Newest Additions to the Zoo--Pics!
Posted: Sat Jan 19, 2013 11:31 am
I've been wanting fiddler crabs for a while now, having been intrigued by things I've read from other people who keep them as well as the creative possibilities for creating a suitable environment for them. Apparently quite a few people see them at their local Walmarts, but pretty much all the ones around here phased out their live aquatics area (thank goodness!) and at most some might have a few bettas in cups (usually dead or close to) on a shelf with the aquarium supplies and I never saw them at my local Petsmarts/Petcos either. Until last Monday lol.
I was on my usual monthly trip to the nearest "big" town (about 45 minutes away) to run some errands, including picking up frozen feeders for the snakes and usually some superworms and waxworms for the beardies--since those are things I don't have my own colonies of--and of course checking for any Es at the Petco where I've found them before but hasn't been getting them in with their shipments lately. After grabbing the items i needed, I wandered through the aquatic section where one tank on the very bottom row in the corner caught my eye. I took a closer look and found a tank full of red claw and fiddler crabs! Positioned right in front, looking out at me, was a male with quite the impressive big claw, then about 6-7 female fiddlers, and maybe a dozen red claw crabs mostly hidden in the main crevice of the largest rock. After asking if I could have them call someone over to help me in aquatics, the main fish/reptile guy-- who knows me pretty well by now since we always end up having long discussions about reptiles and such every time I'm there--came out from the back and just laughed when I pointed to the crabs. I got the one male of course, and 2 females (since they were all about the same size and appeared active and healthy I just had him grab 2 randomly). Being a tank hoarder, and having a box of extra aquarium supplies already at home, and even the IO for the hermit crabs that I'd need to mix brackish water, I didn't have to buy anything else for them.
That night I quickly set up a temp enclosure for them in a large KK and the next morning went to work on one of my empty 10 gallons. About 1/4th of the tank on the right side is partitioned off for the "land" section, with the rest containing sand substrate, about 5" of brackish water, a couple of large holey rocks, fake plants, filter, and heater. I think it turned out fairly well, and the fiddlers seem to like it too--the holey rocks provide lots of hiding spots and sometimes they like to perch on a plant or rock near the surface, with only their eyes and very top of their head sticking out of the water. Watching them sift through the sand for food is pretty cute too (yes, I'm easily entertained haha).
Anyway, heres some pics I took with my phone that aren't so great but give a basic idea of how their tank is set up plus a few of the fiddlers themselves
Whole tank:
Right side of the tank with the land section:
Left side with filter and heater:
Blurry pic of the male:
One of the females:
A female climbing up to check out the land area:
I was on my usual monthly trip to the nearest "big" town (about 45 minutes away) to run some errands, including picking up frozen feeders for the snakes and usually some superworms and waxworms for the beardies--since those are things I don't have my own colonies of--and of course checking for any Es at the Petco where I've found them before but hasn't been getting them in with their shipments lately. After grabbing the items i needed, I wandered through the aquatic section where one tank on the very bottom row in the corner caught my eye. I took a closer look and found a tank full of red claw and fiddler crabs! Positioned right in front, looking out at me, was a male with quite the impressive big claw, then about 6-7 female fiddlers, and maybe a dozen red claw crabs mostly hidden in the main crevice of the largest rock. After asking if I could have them call someone over to help me in aquatics, the main fish/reptile guy-- who knows me pretty well by now since we always end up having long discussions about reptiles and such every time I'm there--came out from the back and just laughed when I pointed to the crabs. I got the one male of course, and 2 females (since they were all about the same size and appeared active and healthy I just had him grab 2 randomly). Being a tank hoarder, and having a box of extra aquarium supplies already at home, and even the IO for the hermit crabs that I'd need to mix brackish water, I didn't have to buy anything else for them.
That night I quickly set up a temp enclosure for them in a large KK and the next morning went to work on one of my empty 10 gallons. About 1/4th of the tank on the right side is partitioned off for the "land" section, with the rest containing sand substrate, about 5" of brackish water, a couple of large holey rocks, fake plants, filter, and heater. I think it turned out fairly well, and the fiddlers seem to like it too--the holey rocks provide lots of hiding spots and sometimes they like to perch on a plant or rock near the surface, with only their eyes and very top of their head sticking out of the water. Watching them sift through the sand for food is pretty cute too (yes, I'm easily entertained haha).
Anyway, heres some pics I took with my phone that aren't so great but give a basic idea of how their tank is set up plus a few of the fiddlers themselves
Whole tank:
Right side of the tank with the land section:
Left side with filter and heater:
Blurry pic of the male:
One of the females:
A female climbing up to check out the land area:
