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Well I must say a crab is one pet that I haven't had but I'm sure that they make perfectly lovely pets. Most information I found was on American crabs but I guess it is pertinent to keeping all sorts of crabs successfully. Hermit and Fiddler crabs seem to be the most popular species and can either be caught on a beach or sold in a pet store. I have seen kids at school with crabs that are like hermit crabs that are kept in dry tanks and I think these would be the easiest to look after as you don't need to change water etc.
 
QUICK FACTS:

Life Span - Often short
Care - Low maintenance
Food - Fiddler crabs - Sinking tablets, shrimp pellets, fish food, freeze dry shrimp
          Hermit crabs - Commercial food, variety of fruit and vegetables
Housing - Medium size aquarium with lid

GENERAL INFO:
Fiddler Crabs - There are actually over 90 species and subspecies of Fiddler crabs.  Males have only one large claw while  females have small claws. The largest fiddler crabs only reach a mature size of about 2 inches across their body.  Fiddler crabs can be found on ocean beaches  and retreat to muddy burrows as the tide goes out (so are exposed to water that ranges from brackish to salt water). Other species are found in brackish water swamps. They are scavengers that feed on organic matter they find on the surface of rocks and in the mud. Fiddler crabs found in pet stores are most likely semi-terrestrial brackish crabs, which means they need some salt in their water as well as access to air and dry land. This can be quite hard to set up in your tank.

Hermit crabs - Hermit crabs make interesting, easy care companions. They have their own distinct personalities, are active and curious, and their unique characteristics and low maintenance requirements make them good pets. Hermit crabs are not "true crabs." They have a smaller, soft abdomen which they protect by living in an empty snail shell. They must find larger shells as they grow, and owners of these pets must provide progressively larger shells as their pets grow. In the wild they are omnivores, feeding on both plant and animal material. There are both marine and land hermit crabs. They are probably easier to care for than Fiddler crabs.
 
SETTING UP THE TANK:
  • A medium size aquarium is suitable for any sort of crab. You need a lid to keep in the humidity.
  • Because Fiddler crabs are usually from brackish waters, most experts recommend putting special aquarium salt from the pet store in the water. Never use table salt.
  • Temperature needs to be at a range of temperatures between about 24-29 C.
  • Fiddler crabs need to be able to access land/air. If you don't you may find the crabs crawling up the filter intake and into or on top the filter in an attempt to find land. Provide a sloped bottom to the tank with part of the gravel or sand out of the water or use a partly filled tank with large rocks on which the crabs can climb out of the water.
  • Hermit crabs do not need huge elaborate homes, but the appropriate temperature and humidity is absolutely vital to their health. Remember that land hermit crabs come from warm tropical climates and therefore need a warm, humid environment to survive.
  • Plastic tanks aren't really suitable for hermit crabs as the lids are ventilated and don't keep the humidity in.
  • Put sand in the tank as it is nice for the crabs as they like to burrow down into the sand. Playground sand works well and is inexpensive. You may want to rinse, dry, and bake the sand (at 300 F) to sterilize it, and it can be re-washed and used again. Aquarium sand is fine as well. Calcium based sands are nice and come a wide array of colours, but are expensive.
  • Fibre bedding made for reptiles is also suitable for hermit crabs.
PRO & CONS:
  • Look for crabs that are active and have all their legs and claws.
  • In the wild, fiddler crabs are scavengers, eating bits of organic matter they find in the sand/mud. In captivity, they can be fed sinking crab food, fish food meant for scavengers (sinking tablets, shrimp pellets, etc), and freeze dried plankton and shrimp. Do you have all this type of food available to you?
  • Hermit crabs are probably easier to care for and maintain than Fiddler crabs.
  • Check to make sure that all the legs are present (3 pairs of walking legs), the shell covering the head and thorax isn't damaged, there are no parasites/small bugs present, and that the crab is lively.
  • Larger crabs may be more hardy, and if you already have a crab then it is important to match sizes pretty closely otherwise fighting may occur.

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