FAQs on Halloween
Crabs
(Gecarcinus
quadratus)
Related Articles:
Fresh to Brackish
Crabs, Freshwater
Crustaceans, Invertebrates for
Freshwater Aquariums by Neale Monks,
Forget Crawfish Pie,
Let's Make a Crawfish Tank! By Gage Harford
Related FAQs: Freshwater Crabs 1, & FAQs
on: FW Crab Identification,
FW Crab Behavior,
FW Crab Compatibility,
FW Crab Selection,
FW Crab Systems,
FW
Crab Feeding, FW Crab Disease,
FW Crab Reproduction,
Fresh to Brackish
Water Crabs,
FW Crustaceans 1,
FW Crustaceans 2,
Terrestrial Hermit Crabs, &
Marine: Hermit ID,
Hermit Behavior,
Hermit Compatibility,
Hermit Selection,
Hermit Systems,
Hermit Feeding,
Hermit Reproduction,
Hermit Disease/Health, &
Crayfish FAQs, Crayfish 2,
Crayfish ID,
Crayfish Behavior,
Crayfish Compatibility,
Crayfish Selection,
Crayfish Systems,
Crayfish Feeding,
Crayfish Disease,
Crayfish Reproduction,
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Halloween land crabs
6/30/14
Hi guys ... have written a few times before about my saltwater
aquariums, but this is a new one.
<Fire away.>
Got two Halloween land crabs two weeks ago, placed in a 40 gallon
aquarium with lid, 1/3 wet sand and the rest is a pool of distilled
water with a filter. Have the whole set up sitting outside under our
cabana.
<I see. On the whole, these animals are best kept singly. Do watch them
carefully; cannibalism soon after moulting is a real risk.>
Here is middle GA we have a lot of humidity, which has been stable at
around 75% and it stays around 85-88 degrees in the shade. (Will figure
out a different approach when the weather gets cooler.)
<Indeed. As tropical animals (Pacific coastline of Mexico to Peru) they
will need warmth in winter.>
The crabs seemed to be doing fine...there were two separate burrows,
food was being eaten and they were getting in the pool of water.
(Sometimes eating food in the water.) Anyway, I've been going outside in
the evening to catch them eating and getting in the pool and all seemed
"normal" from what I know about these creatures, until today when I went
out to check on them, their burrows are all covered up. No burrows to be
found! Do they cover their burrows up with the sand and if so, will they
be able to get
back out?
<Yes, likely so, particularly if moulting. That said, if they're covered
by too much sand they might suffocate. Some sands are "stickier" than
others and make better burrows. Some crabs will use alternates to
burrows if provided, such as ceramic tubes. I had a Rainbow Crab that
picked its way
through a huge piece of sponge, and made a pretty neat burrow in that!>
I read they can cover their burrows with leaves, but sand??? (The sand
has been kept very moist so it could not have caved in.)
<Ah, that's good; likely the crabs know what they're doing.>
Thanks for your help ~ Linda in GA
<Most welcome. Neale.>
Re: Halloween land crabs 6/30/14
Thanks Neal. One more question, while they are molting, will they come
out of their burrows to eat or should I hold off on leaving any food
until I see burrows again? Don't want to cause an ant problem in the
tank or waste of uneaten food. ~ Linda
<No need to feed. Assuming they are moulting, they'll eat their moult
afterwards to recycle the calcium. After that, offering calcium-rich
foods (such as unshelled shrimp) will be helpful. Also a source of
iodine (like seaweed) would have been a plus beforehand, so worth
remembering for next time. Cheers, Neale.>
Halloween Moon Crab - Gecarcinus quadratus
12/8/11
Hi,
I have two g. quadratus crabs - purchased both 12/2010. Keep both
together in 20 gal. long with coco fiber substrate, hermit crab sand
pile, coco huts/logs to hid in and live plants. Keep moving water
fountain and use mister for humidity. Tank temp. ranges 68 - 85,
depending on local weather. Humidity at 75% and up. Food offerings are
fresh fruit, veggies, hermit crab "cookies", live crickets,
shrimp, cooked chicken. Water is declor treated. I have recently
noticed that one of the crabs has stopped eating and is sluggish. He
still moves around, however, he is not as active.
<Coming up to moulting perhaps?>
Also, he dropped one of his rear legs that seemed damaged at the mid
joint.
He is usually the more aggressive crab of the two. What are signs of
molting?
<Typically the moult comes off all at once, rather than a pair of
legs at a time. In any event, moulting crabs drink a lot, which puffs
up their new shell, and then go hide somewhere. Immediately before
moulting crabs can feel sloshy if shaken.>
Neither crab has molted in my care. I have also noticed that the crab
is taking on more water and that the whitish material under his shell
on his backside and alongside his legs is extremely engorged.
<Ah!>
Are those his gills?
<Probably not. The gills are inside the body, underneath the
"apron" part of the shell.>
The other day I found him upside down in the fountain. Thought he has
died. When I picked him up, he pinched me and spit water at me (why do
they spit water?).
<They're cross?>
I could feel water moving inside his shell. I placed him back in tank
and now heat tank with 2 75W "moon" bulbs and covered his
side of tank with paper for privacy. Crabs are located in very open
area. Do I need to supplement with iodine?
<Well, tricky to do with terrestrial crabs. You can get
iodine-enriched tablet foods for crabs and these would be good.
Otherwise, marine algae is good, e.g., Sushi Nor.>
Should I be adding marine salt to water?
<Not with this species, no, it's a freshwater
one I believe. If you wanted to be super-safe, you'd offer
one pool of freshwater and one pool of brackish water, and let the
crabs choose what they want.>
Have I made this crab sick with improper care?
