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I don't know anything about freshwater crabs, but this question popped up in my head. I'm planning on starting a 150g tanganyika cichlid aquarium, and I want to know if I can add some type of crab. The tangs will be juvies, will they possibly be eaten, or should I add the crab after they mature? What kind of crabs could I get, if they won't fit, then are there any other types of interesting invertebrates? Also, how many crabs could I get? I'm going on having Lamprologus Stappersi, Julidochromis Transcriptus, Altolomprologus Calvus, Cyprochromis Leptosoma, and Eretmodus Cyanostictus.

Thanks for the info

-Nick

Cichlids are invert eaters and there isn't much that would survive with them. Also I believe all freshwater crabs have to be allowed to get out of the water and several sold as freshwater actually need brackish. For those reasons I've never kept crabs so I don't know much more about them. Any shrimp or snails are definitely on a cichlids menu. Potentially some of the dwarf crayfish might survive but I wouldn't risk it unless you can find a people that have made it work. Larger crayfish will end up fighting with the cichlids and either be eaten or manage to injure/eat the fish instead. The chance is quite high that anything you add will at least be picked on constantly if not killed.

Crabs require different water conditions then the Tangs do. The crab would also need a platform (far from the top so he cant climb out of the tank) where they can get out of the water if they desire. Also, as with most inverts, they are escape artists and can usually get out of covered aquiriums. (We kept finding ours in our toilet)

Inky

Crabs require different water conditions then the Tangs do. The crab would also need a platform (far from the top so he cant climb out of the tank) where they can get out of the water if they desire.

Not necessarily:

Lake Tanganyika is well known for its cichlid fish, and over two hundred species have been recorded to date. Also endemic to the lake are the lesser known and studied Platythelphusa crabs. Originally, there were thought to be seven species of Platythelphusa in Lake Tanganyika, but recent cladistic studies and revisions have cited only six (Cumberlidge et al., 1998). Of those six species, two are riverine, and do not enter the lake. P. armata is the largest and most predominant, and thus, the most studied of the lacustrine species.

Images of Lake Tanganyika crabs: http://www.nmu.edu/biology/Neil/MainFWC-website/Copy%20of%20crab%20pictures%20from%20CD%20Platythelphusa/ & http://users.swing.be/sw018249/platy_fr.htm.

Compatibility would vary by species.