Found a crab in my newly bought freshwater plants!! HELP!!

This is what I found on them

http://www.theaquariumwiki.com/Limnopilos_naiyanetri

Aww! I wish I had stray crabs come in on my plants . Hmm.. A breeder box might work but it also may try to escape into the tank . Maybe densely plant a corner of the tank then risk it and release him into the plants . ?

Very very cute


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Oh, he's a cutie!

what a fun find!

Agent13 said:

Aww! I wish I had stray crabs come in on my plants . Hmm.. A breeder box might work but it also may try to escape into the tank . Maybe densely plant a corner of the tank then risk it and release him into the plants . ?

Very very cute


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Yeah right now he's still in the mason jar because the Walmart I went to for some reason did not have breeding tanks -__- I am having trouble finding it which is soooo weird. I was thinking of just turning a glass tupperware bottom upside down and putting him in there and then letting Jackson see him after his water change to see if he will think he is food lol. Now that the tank is heavily planted I don't think it's as risky.

Kithy said:

Oh, he's a cutie!

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He is! It's very entertaining watching him eat and crawl around on the moss ball.

InStitches said:

what a fun find!

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It is but very unexpected lol! I have been saying I wanted some inverts for a while but I wasn't actually READY lol >_< Everything I've read says that because they're so small they only do okay in tanks with similar sized animals like cherry shrimp :/ Hopefully he doesn't die.

You can keep your crab and betta together because bettas usually feed on things on the surface and crabs are bottom dwellers. however you must be aware that if it is small enough to fit inside your fish mouth it can become a potencial meal. As for food, you should not worry, because crabs are usually scravengers and oportunists feeders that are not picky at all, it can just eat any lefovers from your betta meals. Crabs can be affected by water with low pH, because it makes hard for them to calcify their exoskeleton.

Another warning: anything with pincers is a potencial fin-nipper, specially if your crab grows big enough. Crabs are also known to catch and eat small fish (small enough to fit its pincers), specially at night.

Question
With snails you can use a cuttlefish bone, like for birds, to get some calcium. Is that an option with a crab?

He is cute. Good luck

how big is the tank

Get him a little cave or a couple larger rocks placed sothat he has a little crevice to hide in. Crabs can be escape artists so be sure any openings in your tank hood are covered. They will climb up the heater cord or plants and escape. That's how I lost one of my crabs. Found him dried up on the floor. :/
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jeaninel said:

Get him a little cave or a couple larger rocks placed sothat he has a little crevice to hide in. Crabs can be escape artists so be sure any openings in your tank hood are covered. They will climb up the heater cord or plants and escape. That's how I lost one of my crabs. Found him dried up on the floor. :/
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Duct tape is literally a life saver. Doesn't really come off.

Well just an update -- he is nowhere to be found! I have no idea where he went He has plenty of hiding places in my tank.

The other day I found what seemed to be an exoskeleton that he might have shed... or he could have died lol.

These guys are notorious for being incredibly shy... I don't know where he's gone *sigh*

yay! Cute little dude

He's super cute and makes me want one