<Probably not, but do be aware the other crab will likely kill, eat
the moulting one.>
Please help.
Heather
<Cheers, Neale.>
Re: Halloween Moon Crab - Gecarcinus quadratus 12/8/11
Neale,
Thank you for such prompt response. I will make arrangements to
separate the crabs until this is figured out.
<Sounds wise.>
I will keep the tank dark and limit activities with the potentially
moulting crab to just water changes and food offerings. I would think
that this will reduce his stress so that he can accomplish a successful
moult.
<I agree.>
I will still keep misting with warm water to keep up humidity.
<Good idea.>
I took the fountain out and just have a pool of water (so in case he
falls over into fountain, he can flip over again so he doesn't
drown). I also have noticed last week that instead of brown poop logs,
he was eliminating some sort of greenish-whitish watery goo out of the
little chute under his mouthparts.
<Yuk.>
Is there any other signs of moulting that I should be on the lookout
for versus having a sick crab..... I will be relieved when he is back
to his crabby self again.
<Honestly, there's little to no understanding of crab health, so
all you can really do is ensure the right environment, a good diet, and
hope for the best. If the crab does get sick, there's nothing at
all you can do. We simply don't know enough (anything!) about
crustacean healthcare. Moulting crabs tend to be shy and retiring, for
obvious reasons, and so we as pet owners see very little of what's
happening. But there are not usually odd secretions, so the green goo
sounds odd. On the other hand, he may simply have eaten something
disagreeable.>
Thanks again,
Heather
<You're welcome. Good luck, Neale.>
Halloween Land Crab 03/17/07 Hi, thank you for taking the
time to read this. I have what the pet store called a
Halloween Land Crab. <Gercarcinus sp., maybe G.
lateralis.> He is not set up in some amazing aquarium, he is just in
a plastic cage. I have a water dish for him that's 2
inches deep that he climbs in and out of. The bottom of the
cage is filled with calcium sand and aquarium pebbles.
<Ideally, he needs a sand substrate deep enough and just damp enough
to burrow into, and needs enough saltwater and enough freshwater, each
in separate containers, deep enough to fully submerge himself - though
the land area is by far the most important.> He has been doing
really well eating bits of fruit such as apples, oranges, pineapple and
also an occasional guppy. <Needs more meaty foods, preferably things
like human-consumption shrimp (raw, frozen and then thawed) and fish;
krill, meaty fish foods, and also Nori (seaweed) would be other
important foods.> But recently three of his legs fell off on his
right side! What is going on? <Likely he is very
deficient in something that he needs - saltwater, perhaps, or
iodine.... Feeding the foods mentioned above, especially
shrimp, krill, and Nori which are rich in iodine, will be very
important. Supplementing the food with a reptile calcium
supplement will be helpful, as well.> He was not in a fight with
another crab and I've never experienced him going through the
"shedding process"! Is he unhappy or sick? How can I tell
what's going on? <sounds like a state of disease, not a normal
molting situation at all.... I would urge you to improve
this critter's living space and food.> If this is below what you
guys do, then I'm sorry to waste your time, <A question is never
a waste of time.> I just need simple answers and can't seem to
find them anywhere. <Thank you very much for searching for your
answers, and for asking questions.> Nick <All the best to
you, -Sabrina>
Land Crab Sickness - 3/7/07 Hi, thank you for taking
the time to read this. <Thank you for taking the time to
send it!> I have what the pet store called a Halloween Land
Crab. <Ah! Gecarcinus sp., maybe G.
lateralis.> He is not set up in some amazing aquarium, he is just in
a plastic cage. <Really better if he has a slightly damp
sandy substrate deep enough to burrow in and sufficient water to
completely submerge himself; preferably both a container freshwater and
a container of saltwater.> I have a water dish for him that's 2
inches deep that he climbs in and out of. <As long as he
can completely submerge himself, this is okay.> The bottom of the
cage is filled with calcium sand and aquarium pebbles.
<Moist, I hope? And deep enough to burrow in?> He has
been doing really well eating bits of fruit such as apples, oranges,
pineapple and also an occasional guppy. <He'd do better to have
a little more "meaty" food in his diet - bits of
human-consumption shrimp (frozen then thawed, uncooked, preferably
including the tail or shell), krill, etc.> But recently three of his
legs fell off on his right side! What is going on?
<Possibly a calcium and/or iodine deficiency.... A diet
containing more of these nutrients is important. In crabs
that are more aquatic, supplementing their water with these nutrients
is very helpful, but in your more land-dwelling Gecarcinus, I don't
think it would be beneficial enough to do so.> He was not in a fight
with another crab and I've never experienced him going through the
"shedding process"! Is he unhappy or sick? <More likely
sick, I'm afraid.> How can I tell what's going on?
<That's a tough question with no easy
answer. Unfortunately, there isn't much information
about invertebrate disease. The best we can do for them is
to provide them the closest environment to their natural habitat that
we can provide. In the case of your crab, this means HIGH
humidity, substrate to burrow in, and enough water to totally submerge
itself when necessary. I would fear that perhaps the
humidity is the problem in this case, as you mention that he's in a
very basic setup. A 10 gallon tank or larger with a lid to
help keep in humidity would be very good in this case.> If this is
below what you guys do, then I'm sorry to waste your time,
<There are no questions that are "below"
us. Your crab is important enough for you to write in, so
it's important enough to us to help you!> I just need simple
answers and can't seem to find them anywhere. <There are no
simple answers with invertebrate pets, my friend. I wish
there were. Try providing him a more humid environment and a
diet with more iodine and calcium (again, shrimp with shells, krill -
these will be helpful!) will likely be the best things you can do for
him right now.> Nick <All the best to
you, -Sabrina>
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