Fiddler Crabs and Land Hermies
-
Guest
Topic author
Fiddler Crabs and Land Hermies
So, I've heard of Fidds and Hermies living together, since Fidds need land as well, but, I recently got an E. I know they need salt water, and Fidds need brackish water. So my question is, how much salt water do Es need? I know I want to get Fidds because they are cool looking crabs, but I dont want to deprive my E (and future Es) of the salt water they need to survive.
-
MudCrabDude
Topic author
Honestly, I would recommend keeping fidds and hermits separately. Keeping the same species of hermits peacefully and neatly is already a difficult task in itself, and if I wanted to really keep each for a long time, and make it easy on myself, I would keep them in different tanks.
People in these forums do keep them together, but honestly, that's taking a risk if you are willing. The ecological niches are too different for my liking to keep them permanently and conveniently together, even though hermits do take trips to the shore to osmoregulate. In theory it is possible to make really big dedicated habitats. If you can and are willing to do so in the future, then, more power to you, but if you are just starting out and have had no prior extensive experience with fidds (you know, have them live with you for more than 2 years and have them grow and not shrink with consecutive molts) I would err on the side of great caution.
For E's, the marine water should be full strength marine, with specific gravity between 1.020-1.026 or a salinity rate of 33-37 parts per thousand, preferably with a pH of about 7.5-8. You can get the hydrometers to measure this as well, or buy saltwater available in containers for the marine fish (sold in 5 gallon containers). This is in addition to a separate dish of fully fresh water as well. Make both fresh and marine water (in separate containers) available at all times for the land hermits.
For fiddlers (the brown fiddlers commonly sold in the US and Canada) you can read through this website:
http://badmanstropicalfish.com/brackish/brackish.html
By the way, more and more fish dealers are now dealing with more "exotic" fiddlers from Southeast Asia which will need more saltier water...or maybe not...:dunno:
People in these forums do keep them together, but honestly, that's taking a risk if you are willing. The ecological niches are too different for my liking to keep them permanently and conveniently together, even though hermits do take trips to the shore to osmoregulate. In theory it is possible to make really big dedicated habitats. If you can and are willing to do so in the future, then, more power to you, but if you are just starting out and have had no prior extensive experience with fidds (you know, have them live with you for more than 2 years and have them grow and not shrink with consecutive molts) I would err on the side of great caution.
For E's, the marine water should be full strength marine, with specific gravity between 1.020-1.026 or a salinity rate of 33-37 parts per thousand, preferably with a pH of about 7.5-8. You can get the hydrometers to measure this as well, or buy saltwater available in containers for the marine fish (sold in 5 gallon containers). This is in addition to a separate dish of fully fresh water as well. Make both fresh and marine water (in separate containers) available at all times for the land hermits.
For fiddlers (the brown fiddlers commonly sold in the US and Canada) you can read through this website:
http://badmanstropicalfish.com/brackish/brackish.html
By the way, more and more fish dealers are now dealing with more "exotic" fiddlers from Southeast Asia which will need more saltier water...or maybe not...:dunno:
Last edited by MudCrabDude on Sun Mar 29, 2009 6:15 pm, edited 1 time in total.
-
Guest
Topic author
-
MudCrabDude
Topic author
In Germany, I presume they are getting them. Here's a hobbyist site in German for the pics of the various types they are able to get in Germany:CreepyCrawly wrote:Okay
I guess, maybe in the future, when I get a bigger tank, I'll try it. For now, I have a 10g tank, the fidds will live there.
Exotic Fiddlers, you say...
Linkage?
http://www.panzerwelten.de/v/Uca/
As for the continental U.S., none for now locally but there was an announcement in the forums of:
http://www.franksaquarium.com/
He's not shipping now but you can keep checking in when he reinstates shipping. Plus, he recently announced in his forums that he had some slated to get more types of crabs in soon although with no specific dates.
On occasion, I got mine at the classifieds section of:
www.petbugs.com
http://www.petbugs.com/classifieds/usa-classifieds.html
Like my recent land crabs (see my avatar). However, I do not keep mine together with the land hermits, by the way.
Joel's given you some great advice...some people do keep them together successfully, but its difficult and there's always a great risk. I have occaisionally wondered about having a massive tank that is half land, half reef, and keeping the MHC and LHC in it together, but its just too difficult to meet the two kinds of crabs needs at the same time.
Caroline
Caroline
26 LHC: 6 PPs, 5 Es, 1 Straw, 6 Ruggies, 2 Indos, 1 Blueberry, 4 Violas, 1 Aussie
-
Guest
Topic author
I've had the two types together successfully for about 5 months. The fids seem to do fine with the E's water - I think they merely need it to maintain salt levels or something, so they just adjust to the different salinity level. Maybe I'm doing it wrong, but they seem fine. they've molted and everything, so I don't know.
-
Guest
Topic author