far been a couple of weeks and haven't died... so that's good. Believe to also contain oxalates)
- dandelions (only heard one member actively growing in the tank, Curious Kitty (or it may be Kurious Kitty... :/ ) Trying to source some again and see how it goes, last time I tried they failed to germinate.
- ferns (some have tired with ferns, most end up dead as they are rather delicate...
- peperomia prostrata (worked well, but crabs enjoyed tearing the plant off its roots... trying to salvage it, but not doing well... was a nice plant, and did well for a couple of weeks)
- ficus (contains oxalates, tried growing ficus pumila however failed to establish. Think I was a little too aggressive when pruning the roots before planting into the tank and didn't water frequently to allow it to establish.... died after a couple of weeks, will try again and see if I have better results)
- ponytail palms (back in the early 2010's, pretty much everyone had a ponytail palm. Never tried, and very few reports on long term survival of the plant. Many died due to salt exposure, as it was planted close to the saltwater.... the few that had success kept them potted (separate to the rest of the substrate) and in the drier areas)
- Bamboo (not lucky bamboo) (seen a post mention success of growing bamboo somewhere on a hermit crab forum... smaller dwarf varieties are ideal, and kept potted as they can be rather invasive)
- mangroves (great 'natural filter' for saltwater bowl, had one that the crabs destroyed by eating it... trying to source another, but difficult to locate! Require bright lighting, but a couple people have had success....)
I tend to view what is reptile or frog safe, is likely to be crab safe. Sticking with tropical species is likely to be the best path to success...
Been meaning to try the railroad vine, endemic to Florida and the Caribbean (native to PP region) and an introduced plant in Australias northern regions. But unfortunately, a little hard to source within Australia as a seedling or seeds. Once I do find some, likely to trial them. They salt tolerant, hardy and known to be rather robust. Another plant I plan on trialing is the begonia family. I think that some of the smaller begonia species would do rather well, but unfortunately have had limited success in rooting some cuttings... Once I get a cutting, I plan on trialing them as well.
(I've been meaning to post a plant guide for a while, it's mostly done... but I'm not entirely happy with it and needs some minor edits for me to be happy enough to post it. I really need to just post it, and then edit it later!)
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|| Avid Aquarist Addict (2007) || Crazy Crabbing Connoisseur (2012) || Amateur Aroid Admirer (2014) ||
I strive to make HCA a welcoming space for all
Infrequently on due to studies, on a little more on in FB group
I strive to make HCA a welcoming space for all
Infrequently on due to studies, on a little more on in FB group
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Scarletfire
Topic author - Posts: 317
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Re: New to crabs
I was considering making a large "pond" but I think I'll avoid that now...wodesorel wrote: ↑Mon Apr 29, 2019 12:47 amCrabs should be given the chance to swim, but most won't so flow isn't much of an issue. So long as they have footing to climb out they won't drown. The big thing would be if the water is splashing out of the pools, that can cause major flooding underneath the surface and is deadly to molting hermits.
I saw a local ad for a 65 gal.... Tempted to get it to increase surface space.
- Do you use a grow light on your tank? T5HO or LED? Regular daylight 5K kelvin?aussieJJDude wrote: ↑Mon Apr 29, 2019 8:42 amSomeone mentioned plants?!
Much of my research has been collated by previous experiences from other crab owners as well as the terrarium, so its rather limited to secondary sources and biased by the individuals thoughts - or my own!
But here are my thoughts - which may differ to some.
Hermit crabs are likely to snack or destroy plants. The best thing I can say off the bat; dont get attached to the plant, keep plant selection cheap and keep fast growing plants. With these 3 in mind, I think you're on your way to keeping a healthy planted crabitat.
- If you plant something in the sand/cocofibers, aside from difficult removal, will the roots impact the crabs when they molt?
- What kind of nutrients do you give the plants? I'm thinking that nutrients used with shrimp may be compatible with crabs.
- I'm assuming aquatic plants won't live very long if crayfish eat them (i.e. java moss, java fern, anubias, hornwort).
- I'm great at growing dandelions (in the front lawn). Maybe I'll try that.
- If you put the plant in a pot to put in the tank (wow that's a mouthful), what kind of soil do you use? What if a crab tries to dig / burrow in it?
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aussieJJDude
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Re: New to crabs
1. A large pond is a nice addition, but its mostly for our benefit. Keep in mind a decrease in overall floor space would be wise to have less crabs in there.Scarletfire wrote: I was considering making a large "pond" but I think I'll avoid that now...
I saw a local ad for a 65 gal.... Tempted to get it to increase surface space.
2. Do you use a grow light on your tank? T5HO or LED? Regular daylight 5K kelvin?
3. If you plant something in the sand/cocofibers, aside from difficult removal, will the roots impact the crabs when they molt?
4. What kind of nutrients do you give the plants? I'm thinking that nutrients used with shrimp may be compatible with crabs.
5. I'm assuming aquatic plants won't live very long if crayfish eat them (i.e. java moss, java fern, anubias, hornwort).
6. I'm great at growing dandelions (in the front lawn). Maybe I'll try that.
7. If you put the plant in a pot to put in the tank (wow that's a mouthful), what kind of soil do you use? What if a crab tries to dig / burrow in it?
I'd reccomend the pond in tanks larger than a 55g for smaller crabs, and 65/75g for larger crabs.
2. I'm currently using an LED light fixture for planted aquariums, I prefer LEDs as they slightly more economical than the T5/8 and produce less heat. My Kelvin rating is around 8000K, but something to keep in mind Kelvin is for us, not the plants. Kelvin measures how warm/cool the light is, and is useful to make it visually appealing by being close to natural light (6000-7000K).
3. I assume you mean if you plant it straight in the substrate, where the crabs burrow without a pot or some container? Honestly not much, I don't think the crabs will be affected much, and it shouldn't impact moulting. Tbh, I think it will actively help moulting by providing solid foundation for caves and tunnels.
Keep in mind, sand offers very little nutrients for plants and many moisten the substrate with salt water to inhibit mould.
4. For nutrients, currently its crab waste and every couple of weeks I supplement with aquarium dry ferts. (KNO3, K2SO4, KH2PO4, MgSO4 for macro nutrients, and then a micro nutrient mix.... I also use this for my aquariums, but for my crab tank its heavily diluted as the plants are rather small...)
Unfortunately nutrient additions haven't really been trial extensively with hermit crabs, and theoretically the crabs should be fine, but it's certainly 'at your own risk' type of thing.
5. Many aquatic plants are terrestrial and commonly found growing close or nearby water. So in some humid spots in the tank, they should grow well. Most of the plants listed would do well in the water regions of the tank, which have higher humidity.
6. See how it goes. Be interested to hear the results!
7. I commonly just use straight coconut fibre moistened in dechlorinator freshwater. Some people also like to add worm castings to the mix, which would be similar to using an aquarium planted substrate - that is nutrient rich. Some in the past have covered the pot in fine mesh or larger pebbles to discourage digging. I personally dont, and leave it open for crabs to dig in... (but I do use small pots which make it hard to burrow in as most of my crabs are rather large in size).
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Infrequently on due to studies, on a little more on in FB group
I strive to make HCA a welcoming space for all
Infrequently on due to studies, on a little more on in FB group
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wodesorel
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Re: New to crabs
I can add that I tried a spider plant in a pot once with fancy organic soil. The crabs ripped the plant out to get to the soil to eat it. 
I would also recommend sticking with a soil that matches what they have available elsewhere.
I would also recommend sticking with a soil that matches what they have available elsewhere.Want to see all my crazy pets? @waywardwaifs on Instagram
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Adastra1018
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Re: New to crabs
Just a note about the driftwood. Mine is not mopani wood, it's the softer stuff from petsmart and I've had the same pieces in there for several years now so it'll last a long time. They definitely ate it at first but eventually they got used to it and while they do still nibble on it, I find that mine will choose to eat the oak and maple sticks I sometimes add to the tank instead the driftwood. It's a good food source and great environmental enrichment; Gets them moving around and exploring the new stuff in the tank. I'll scatter small sticks and leaves, "plant" sticks with leaves still attached like trees in the sand, and sometimes I put larger branches in there and they seem to like the climbing challenge. Typically I leave it in for about a week and they get used to it, then the removal of the branches is more enrichment!
. Christmas cactus are a tropical succulent species so that makes perfect sense, I'll have to start a few cuttings off my plant and try it out. I'm looking forward to that plant guide!
Aussie, I'm so grateful for this post. I've been wanting to add live plants forever and have some pothos quarantined and ready to go! I added some plastic plants to introduce them idea of plants beforehand so hopefully they won't ruin any live ones but I'm not going to be too optimisticaussieJJDude wrote: ↑Mon Apr 29, 2019 8:42 amSomeone mentioned plants?!
Good plant species that either I have had success with, or others have had included...
. Christmas cactus are a tropical succulent species so that makes perfect sense, I'll have to start a few cuttings off my plant and try it out. I'm looking forward to that plant guide!-
Scarletfire
Topic author - Posts: 317
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Re: New to crabs
Do you find the roots grow deep/shallow? Do you plant it into the Substrate or in a pot?Adastra1018 wrote: Christmas cactus are a tropical succulent species so that makes perfect sense, I'll have to start a few cuttings off my plant and try it out. I'm looking forward to that plant guide!
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Adastra1018
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Re: New to crabs
I only have a couple of them for house plants and I'm only just now ready to start adding live plants to the crab tank. Personally, I'd pot them to protect the roots from damage, and they'll likely need an fast draining cactus mix to be happy anyway. I'm not 100% sure on how deep the root systems go but I would guess them to be on the deeper side. Christmas cactus are unlike most other succulents in that they like moist soil for the most part but I still let mine dry out a bit before watering. Succulents are very prone to root rot so I'd worry about planting them in the substrate where is it always damp, but I'd mostly worry possible damage caused by the crabs. Whether or not that's actually an issue I can't say, since I haven't gone live yet, but maybe someone else can chime in?