# Crab Update!



## PhilK (Oct 24, 2007)

Tonight was the first night since I got my crabs (yes, yes ha ha I have crabs) that I managed to catch a couple of them out and about on the land without them running into the water when they saw me. Thought I'd snap a pic or two. Tried to get a defensive stance, but they kept flashing the defence stance and scuttling off. 

Forgive me if they're sort've the same looking! Enjoy!











































Looked into my tarantula's cage and saw there were two left over big adult female crickets. Took one out and gave it to the scorp, and for a laugh thought I'd offer the second to a crab. So i grabbed it with some forceps by the ovipositor and dunked it. Got snapped up straight away! Crab attacked it like a maniac and ate the whole thing. I couldn't get a photo (damn reflections) until the crab was nearly done, which is why he only is really holding a head. 

Fed a second cricket, but the crab that got him ran off under a rock and I didn't see it feeding.


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## scorps (Oct 24, 2007)

thier cool i wont crabs


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## abbott75 (Oct 24, 2007)

Wow. How many are there?


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## Viridae (Oct 24, 2007)

Thats cool!


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## PhilK (Oct 24, 2007)

There are about 12.. but you never see them all at once. Their tank is huge, I really want another 5 or so to fill the tank up a little.. but I have no money, and I'm not about to be given freebies!


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## bylo (Oct 24, 2007)

great pics mate ,try a few more crix if you have some


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## PhilK (Oct 24, 2007)

Problem with crickets, bylo, is they won't eat them on land and won't eat them if they're free running. I offered these guys on the end of forceps... I don't think they'd catch them.


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## NaughtyByNature (Oct 24, 2007)

ah they are gorgeous, i want some


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## moosenoose (Oct 24, 2007)

They look delicious  I'm gonna start a new thread "Show us ur Prawns"


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## Renee (Oct 24, 2007)

U gonna eat them???


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## PhilK (Oct 24, 2007)

They're too little to eat I reckon!

Just went and fed a whole bunch more crickets... They absolutely love them. Launch themselves at the forceps and just yank the crickets towards themselves... 

One cricket dropped a leg so I gave it to the little crab, and a big crab came and bullied it off him. Fascinating to watch. They eat at break neck speed. Soon as they get the cricket they pull off all the 'attachements' (feelers, legs, butt feelers) and eat them, then they start on the body...

Really wicked to watch!

EDIT: wouldn't you know my camera ran out of batteries right when they were all out in the open munching on crickets.. :evil:


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## Radar (Oct 24, 2007)

Well you learn something new every day.....
Thats REALLY cool, awsome to see something different to the usual stuff.


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## Thumpage44 (Oct 24, 2007)

Lol they are awesome! 

I like the photo of the crab looking at itself in the mirror


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## firedragon (Oct 24, 2007)

nice, what sort of crab are they (if there is a sort)


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## Leigh (Oct 24, 2007)

think you could get a video of them feeding pihlk? im intrigued


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## Inkslinger (Oct 24, 2007)

PhilK said:


> Problem with crickets, bylo, is they won't eat them on land and won't eat them if they're free running. I offered these guys on the end of forceps... I don't think they'd catch them.




Try taking off a couple of crickets legs and yes I am serious here.


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## PhilK (Oct 24, 2007)

The cricket legs are nice and meaty and they enjoy them! Hahaha

As for the sort... We've been trying to find out for a while, and the closest we've come is _Austrothelphusa sp_... Formerly known as _Holthuisana _apparently.

This is the most comprehensive site I found: http://www.amonline.net.au/sand/news/freshwater_crabs.htm Though it should be noted these crabs were found in Qld, not NSW.

Leigh - I don't have a video camera mate, sorry.

EDIT: http://www.petshrimp.com/discussions/viewtopic.php?t=2548 - these guys are obviously having trouble ID'ing their crabs too. Might join this forum just for this thread!


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## Leigh (Oct 24, 2007)

aw. keep trying with the pics then, this sounds like the best thing to watch. lucky.


