# Freshwater Crabs



## Oranda (Apr 19, 2011)

I bought two freshwater red clawed crabs from Pet Land. I put them in my aquarium and they attacked and killed my Gold Bushy Nose Plecostomus and now they're tearing my Japanese Moss ball. They aren't bothering my 3 Oranda Goldfish. Is it normal for them to eat away at the Moss Ball? They guy at Pet Land told me they eat bottom food that the other fish don't get. Do they need salt in the aquarium? I haven't really found a website that really tells me a lot about them.

Thanks!

:fish::fish:


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## Corwin (May 23, 2010)

As far as I know some pet stores will sell brackish crabs as being freshwater. However there could a species of freshwater crabs that I dont know about offhand.

Its not incredibly surprising that your crabs are eating everything in sight, their a fairly agressive animal as far as I know and much like many species of crayfish should probably be kept on their own.

Also all crabs be they salt, brackish etc need to have an area in the aquarium where they can get out of the water (though preferably not somewhere where they can get out of the tank as well). If they dont have this they will slowly drown and their lifespans will be drasticaly reduced.


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## Oranda (Apr 19, 2011)

I'll have to set up my 29g for them than. I enjoy watching them ( when they're out of hiding ). Any suggestions other than having a plateau for them to have access to for air? Is driftwood or rocks better for them? 

Here's what they look like. I caught it with it's hand in the cookie jar... er pincer!


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## Corwin (May 23, 2010)

lol, are you sure that its actualy eating the moss ball and not just cleaning it? I know that shrimp will climb all over those things picking anything edible off and eating it. As far as I know it doesnt really matter what the land area is made of just so long as they can easily reach it and can sit on it for as long as they like.


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## Oranda (Apr 19, 2011)

I can stick two fingers through the moss ball now. I had to clean my filters because they had pieces of moss ball clogging them up. The crabs were hiding inside of the moss ball. It was actually kind of funny. It's not like I spent a lot of money on the moss ball, but I would like to move to live plants verses fake ones and if these guys will destroy anything I put in there I will keep them out of my 55g. I know my Oranda goldfish occasionally pick at the moss ball, but that's just out of curiosity.


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## Corwin (May 23, 2010)

I know a lot of species of crayfish will eat live plants, it could be the same with crabs.


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## Plecostomus (Jul 31, 2006)

It doesn't matter what you give them to have a spot out of water, but they must have one! When I failed to give the one I had a while ago, it made its own by crawling into the filter and sitting on top of the waterfall. It also escaped twice. The first time I found my tank empty in the morning. I looked all around, couldn't find it. It turns out that in the night it fell down from the tank, crawled all the way downstairs to the computer room. I don't even know how it made it across the carpet without getting tangled.


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## MetalHead (Aug 18, 2010)

MOST inverts will revert to eating plants if they cant find any food source. That crab does look like an Brackish Water species. Here is a link you could use.

Crab Homes


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