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Can we talk about a different kinda crab? I see that aside from emerald, porcelain and hermit, there is a lack of discussion on crabs. Well, I do see other species mentioned but most of the love seems to go to those guys. I mean, there are even a few shrimp guides here. They are cleanup crew, useful opportunistic feeders. Right. What about as a primary resident? Aside from the "1 per gallon" guide, how do you figure the output of a larger crab? What is your favorite crab? Also feel free to share photos and stuff of your favorite pinchy friends. 🦀

I ordered 4 red claw red devil crabs off amazon. The next day they all died. I run a freshwater tank 60l at 25c and no surface area. I added blue velvet shrimp the same day. I did not acclimate either but only the crabs died. Is this due to no surface area and if so why? They breathe using gills so no surface area should not have been an issue. the temp was the correct temp for their species, and there was plenty of food. one had escaped later the day they arrivedd and i had to turn the tank inside out before i found him under a bag away from the tank. Is it possible that messing with the tank while they were still adjusting killed them? Is it possible that the one who escaped died first andd the others followed? Why are the shrimp doing fine? I also have triops in the tank who are doing fine as well. Id like to know because before they died, I had another order of crabs coming and id like to avoid killing them if possible. Also instead of surface area, Ive added the top of a jar to my tank with an air pocket. so hopefully that will help if the issue was really no surface area. Ive seen this done before.

Hey! So this will be my very first reef tank! I absolutely love the idea of a mini ecosystem in my house, so here goes: 1. What natural (Maybe organic) fish/invert food do you reccommend? 2. What tank do you reccommend for a 35-45 gallon set-up? 3. What fish/invert species do you reccommend? (The smarter, the better) 4. What corals do you reccommend for a beginner? 5. What supplies do you need to start your very own nano reef tank. Also, what brands do you think are best? 6. Any tips and tricks? Thank you!

Well, it's time for a Reefcleaners order and I've been eyeing the microdecorators and the fire fern macro they carry, that said mithrax and true decorators are SERIOUS no-go's for clam-keepers from what I've read. However the only similar florida-native species to what they've got in stock, at least that I've been able to dig up, are the cryptic teardrop crab and the banded-clinger crab. The former *may* be okay simply because of its' small size and potential to be a near-exclusive algae-eater and omnivore as a last-ditch survival adaptation, the latter would probably (eventually) result in aggression and removal at some point. Species identification can be near-impossible so I guess my question is does anyone have experience or additional photography of these little guys, or are there any invert guru's out there who may be able to take a shot-in-the-dark in terms of compatibility? Otherwise I suppose I'm probably better-off going without to be safe... (Nobody wants to lead the pack on animal "compatibility" lol, obvious reasons) https://reefguide.org/carib/peliamutica.html https://www.reeflex.net/tiere/11859_Pelia_tumida.htm https://reefguide.org/carib/bandedclingingcrab.html

Can anyone help ID this crab? Found it living in maidens hair i got from live aquaria.. It has been in my tank for a while and didnt even know it was there until i saw it poking out tonight..

Hello all, First of all, let me apologize if there is a good topic on this info elsewhere - I have been scouring the net for a few hours, and haven't been able to fully answer my questions, so I'm hoping to find some clarity here. I appreciate any time and information you can offer me, as there is still a whole lot that I don't understand. I realize that caring for aquatic life is a significant investment of time and money, and that my question seeks to (sort-of) skirt those caveats, so I hope I don't offend anyone - I have a lot of respect for the reefkeepers here and am just looking for some possible answers. With that said, what I'm looking to do is set up a very small tank at work, with mostly plant life to observe, but I would very much like to have some kind of tiny invertebrate in there like a shrimp or crab. However, I can't really manage large or frequent water changes in the space I'm in, as it is the web department (still marveling that they're letting me have a tank at all). I have been wondering if it would be possible to set up a 2.5 - 5 gal tank with perhaps 1-2 shrimp, a crab, or a few snails, and then LOTS of plants to try and get away with smaller volume water changes once, maybe twice a week. I definitely wouldn't think of subjecting a fish to this; I had considered a betta early on but quickly learned how foolish an idea that was. Realistically, I know I might just have to stick with some cool aquatic plants (I've wanted a marimo forever and will just stick one in a jar with some lucky bamboo if everyone thinks this is a terrible/otherwise impossible idea) but I would really love to have something I can feed and watch move around a bit. Even sea monkeys, lol. So, any suggestions for an ultra-low maintenance nano-tank? I've been looking at plants like marimo, anacharis, java fern, and lucky bamboo to have poking out the top. Would it be possible to add in any inverts? What type of maintenance would I be looking at if so? Would a filter/heater/additional light be necessary under those circumstances? Sorry for any stupid questions