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## Inkslinger (Oct 24, 2007)

PhilK said:


> Problem with crickets, bylo, is they won't eat them on land and won't eat them if they're free running. I offered these guys on the end of forceps... I don't think they'd catch them.



Have I missed something?:shock:


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## PhilK (Oct 24, 2007)

Inks I meant that if I just threw the crickets in to the water, the crabs wouldn't get them because crickets float and would swim away. I held them under the water with forceps and the crabs took them off me. With this method, they were fine as they just tore the legs off and ate them, before eating the rest.

Are we on the same page? I'm a little confused..


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## Inkslinger (Oct 24, 2007)

PhilK said:


> Inks I meant that if I just threw the crickets in to the water, the crabs wouldn't get them because crickets float and would swim away. I held them under the water with forceps and the crabs took them off me. With this method, they were fine as they just tore the legs off and ate them, before eating the rest.
> 
> Are we on the same page? I'm a little confused..



Got it now I was under the misapprehension that you couldn't get them to eat so what do they eat in the wild?


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## PhilK (Oct 24, 2007)

I wouldn't really have a clue what they'd eat in the wild..

Because they're crabs I think 'anything and everything' would come into their diet. They'd probably eat detritus and vegetation, and they'd definitly scavange dead insects/carrion etc from my observations. (Under my care they've eaten fishflakes, carrot, ham, coconut, sultanas, oats, bran, crickets, cricket legs...)


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## Inkslinger (Oct 24, 2007)

Try brine shrimp maybe


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## PhilK (Oct 24, 2007)

Brine shrimp need brine, don't they? These crabs don't go well with salt.


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## Inkslinger (Oct 24, 2007)

PhilK said:


> Brine shrimp need brine, don't they? These crabs don't go well with salt.


probably didnt think of that what about tiny freshwater fish
guppies etc


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## Viridae (Oct 24, 2007)

Blood worms?


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## Thumpage44 (Oct 24, 2007)

Large water Beetles?


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## bylo (Oct 24, 2007)

Viridae said:


> Blood worms?


yes they would be worth a try or even turtle frozen dinners , they have a mixture of veg and meat


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## PhilK (Oct 24, 2007)

Hmmm.. could be worth a shot. They're on deep gravel, and I'm a little worried about worms disappearing in between the substrate


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## eerin (Oct 24, 2007)

are they lovin your sweet enclosure you made.. or paid for or.. but yeh!
i wanna see the crabs eat


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## PhilK (Oct 24, 2007)

Will charge the camera and feed them more crickets in a couple of days, and I'll post those photos if people want.

And yeah they seem to enjoy the enclosure, but they just stay on the water side!!! I want them to go on the land, dammit! Land crabs my butt.

If I could be bothered (highly unlikely) I'll change the land side and water side over, and they can have a bigger pool.


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## eerin (Oct 24, 2007)

ahah v.cool! they will love you like a god if you did that obviously


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## DiamondAsh (Oct 25, 2007)

*Zoidbergs looking good Phil !! *


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## moosenoose (Oct 25, 2007)

When I was at the beach at the Gold Coast I saw this fella trying to nip one of my toes off:


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## grimbeny (Oct 25, 2007)

Id like to see pics of the whole enclosure. VEry interesting.


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## PhilK (Oct 25, 2007)

Love those marine crabs!

Sure thing, grimbeny










That's the tank. Measurements are 100cm long, 50cm wide, 40cm tall.
The division of water and land is 30cm in from one end and is 13cm high. All cost $140.

Water is much clearer now than in these pics, and maybe one day I'll change the land and water portions around.


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## Tsubakai (Oct 26, 2007)

There are plenty of other frozen fish foods you could try for variety. The goldfish one has a high proportion of plant matter. Frozen Hikari-brand blood worm is probably the best quality bloodworm and would be safe (unlike live black worm which will get into the gravel)


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## Tatelina (Apr 18, 2008)

Old thread I know. But why is there tubing coming out of the sand?


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## urodacus_au (Apr 18, 2008)

To get water to the bottom. Gives them a more natural moisture gradient.


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