Fiddler Crabs

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Mon Mar 26, 2007 4:24 pm

I know this is an off hand topic, but I have been informed that a lab at my school has been using fiddler crabs to do a set of experiments. After my girlfriend returned from this lab, she said that she had discussed taking the crabs from them on Wednesday. Most of them had been dying, and the staff seemed to be taking very poor care of them. For the experiment they have a plastic bolt glued to them and have their eyes painted over. (I just can't imagine... this is horrible).

My plan is to take all of them Wednesday after the last lab. I realize they probably won't live long. I just want to make sure that they have some nice place to be for what is left of their lives, as they have had rather miserable ones so far.

I realize hermit crabs aren't much like fiddler crabs, but I wondered if anyone knew anything about them or could direct me to a really good/accurate website. Anything would help.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Mon Mar 26, 2007 4:29 pm

http://exoticpets.about.com/cs/rarespec ... rcrabs.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fiddler_crab

http://www.fiddlercrab.info/

http://pelotes.jea.com/fidcrab.htm

http://inin.essortment.com/fiddlercrabspe_rslq.htm

God bless google

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Tue Mar 27, 2007 7:15 am

Thanks DW! I have until tomorrow to get some kind of setup ready... I know that's terrible, but it can be no worse than where they are. At least my heart will be in the right place.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Tue Mar 27, 2007 7:25 am

cdj4p wrote:Thanks DW! I have until tomorrow to get some kind of setup ready... I know that's terrible, but it can be no worse than where they are. At least my heart will be in the right place.

when you get the setup ready, make sure to post some pics, because

Oh yeah, remember that fiddlers are not long term pets, and only live about 1 - 2 years, so if they lived in the lab long and die on you, it might be that they died from old age, not that you where not taking care of them properly.

Hey, what are you going to name them? Name one after me!

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Tue Mar 27, 2007 11:12 am

DW, the most friendly one I see I will name after you!

I imagine my first habitat isn't going to be very sophisticated. I won't have time to get to a pet store until the weekend. But I'm sure just having some good food and love will help infinitely.

They just got them in this week, but obviously this means nothing for their age. I'm just hoping that if they make it through a molt, then maybe they can shed the bolts and help their eyes (they are like hermit crabs in that they can replace damaged eyes right?)

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Tue Mar 27, 2007 11:24 am

cdj4p wrote:DW, the most friendly one I see I will name after you!

I imagine my first habitat isn't going to be very sophisticated. I won't have time to get to a pet store until the weekend. But I'm sure just having some good food and love will help infinitely.

They just got them in this week, but obviously this means nothing for their age. I'm just hoping that if they make it through a molt, then maybe they can shed the bolts and help their eyes (they are like hermit crabs in that they can replace damaged eyes right?)

I would assume that, since they molt, they can replace damaged parts on their body. Although, i don't quite understand the molting process, it seems to make sense

.

Make sure once you got everything set up and the crabbys are flourishing, to take some good pics of them!

Make sure also, that you give them lots of food and water, some exotic food like coconut would do great, to make sure you start them off well.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Wed Mar 28, 2007 3:00 pm

So the moment is almost here (around 5-6 tonight). I'm nervous. I have a temporary emergency shelter set up. It's a large plastic bin with sand about 7 inches deep (that's almost all I had left of a 40 pound bag I used for setting up my 20G for my crabs). I also have a second plastic tub with brackish water with sand leading down into. Part of my plastic tub also has some coconut bedding as I was trying to come up with all the substrate I could. It's not the best thing in the world, but it's what I have tonight. I'm headed home this weekend, where everything is cheaper. That way I can come up with appropriate supplies. I just hope they will be a little happier. I'll post pics just as soon as they get here.

I'm also currently working on adding things to the tank for hiding and such. Any cheap, easy, (i.e. temporary) ideas?

I was just wondering what it was that kept fiddler crabs and hermit crabs from being housed together. Are they aggressive toward each other? Because it would be so easy for me to create a second level and create a large brackish water pool in my tank... Just an idea.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Wed Mar 28, 2007 3:17 pm

cdj4p wrote:So the moment is almost here (around 5-6 tonight). I'm nervous. I have a temporary emergency shelter set up. It's a large plastic bin with sand about 7 inches deep (that's almost all I had left of a 40 pound bag I used for setting up my 20G for my crabs). I also have a second plastic tub with brackish water with sand leading down into. Part of my plastic tub also has some coconut bedding as I was trying to come up with all the substrate I could. It's not the best thing in the world, but it's what I have tonight. I'm headed home this weekend, where everything is cheaper. That way I can come up with appropriate supplies. I just hope they will be a little happier. I'll post pics just as soon as they get here.

I'm also currently working on adding things to the tank for hiding and such. Any cheap, easy, (i.e. temporary) ideas?

I was just wondering what it was that kept fiddler crabs and hermit crabs from being housed together. Are they aggressive toward each other? Because it would be so easy for me to create a second level and create a large brackish water pool in my tank... Just an idea.

Don't be nervous, dude, you are doing a great thing taking those crabs in. Make sure, if you have the money, to get the fiddler's their own tank. So then, when they pass, you will have a tank for your hermits. Check out the DIY section to find out how to make some hideys for your fiddlers. Also, you should quickly read up on Fiddler Info so you don't forget anything when they get to your house.

I cant wait for the pics!

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Wed Mar 28, 2007 5:35 pm

First success:
I brought the seven fiddler's still alive home with me. I have pictures, as soon as I get back from class tonight I will post them. I just couldn't contain my excitement. I needed to post before hand.

I have 3 females and 4 males. Two of the females have a bold still stuck to them and 2 have not had their eyes painted over. A couple of them seemed starved, they are just going crazy for some baby food and chicken I had that I had been using for my crabs. So they haven't been eating, having been undergoing severe stress, and some of them seem a little damaged where the bolts had been removed. We'll see what happens.

Pictures tonight.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Wed Mar 28, 2007 9:45 pm

Alright, everyone is in their temporary home. Here are the pics.

http://s160.photobucket.com/albums/t171 ... 011098.jpg

http://s160.photobucket.com/albums/t171 ... 011097.jpg

http://s160.photobucket.com/albums/t171 ... 011095.jpg

http://s160.photobucket.com/albums/t171 ... 011094.jpg

NaRnAR · Post by **NaRnAR** » Wed Mar 28, 2007 10:50 pm

I have had my fiddlers..well Spook for 2 years now, Bob for a year and a half and the girls for 6 monthsish.

Some basic things...make sure their water is at least 70 degrees, at least. I use a 75watt day lamp and a 75 watt night glo to keep their water at this temp (mine are in a 10 gallon tank with about 3 inches of water in the "ocean" area). Make sure the water is brakish, VERY important to their survival! Most likely the reason they were dying is the water was not brakish, rather it was fresh. They have great "sniffers" so they should be able to find food easily.

I feed mine algae wafers, sinking shrimp wafters. And then frozen cubes of fish food (blood worms, mysis shrimp, and brineshrimp with spirulina) on a clam shell on their "beach" once a week or so.

They also must have filtered water and all water creatures do to keep the water healthy and aerated. Very important.

(I have a fiddler forum there in my signature as well that has a caresheet on it)

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu Mar 29, 2007 6:01 am

yay we finally got pics. Are the tall white things the things that got glued on?

annopia · Post by **annopia** » Thu Mar 29, 2007 8:08 am

aww, they look so pitiful with those plastic bolts on. i liked the pic of the two enjoying some good food, it was precious. they are in good hands now.

Caroline

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu Mar 29, 2007 8:10 am

hey, you should video tape them dancing (waving their big pincer). i have been reading up on fiddlers, and i found out that they dance quite a lot.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu Mar 29, 2007 8:33 am

So yes, the big plastic bolts and nuts are the things that got glued to them. It was done so that they could be attached to a board in order to be studied.

Last night I left the plate of food in there and it was completely devoured this morning (along with an entire ceramic bowl full of pellats). I was really impressed with how much they managed to eat in 8 hours.

One poor little girl with a bolt still attached lost both her pinchers and two legs last night. I imagine she won't make it much longer. However, all of the males that the bolts were taken off of are up and active today. One has borrowed and the other three have been fighting for 'king of the hill' (i.e. the king of the driftwood pieces that they keep piling up). It's quite amusing.

They really are exciting little guys, and I'm working on the less-than-temporary home (I keep praying that everyone isn't going to die, even though it's quite likely). Thanks everyone for the great advice!! Keep sending me suggestions, I love it.