Fiddler crab, reef safe?

[MikeP471612]

Just got one, should he go in the diplay or the sump?

Tx

[sunfish11]

Sump

[dc]

Take it back, they're not really suited for our tanks.

[MikeP471612]

Originally posted by dc
Take it back, they're not really suited for our tanks.

Why?

[sunfish11]

Aren't they cooler water animals? Anyway, I promise you they aren't reefsafe.

[Tennsquire]

I used to collect fiddler crabs to use for bait when I was a kid in Fla., so they're not cool water critters. Might be that they don't spend all of their time underwater, but rather near the shoreline.

[Dwarf Seahorses]

A) They're not totally aquatic and B) They prefer brackish water, not marine

[sunfish11]

A) They're not totally aquatic and B) They prefer brackish water, not marine

Thanks for the explanation Dwarf Seahorses.

[acrodave]

yeah they have to come out of the water to breathe. they are the crabs that are in the middle of water to land crabs

[Sepeku]

I used to have a couple off and on in my tanks.

Really cool critters. They dance and what not trying to attract a mate and it really is a sight to see. Used to be the only critter that would stand up to the damsels. (that alone being funny to watch)

Anyhow, they aren't really suited to a "reef" tank at all without some modification. As some have mentioned, they need a dry space to molt and dry off every now and then.
I can't comment on wether or not they will eat coral.

But think of it this way, I used to quite litterally give them table scraps in their dry area with a little "crab food". They would decimate everything.
I don't hesitate to think they would eat coral at all.

[LobsterOfJustice]

I think the people replying are thinking about two different types of crabs. That said, neither are well suited for reef tanks. Both of these are commonly called "fiddler crabs":





I have brought the second kind home from the beach before. They didnt cause any problems, but they are adapted for surf conditions and died within a few weeks of being in the tank. They are also plankton feeders.

[Fishfreak218]

that bottom pick is known as a sand flea.
also I did have 3 fiddler crabs in my reef tank. They didnt touch anything but they didnt know where the dry land was so they died

[Sepeku]

I just setup some rocks to protrude out of the water and kept the water lower than "normal" so that I could see them. They seemed fine with it.

[Driftwood]

I had one for quite a while. I placed a piece of LR so it stuck up out of the water for him to perch on. My 3 year old used to 'pet' him. lol.

He never touched a living thing in our nano reef.

Dave