How to Keep Red Claw Crabs
Red claw crabs are a fun little creature to bring into your aquarium if you want some extra color and snap. These crabs are roughly the size of your palm and live in freshwater that has slight salinity. While keeping crabs might seem a difficult task, you can easily care for a number of red claws with the proper instructions. By preparing your crab habitat thoroughly and keeping basic red claw needs in mind, these critters will be frolicking on your tank floor for a long time.
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Things You'll Need
- Fish tank
- Sand substrate
- Logs, rocks or driftwood
- Aquarium sea salt
- Large plastic cup
- Frozen meaty fish food
- Calcium supplement
Instructions
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1
Calculate the number of gallons you will need for the crabs you want to keep by allowing 10 gallons for every four crabs you intend to put in the tank. If you are going to have more than one male crab, it is best to split them between several tanks, as many males together become aggressive towards each other.
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2
Cover the bottom of your tank with a sandy substrate, like white sand. The crabs enjoy digging and playing in the sand for recreation. Arrange decorations on top of the sand to give the crabs a place to hide and rest. Logs, rocks and driftwood are perfect for the reclusive crabs to get privacy when needed.
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3
Fill the tank with clean, fresh water several days before transferring your crabs. This will allow the clean sand to float around the tank and settle before the crabs need to move in. Mix in 1 tbsp. of aquarium sea salt per gallon of water in the tank to create the ideal environment.
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4
Take the crabs out of their moving tank using a large, smooth sided plastic cup. Avoid using your hands or a net, as the crabs are adept at climbing and escaping. Lift one out at a time into your prepared tank until they are all settled.
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5
Feed your crabs using a solid, meaty food that will gravitate towards the bottom of the tank. Use frozen feeding cubes which will easily move through the water and become accessible to the crabs on the bottom of the tank.
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6
Top up your tank with plain water if the levels drop low, but remember to use salted water when performing water changes. Changing half of the water every other week will help keep the tank clear and healthy for the crabs.
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7
Monitor your crabs to identify when they are going through molting, which involves a crab shedding its old exoskeleton and developing a new one. Give the crabs a calcium supplement during this time to keep up their strength. When they shed the old exoskeletons, you can leave them in the tank to give the crabs something to play with.
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Tips & Warnings
Most fish will be comfortable with your red claw crabs, except for larger species like big shrimp and lobsters.
If a crab is killing other crabs or fish in your tank, bring it back to the store immediately and request a new one.
