Exotic aquarium crabs in their way of life are very different from other inhabitants of the aquatic world and require the arrangement of a separate dwelling. Fans are advised to get acquainted with information on how to properly care for amazing crustaceans, so that the first experiments on their breeding did not end badly.
Types of aquarium crabs
Sellers in the market sell crustaceans of various kinds, often without warning people about the nuances associated with their content. Some creatures prefer an exclusively fresh environment, others are able to survive in water of varying degrees of salinity. It is better to know exactly what variety your house crab belongs to in the aquarium in order to create optimal living conditions for it.
Popular species of aquarium crabs:
- Freshwater crabs (Potamon Potamios). This species of crustaceans dwells in many reservoirs from the Caucasus and the Balkans to the Himalayas. Appearance is not bright, but quite nice. The back of the crab has mainly a bluish or blue color, and the abdomen, head and claws can be of different colors. A lot of time he lives on land, resting on the coastal stones, at night the freshwater crab tries to hide in burrows.
- Dutch crab (Rhithropanopeus Harrisii). Another popular name for this crustacean species is the Black Sea crab. He came to us from Holland, now he can be found in the Azov Sea, the Caspian Sea, in the lower reaches of the Don. These aquarium crabs are small, the size of the trunk is up to 3 cm, the back of them is purely black or with a bluish tint.
- Leopard crabs (Parathelphusa Pantherina). Royal leopard crabs are brought to us from Indonesia. They can not be confused with other individuals, they have a noticeable light beige body with brown spots. Despite the spectacular appearance and imposing dimensions (up to 12 cm with claws), this crab is characterized by a peace-loving character.
- Malawian crabs (Potomonautes Lirrangensis). In nature they are found on the African continent in the waters of Lake Malawi. Large males grow to 12 cm, the size of the claw is up to 7 cm. The color of the ventral part is found in maroon or brown, and the back has a predominantly dark purple hue.
- Iridescent crabs (Cardisoma armatum). The main habitat is the Indo-Pacific region. The back of the rainbow crab is bright blue or violet, and the abdomen is of a white color. These crustaceans grow up to 20 cm. In care they are capricious and require increased attention.
- Mangrove crabs (Pseudosesarma moeshi). These aquarium crabs live in nature in moist mangrove thickets and reservoirs of Southeast Asia. Their back is blue and red, and the legs are dark purple. The body size of individuals is up to 5 cm, but they have sharp dangerous claws, so care should be taken in care.
How many live crabs at home?
In the question of how many live crabs in the aquarium, it all depends on the skill of the person and his responsible attitude towards the pets. In the wild environment, animals are trapped by natural disasters and predators, and in captivity only the host of a crustacean being can regulate the amount of food, air temperature, stiffness and alkaline reaction of water. With a good approach and observance of the rules of content, your inhabitants are able to live on an average of 3-4 years, the maximum lifespan of iridescent aquarium crabs is up to 10 years.
How to keep crab at home?
Crustaceans living in fresh water bodies are animals with complex mores. The content of crabs at home in a standard aquarium often ends pitifully for their neighbors. These creatures are constantly trying to escape, damage the growing aquatic plants, dig through the soil with strong claws. Only in specially equipped by all the rules of capacity they feel themselves perfectly and do not create problems for the owners.
Aquarium for crabs for home
It is advisable to purchase a spacious container, if you plan to have several crustaceans, then immediately take a tank longer than a meter. Crab in a round aquarium will feel uncomfortable, it has little internal space, it is not easy to equip unearthly islets. Water is poured up to 15 cm high, the soil is made stony, using gravel fractions of 5 mm. Suitable for ground zeolite, tuff crumb, coral crumb. The above-ground part is formed from large stones and snags. For shelter suitable decorative grotto of stones or ceramics.
Aquarium crabs - content with fish
For advertising, sellers often display aquarium crabs with fish on the display, but at home this neighborhood ends badly. These omnivores can eat everything they can get with their claws. The first to suffer is a slow fish that lives near the bottom, it will be mercilessly plucked, and try to constantly eat. It is advisable to remove a specially equipped container for the aquarium crab, so that other aquatic inhabitants would not suffer from its uncontrollable appetite.
How to care for the crab at home?
Water is kept clean, we provide quality aeration and filtration of the medium. Acidity is maintained - 7.2-7.5pH, rigidity - not less than 10 GH. Reduce the level of harmful ammonia and nitrates by adding a small amount of NaCl, it is allowed to add up to 5 g of sea salt per liter of liquid. This technique is necessary during moulting, when the crab in the aquarium for a long time sits in the water. The temperature of the medium is maintained in the range 25-26 ° C. To prevent the escape of pets, the aquatorarium must be covered with nets or a lid with small holes.
What to feed aquarium crabs?
In the matter of feeding aquarium crabs, exotic lovers do not have problems. These natural nurses are unpretentious and have an excellent appetite. We put the products in the aquaterrarium directly on above-ground islets, we try to diversify the table of our pets on occasion. They are omnivorous and able to eat both vegetable food and meat dishes.
What do crabs eat at home:
- sinking granulated food for fish,
- gammaurus,
- daphnia,
- bloodworm,
- larvae of mosquitoes,
- small pieces of meat of vertebrates,
- finely chopped seafood,
- spirulina,
- crushed egg shell,
- apples,
- melons,
- beets,
- carrot,
- cauliflower,
- zucchini,
- salad,
- asparagus,
- edible grass and leaves of trees.
Crab breeding at home
If the question of how to contain crabs in an aquarium can be solved at home without any problems, then it is extremely difficult to breed these crustaceans in captivity. At the family maintenance marital games are observed, but the full offspring appears improbably seldom. In the very first months of life these animals are in the plankton-larval stage, which requires special conditions of the marine or oceanic environment, which is extremely difficult to create in an apartment.