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Ok this is a silly story, but I was down in southern california to finish up my move to san francisco when my friends and i went out for sushi and I saw them put these little crabs in the fridge area at the bar. One got out of the box and was crawling around on the oranges and avocados. I immediately fell in love and walked out of there with this little live crab in a take out box!

It survived the car ride back with no problem and i have it temporarily set up in a small 2.5 gallon tank with sand and a rock to climb out of the water. Once my 29 gallon tank is set up, i can move my fish and then the crab will have the 10 gallon. I'm not sure if it is fresh or salt water, and have kept it in brackish water. It's doing great so far, it's active and loves to sift through the sand for bits of food, but i want to know what kind of crab it is so that i can know how to better care for it!

This is the best picture of it i think:
http://chia.34i.org/crab/IMG_2686.jpg

It's small - not even an inch across the shell. If it helps at all, we saw its roommates fried up on a plate that same night as i was cradling it in my hand ={ I'd guess they have to be soft shells then, and well.. obviously some kind of edible crab. I haven't had the schedule lately to call down and find out from the restaurant what kind of crab it is. Anyone know? Help please???

If it helps, the rest of its pics can be seen at:
http://chia.34i.org/crab/

Sorry for the long post! i just hope i didn't leave anything important out! [/font]

Last edited by viciouschiapet at 18-Nov-2004 03:35

The pottery that growls!

iam not sure..but it looks like a small thailand land crab.I can be wrong though..maybe someone here who are experts can tell you what it is

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I know human beings and fish can co-exist peacefully.

thanks. i looked up pics of the thailand crab, and it does seem pretty close! i noticed that they have kinda bumpy claws though.. mine has a smooth shell. I'm not sure if that is enough of a difference... and i'm guessing that crabby is a male because he has one claw tht's bigger than the other, right?

would i be able to keep him with other crabs? like maybe a female red claw or two???

The pottery that growls!

well... i still don't know what kind of crab this is. any other suggestions??

The pottery that growls!

just sooo cute!

no idea what it is, I can't find it in any of my books.

I'd keep it in brackish and give it a way to get out of the water if needs be.

For animals, the entire universe has been neatly divided into things to (a) mate with, (b) eat, (c) run away from, and (d) rocks. - Terry Pratchett

thanks. i'm scared to try full fresh or full salt for him. he's sooo cute though! when i drop a shrimp pellet in for him he hugs it like it's a pillow. he doesn't even eat it right away - he just hugs it! i was thinking of getting a couple red claw females in there with him. would that be ok?? the 10g seems so empty with just him in there. not sure what else could stay in there.

The pottery that growls!

I have no idea Chia, I can't say who would eat whom, or if they would get along...

I'm trying to think of small brackish fish, but mollies are too big, and thats about the extent of my small brackish fish knowledge

you could try, but i'd use a separator of some sort and provide lots of hidey holes.

or i'd go to the restaurant again and get a few more



For animals, the entire universe has been neatly divided into things to (a) mate with, (b) eat, (c) run away from, and (d) rocks. - Terry Pratchett

oh oh oh! We have ones that look just like that at work! They are labeled "Halloween Crabs"

Yeah, some scientific name that is. We have 'em in FW now...I'll try to find out more about them because they look almost identical.


-Formerly known as the Ferretfish

*CRIES LIKE MAD* he's escaped!!!! i don't know how! I know crabbies can crawl up airline tubing, but this hood is the kind that leaves only a tiny gap for the tubing! I've been searching for him all day but i don't know where he could be! the water level was even low enough that he couldn't have simply crawled up a plant to get out... ={

last night was a bad night for me i guess. both of my indoor cats somehow got outside with all the doors and windows closed, and crab snuck out of a tank with a secure lid! i'd JUST set up his new tank, too ={

thanks for helping though, guys. i really appreciate it even though he's gone now ={ I hope i find him... but with three cats inside now, i'm worried about who finds him first.

The pottery that growls!